Lawrence Hankins Locklin was a singer songwriter who achieved massive success in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Born in McLellan, he began learning the guitar early in his childhood. In love with the instrument, he dropped out of high school to pursue music full time. Working odd jobs to fund his music, he performed in and around the Florida-Georgia border and created the Rocky Mountain Playboys in 1947.
In 1949, Hank was signed onto a record label, joined Louisiana Hayride, and had his first hits with “The Same Sweet Girl” and “Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On.” Throughout the 1950s, he continued to have hit after hit with songs such as “Let Me Be the One,” “Why Baby Why,” and “Please Help Me, I’m Falling.” After his huge success, he was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in 1960 and stayed there for forty-nine years.
In the 1960s, he moved back to McLellan, Florida where he built a ranch. He continued to write and had success with tunes such as “One Step Ahead of My Past,” and “From Here to There to You.” Hank took a break for a few decades before returning in the 2000s with encouragement from his son. Beloved by all in McLellan, he was dubbed the honorary mayor.
Accompanied by his acoustic guitar, Locklin’s music is characterized by his personal and heartfelt lyrics delivered in classic vocal twang.