Country singer Sonny James dies at age 87

James’ hit Young Love spent a month at No. 1 in 1957.

Recently hospitalized, James passed away today, February 22nd 2016 from natural causes surrounded by family and friends at Alive Hospice in Nashville, TN. But his sophomore release, “That’s Me Without You”, found favor with disc jockeys, peaking at No. 9 on the Most Played by Jockeys country chart (a predecessor to Hot Country Songs).

His music career hit the back burner when James joined the National Guard and was shipped to Korea in late 1950 to help fight in the Korean War. He grew up performing with his family at various music shows around the state.

James, also known as “the Southern Gentleman”, struggled to chart a single for a few years, before earning his first No. 1 in 1956, with “Young Love”. James’ alliance with Capitol, which began with a Top Ten single in 1953, “That’s Me Without You”, would lead to an unbroken streak of 16 chart-topping releases from 1967 to 1971. Using a childhood nickname, Sonny, for the stage, he took advantage of the fledgling medium of television, including regular visits to the “Ed Sullivan Show” to cement his stardom. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006 by Kix Brooks and was the first country artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That record stood until 1985, when the band Alabama broke it. Billboard called him “one of the first artists in the (country) format to consistently see his records cross over to the pop charts”. When he returned home the following year, he moved to Nashville and later signed with Capitol Records.

In 1967, James registered his fourth Hot Country Songs No. 1 with “Need You”.

In the 70’s, James also became a producer, helming Marie Osmond’s first three albums, including her breakthrough as a soloist, Paper Roses.

In addition to being a country star, James dabbled in the acting world and appeared in music-themed films Nashville Rebel, Las Vegas Hillbillies and Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar.

To read the full story about the death of Sonny James you can visit the Tennessean website.

James is a legend of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s after rising to fame in ’56 with his hit “Young Love”.

James is survived by his wife of 58 years, Doris.