My 100 Favorite Charted Country Songs: Beggar to a King

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Normally I’ll issue a country music warning for the people who hate it. This time around I need to warn everyone about this guy. Personally, I never had a problem with him, because I grew up listening to him. You might wonder what the heck is wrong with his voice. With that in mind, here’s today’s country song on the list of my 100 favorites. Beggar to a King - Hank Snow What. A. Song. It’s such a gorgeous love song. You may not be able to hear that because, yes, Hank Snow is an acquired taste. (One of these days I need to make a month of “favorite ‘acquired taste’ singers. That’ll get me kicked off of myLot for sure. ) The other thing that may throw you for a loop is the fact that The Big Bopper wrote this. That’s right, amid all the novelty songs that he wrote (“Chantilly Lace,” “Running Bear”), J.P. Richardson could write some great tunes. That’s why I say it’s criminal that he’s the “afterthought” in The Day the Music Died. I haven’t scanned it, but somewhere in my photos I have a picture of Hank Snow and me together, taken at the Grand Ole Opry. He was a very nice man. And yes, I do like his music. Especially this tune. What. A. Song. Beggar to a King Written by Jiles Perry Richardson Recorded by Hank Snow Released as a single, 1961 Peak chart position: #3 Today’s rock song: “At Seventeen” You placed a crown on my head: