Born 112 Years Ago Today in a Small Canadian Fishing Village, the Country Music Legend Known as the “Singing Ranger”

Born on this day (May 9) in 1914, Clarence Eugene “Hank” Snow’s upbringing bears a striking resemblance to a country song. Growing up in Brooklyn, Queens County, Nova Scotia, Snow’s parents often struggled to feed their four surviving children after two died in infancy. In their household, music was often a respite from the harsh realities of poverty. A young Snow sought refuge in the songs of Jimmie Rodgers, the “Father of Country Music,” whose success he hoped to one day emulate.

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Earning the moniker “the Singing Ranger,” Hank Snow would go on to write his own chapter in country music history. A skilled guitarist, vivid storyteller, and shrewd businessman, he sent more than 85 singles to the country music charts from 1950 to 1980. Among his best-known works are the No. 1 hits “I’m Moving On,” “The Rhumba Boogie”, and “I’ve Been Everywhere.”

From Cabin Boy to Country Superstar

Hank Snow went to live with his paternal grandparents after his parents divorced when he was 8. Due to his grandmother’s abuse, he frequently ran away to visit his mother in nearby Liverpool.

Sadly, he encountered further abuse at the hands of his stepfather, who treated him “like a dog,” Snow said.

At just 12 years old, he took a job as a cabin boy on a fishing trawler in the North Atlantic. Snow used his first paycheck to buy a T. Eaton Special guitar. While at sea, he would entertain the crew by imitating the musical style of Jimmie Rodgers.

In the early 1930s, Snow landed a gig with a Halifax, Nova Scotia radio station, adopting the stage name “Hank, The Yodeling Ranger.” And in 1936, he signed with RCA Victor in Montreal, locking into a contract that would last 47 years.

By the late 1940s, Snow’s music was gaining traction with American audiences. He moved to Nashville in 1949, scoring his first No. 1 hit a year later with “I’m Movin’ On”, which topped all three Billboard country charts.

The song stayed at No. 1 for 21 weeks, tying Eddy Arnold’s “I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)” for the longest-running chart-topper.

Two more No. 1 hits followed—”The Golden Rocket” and “Rhumba Boogie.” For the next five years, Snow averaged two or three Top 10 hits a year.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1950, Hank Snow Was at No. 1 on the Country Chart With the Record-Tying Song That Put Him on the Path to Stardom]

Hank Snow Also Helped Elvis Presley Get His Start

Venturing into the business side of the industry, Snow formed a management partnership with Colonel Tom Parker, whom he later introduced to Elvis Presley.

Continuing to defend traditional country music from the creeping influences of pop and rock, Snow had his final career hit with 1974’s “Hello Love.” For 26 years, he held the record for the oldest singer ever to top the country singles chart.

Hank Snow died  on December 20, 1999, at his home in Madison, Tennessee. He was 85 years old. 

Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images