Country-and-Western singer and yodeler Slim Whitman, who sold millions of records through his ever-present television commercials in the 1980s and 1990s, passed away on Wednesday at Florida's Orange Park Medical Center from heart failure at age 90.
The tenor falsetto and ebony moustache and sideburns became a global trademark for Mr. Whitman---and an inspiration for countless jokes---thanks to the TV ads, which turned him into somewhat of a cultural icon.
However, Florida-born Slim was a serious early musical influence on rock n' roll and was instrumental in popularizing country music in Great Britain. He even encouraged a young Elvis Presley when Elvis was making his professional debut in 1954.
Slim's career spanned six decades, starting in the late 1940s. In the early-to-mid 1950s, he had major C&W hits such as "Indian Love Song," "North Wind," and "Secret Love."
He was a regular on Shreveport's "Louisiana Hayride" radio show.
Here's Slim recording from circa 1952 of "Amateur In Love."
Rest in peace, Slim.
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