July 2008 was the start of the fatal miseries for Hank Cochran. Tumors were removed from his pancreas. Cancer. Two years later, and the literally heartache began. An aortic aneuryism. Most of his fans probably couldn’t spell those two words, or point to where the trouble was. Of course, the heart. And at the heart of most classic country songs IS heartache. Which is why the tune below is “Same Old Hurt.”
June 15, 2010, the last day for Hank Cochran.
Hank’s life began with health woes. Doctors didn’t think he’d get past the age of two. Mumps? Check. Measles? Check. Pneumonia and whooping cough? Check and checkmate? Not quite. He pulled his life together while his parents’ relationship broke apart. He stayed with his father for a while, then toured…orphanages. He learned guitar from an uncle, but ended up doing hard labor on farms and oil fields. His travels took him to from his native Mississippi to California and from New Mexico to Hollywood and ultimately Nashville.
Hank finally got a break when Patsy Cline recorded a tune he co-wrote with Harlan Howard. You may have heard of it: “I Fall to Pieces.” Patsy recorded a few more Hank tunes, and Ray Price had a big hit with “Make the World Go Away,” first via Ray Price on the country charts, and then Eddy Arnold via crossover. “The Same Od Hurt” was a hit for Burl Ives. Eventually Hank had some luck as a recording artist, although he probably wasn’t well known outside of the C&W world. He barely had one Top 20 song (“Sally Was a Good Old Girl” in 1962) and his last chart appearance (only seven) was with help from Willie Nelson, a duet on “A Little Bitty Tear.”
Hank recorded just five solo albums and only one, “The Heart of Hank” in 1968 was any kind of a success. It missed the Top 40…landing at #41 for Monument Records. Monumental marital woes were also part of the Same Old Hurt for Hank. He tied the knot five times. Hmm, one for every solo record? What can be said…heartache is never out of style, diseases and death aren’t either, and hey, even a pandemic is just “The Same Old Hurt” because we’ve had that shit ever since mankind began eating rabid animals.
Hank was 74 years old. He had kept touring as long as he could. Maybe he loved to please even small honky tonk audiences. Maybe he had to do it because so many selfish stupid bloggers who call themselves "music lovers" and only want to "have fun" giving away what they don't own, forced him to keep going out on the road while the music pirates, retired, sat on their fat asses re-upping and squealing for "nice" comments. Which is all they can get since only creative people get applause.
“Got a new suit for next Sunday. Got a new job startin’ Monday. Got everybody thinkin’ I’m half smart…Got a new job with more money. Got a new girl who calls me honey. But I’ve got that same old hurt in my heart….”
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