Ferlin Eugene Husky was born in Cantwell, Missouri, on December 3, 1925. He was named Ferland after one of his father’s friends, but his birth certificate nevertheless read “Ferlin,” and the spelling stuck.
After Pearl Harbor, Husky enlisted in the Marines. After the war Husky sang in St. Louis honky-tonks, then headed for California in the late 1940s and started performing with other musicians.
Next, Husky became a disc jockey on Bakersfield radio station, KBIS. Here he developed his comic alter-ego, Simon Crum. Hilarious dialog between Husky and “Simon” boosted sponsors’ sales and helped prove country music’s selling power. At Bakersfield’s Rainbow Gardens club, Husky headlined family-friendly shows and hosted children’s talent contests.
Ferlin charted three dozen hits between 1961 and 1972, with the biggest being “Once” (1967) and “Just for You” (1968).
On February 23, 2010, the Country Music Association announced his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was heralded for his vocal and comic prowess—and “all around showmanship”—that left a legacy as “one of the best entertainers country music has ever produced”.
On March 17, 2011, Husky died at his daughter’s home in of congestive heart failure.
