# On This Day in 1960, a Country Star Whose Musical Journey Began With a Devastating Childhood Accident Fulfilled His Grand Ole Opry Dream

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/on-this-day-in-1960-a-country-star-whose-musical-journey-began-with-a-devastating-childhood-accident-fulfilled-his-grand-ole-opry-dream/
- Published: 2026-11-13T01:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T02:25:46+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/on-this-day-in-1960-a-country-star-whose-musical-journey-began-with-a-devastating-childhood-accident-fulfilled-his-grand-ole-opry-dream/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Hank Locklin joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1960.
- “Please Help Me I’m Falling” topped the country chart for 14 weeks.
- His Opry membership lasted 49 years.

## Summary

Hank Locklin joined the Grand Ole Opry on 12 November 1960, after the success of “Please Help Me I’m Falling”. The invitation marked a milestone in a country career that began after a childhood accident left him bedridden and learning guitar.

Locklin was born in Florida in 1918 and went on to place 70 singles on the US country chart. His 1953 song “Let Me Be the One” was his first number one, while “Please Help Me I’m Falling” spent 14 weeks at the top of the country chart and also reached the pop top 10. He remained an Opry member for 49 years, making his final appearance in 2007; he died in 2009, aged 91.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.