夏禮章／鄉村歌星Claude King高齡辭世

文／夏禮章跨界鄉村歌星 Claude King本月七日病逝於老家路易斯安那州的Shreveport，高齡90歲，他以1962年的一首暢銷曲"Wolverton Mountain"爲老歌迷們熟識，和圈內好友Jim Reeves一樣，Claude King 在踏入歌壇之前的1950年代，曾在"Louisiana Hayride"廣播電臺和電視臺主持節目，還曾經創設一個棒球獎學金。 1961年他被哥倫比亞唱片公司挖角簽了唱片約，"Big River, Big Man"這首獲得鄉村曲排行榜第7名的歌，開啓了他從1961-1977年一共三十首暢銷曲的演唱生涯。 ▲圖／翻攝自網路。1962年曾獲熱門歌曲榜第6名的"Wolverton Mountain"是Claude King唯一的一首熱門歌曲榜前十名的歌，也是一首有趣的故事歌曲，由Claude King與Merle Kilgore一同創作，歌名是一個真實的地名，位於阿肯色州的Conway郡，而歌詞中的主角Clifton Clowers則是Merle Kilgore的叔叔，Clifton Clowers 一輩子住在那兒， 1994年去世後也葬在那兒，他活了102歲。 Claude King一直唱鄉村歌曲到1977年才退休，他也演過幾部電影和電視劇。Wolverton Mountain Merle Kilgore and Claude King, 1962

They say don't go on Wolverton Mountain, if you're looking for a wife. 'Cause Clifton Clowers has a pretty young daughter, he's mighty handy with a gun and a knife. Her tender lips are sweeter than honey And Wolverton Mountain protects her there. The bears and birds tell Clifton Clowers If a stranger should wander there. All of my dreams are on Wolverton Mountain. I want his daughter for my wife. I'll take my chances and climb that mountain Though Clilfton Clowers, he may take my life Her tender lips .... I'm going up on Wolverton Mountain, It's too lonely downhere below. It's just not right to hide his dayghter From the one who loves her so. Her tender lips ... But I don't care about Clifton Clowers, I'm gonna climb up on his mountain, I'm gonna take the girl I love. I don't care about Clifton Clowers, I'm gonna climb up on his mountain, I'm gonna take the girl I love. (repeat to fade)