NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ferlin Husky, a country music pioneer in the 1950s and early ’60s whose hits included “Wings of a Dove” and “Gone,” has died at age 85.
Country Music Hall of Fame spokeswoman Tina Wright says Husky, who was inducted into the hall last year, died Thursday at his home. He had suffered from heart problems and related ailments for several years.
Husky’s resonant voice and good looks made him one of the most versatile entertainers to emerge from country music. He was a singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor.
He was one of the first country musicians to bring the genre to television and helped spread its popularity in booming post-World War II California, an important milestone in country’s quest for a national audience.
