Whatever Happened To The Storyteller Tom T. Hall?

Country Music is about a lot of things, but I think most of all Country Music is really about one thing most of all.

Telling a story  The story might be about drinking, cheating, living or dying, but country music is nothing if not about...stories.

So if your nickname is 'The Storyteller', well, that would be just about the highest compliment a country singer/songwriter could receive.

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Tom T. Hall was and is 'The Storyteller'.

From his first Top 10 Country hit in 1968 'The Ballad of Forty Dollars' to his first #1 hit in 1969 'A Week In A Country Jail' and continuing on through all those great Classic Country 'stories'...'Salute To A Swicthblade', 'Shoeshine Man', 'Ravishing Ruby', 'I Love' and 'I Care', along with so many more, including his signature song and my favorite Tom T. Classic which he sings (and talks about) in this video, 'Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine'.

Tom T.'s last #1 'story' came in 1974 and his last Top Ten in 1984.  To listen to a Tom T. Hall song and album was to take a trip, a journey through his life and perhaps more importantly, through yours. Yes, Tom T. often sang about your life. That was the magic.

So whatever happened to this story teller from Kentucky?

Sadly, Tom T. lost the love of his life, his wife Dixie in January of 2015. At the age of 84 Tom is largely retired, but I hope he is still telling (and singing) those tales that have become legendary.

Oh and a final note, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet and interview Tom when he played the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen back in the late 1970's.  He was genuinely on of the nicest people (not just country star's) that I've ever met.  It was more than a pleasure to chat with 'The Storyteller'.