Don Gibson "My songs are simple, and just about all of them are about love.  I write about people, not things.  I never had a lot of education, and I don't feel easy with words.   Most of the words to my songs are real simple.  I just make them up to put to some tune on the guitar I've come up with.  It's the sound of the guitar that I've always been interested in." "It is idiotic to like only one thing, one way.   People should listen to all types of music. They should be concerned with whether the song is any good, not with what type of music it is." Birth Name: Donald Eugene Gibson Induction Year: 1973 Date of Birth: 4/3/1928 Place of Birth: Shelby, NC Former Occupations: textile mill worker delivered baby diapers dish washer soda jerk delivery truck driver jukebox maintenance Career Milestones: 1948--Gibson's band "Sons of the Soil" got a regular job playing on station WOHS (Shelby) 1949--first recording session for Mercury Records at WBBO (Forest City, NC) 1949--first attempt at songwriting, "Why Am I So Lonely?" (cut at first Mercury session) 1950--first recorded with RCA 1951--moved to Knoxville and joined WNOX's "Midday Merry-Go-Round" and "Tennessee Barn Dance" 1952--signed with Columbia 1955--wrote hit "Sweet Dreams" 1955--recorded for MGM mid 1950s--signed publishing contract with Acuff-Rose 1957--signed recording contract with RCA Victor 1957--decided to try songwriting full-time 1957--wrote and recorded first single, "Too Soon to Know" 1958--released "Oh Lonesome Me" which swept every major award in country music that year and "I Can't Stop Loving You" 1958--first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry late 1950s--moved to Nashville from Knoxville for brief period of time 1964--left the Opry 1969--signed with Hickory Records (owned by Acuff-Rose) 1975--reinstated as a member of the Grand Ole Opry Awards: 2001--Country Music Hall of Fame induction Catalog Highlights Sweet Dreams Artists: Patsy Cline (1963), Loretta Lynn, Faron Young (1956), Emmylou Harris (1976), Don Gibson (1956, 1961), Reba McEntire (1979) Oh Lonesome Me Artists: Don Gibson (1958), Johnny Cash (1961), Neil Young, Kentucky Headhunters (1990) I Can't Stop Loving You Artists: Kitty Wells (1958), Don Gibson (1958), Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Conway Twitty (1972), Sammi Smith (1977), Mary K. Miller (1978) Blue, Blue Day Artists: Don Gibson (1958), Wilburn Brothers (1961), Tracy Nelson (I'd Be) A Legend in My Time Artists: Ronnie Milsap (1975) Too Soon to Know Guess Away the Blues Artists: Don Gibson (1971) Country Green Artists: Don Gibson (1971) Who Cares For Me Artists: Don Gibson (1959) Sea of Heartbreak Artists: Don Gibson (1961), Kenny Price (1972), Lynn Anderson (1979), Ronnie McDowell (1989) One Day at a Time Artists: Don Gibson (1974) Gonna Give Myself a Party I Love You Still I Can't Leave Look Who's Blue Artists: Don Gibson (1958) Stranger to Me Artists: Don Gibson (1959) Heartbreak Avenue Bring Back Your Love to Me Artists: Don Gibson (1974) Don't Tell Me Your Troubles Artists: Don Gibson (1959) Give Myself a Party Artists: Don Gibson (1958), Jeannie C. Riley (1972) I Can Mend Your Broken Heart Artists: Don Gibson (1962) Just One Time Artists: Don Gibson (1960), Connie Smith (1971), Tompall & The Glaser Brothers (1981) Lonesome Number One Artists: Don Gibson (1962) Wasted Words Artists: Ray Price (1956) Comments: Discovered by Wesley Rose, who heard Gibson sing "Sweet Dreams" (among other songs) in a club in Knoxville; Rose signed Don to a song-writing contract, and a recording contract with RCA Victor shortly after "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You" were written in the same afternoon