I was sad to hear that Hank Locklin died today. 91 years old.

Of course, I thought he was long since dead, as much as I thought about such things, so to find out that he was actually alive and still making music, and that he has tragically died, well, that is sad-making.

Hank Locklin's webpage has this friendly reminder on the bottom: "Remember: It is a mark of distinction to have a Hank Locklin record in your home!"

(It is interesting to note that his webpage is marginally less crappy than most people of his generation. Many of the old greats have been saddled with terrible webpages that have layers of useless animation before you can get to the aborted core of the thing, I must think it all results from incompetent management agencies.)

I've always really liked Locklin's music. Solid country, good songs, and a certain tone to his voice which was good. He was no ET, of course, but there was and is only one ET.

That said, Locklin's hit "Send me the pillow that you dream on" is surely a great song, and his version of "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room" was also very fine.

But is seems to me that Hank Locklin was put here on God's Green Earth to sing "Rio Grande Waltz." I love that song. Sing it all the time, in fact.

One thing I particularly love is that throughout the song Locklin always calls the river "River Rio Grande."