Henson Cargill

February 5, 1941, Oklahoma City, OK - March 24, 2007, Oklahoma City, OK

Country Singer Henson Cargill Dies at 66 Oklahoma City, OK - Singer Henson Cargill, whose 1968 hit "Skip a Rope" topped the country charts with its understated take on social problems, has died. He was 66. Cargill died Saturday following complications from surgery, Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond confirmed. "Skip a Rope" made it to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and was a top 25 crossover success in the pop music chart. A New York Times review in 1968 called the song "a little morality lesson within the context of a child's skip-rope rhyme" and said Cargill "has one of those deliciously smooth country baritones like Johnny Cash's or Dave Dudley's." The verses refer to marital discord, tax cheating and racial prejudice, with the refrain: "Skip a rope, skip a rope. Oh, listen to the children while they play. Ain't it kind of funny what the children say, skip a rope." Written by Jack Moran and Glen Douglas Tubb, "Skip a Rope" was nominated for 1968 song of the year by the Country Music Association awards, according to the CMA Web site. Among Cargill's other country hits were "None of My Business" and "The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I've Ever Heard." A collection of his songs was released on CD in 2005 as "A Very Well Travelled Man." More recently, Cargill owned and operated a west Oklahoma City country music showplace in the 1980s called Henson's. It featured such performers as Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison, Glenn Campbell, Waylon Jennings and Cargill's friend and mentor, Johnny Cash. Cargill came from a prominent Oklahoma City family; his grandfather, O.A. Cargill, was mayor. He attended Colorado State University, where he began performing at local events. He returned to Oklahoma City, where he worked for the court clerk's and sheriff's offices before joining a musical group called the Kimberleys and eventually forming one on his own. He is survived by two sons, a daughter, four sisters and a brother. ********** Henson Cargill had tried his hand at being a lawyer, rancher, and deputy sheriff before settling on country music as a career after returning to Oklahoma from Colorado State University. He began playing local bars and was asked to join the Kimberlys by their leader, Harold Gay. Cargill went to Nashville in the mid-'60s and, after auditioning for different labels, signed with Fred Foster at Monument in 1967. Foster teamed Henson with producer Don Law to record the Jack Moran song "Skip a Rope." The single was a tremendous success and not only topped the country charts for five weeks, but also crossed over to the Top 25 on the pop charts. During 1968-1969, Henson went on to have two more Top 20 country hits, including "None of My Business." In 1969, he also began hosting Avco Broadcasting's syndicated show Country Hayride and recorded steadily for the next few years. In 1971, the single "The Most Uncomplicated Good-Bye I've Ever Heard" hit the Top 20, and two years later he recorded two Top 30 hits, including "Some Old California Memory." Cargill's next hit, however, was over six years in coming. Finally, in 1979, "Silence on the Line" made the Top 30. Cargill eventually left Nashville and returned to Oklahoma, but continued to perform sporadically. During the 1980s and '90s, Cargill was a fixture on the Las Vegas/Reno casino entertainment circuit. I n 2003, he issued All American Cowboy through his website. The double album featured re-recorded versions of hits like "Skip a Rope," as well as new material.

Billy Scott & The Party Prophets - Copyright © 2008

712 Georgia Ave - Statesville, NC 28677-3421

Web Site Design & Hosting By Monte Matthews

Expert & Affordable Web Design & Web Hosting