Grand Ole Opry Star Billy Grammer Dies at 85

Longtime Grand Ole Opry member Billy Grammer died early this morning (August 10) in his home state of Illinois from natural causes. He was 85. An Opry member since 1959, Grammer is considered one of country music's most accomplished guitar players and is perhaps best known for the pop-country hit 'Gotta Travel On,' which reached the Top 5 on both charts the same year of his Opry induction. In 1963, he charted with his version of the country classic, 'Detroit City,' which he recorded as 'I Wanna Go Home.'

Grammer was one of 13 children born to a coal mining family in Illinois. He spent his childhood on a farm, with music playing a key part in both his family and social life. After high school and a stint in the Army, Grammer heard of a possible opening with Connie B. Gay, a disc jockey and promoter in the Washington, D.C., area. He hitchhiked to Arlington, Va., auditioned, and got the job.

A sideman in the band of now-legendary artists such as Hawkshaw Hawkins and Grandpa Jones, Grammer also performed in that capacity on Jimmy Dean's television show. He then formed his own band and began performing as a solo artist. He also continued to be in demand as a session guitarist.

"Musicians I have talked to through the years have told me that I have a little extra punch, a little extra push," Grammer once said. In the 1960s, he developed what was once called "the finest flat-top guitar on the market," the Grammer Guitar.

In February 2009, Billy Grammer celebrated his 50th anniversary on the Opry with his wife Ruth and other family and friends.