Pete Cassell

Born 27 August 1917 Cobb Country (Georgia). Died 29 July 1954 Inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame (1984). Member of the WSB Barn Dance and WWVA Original Jamboree. "The King of the Hillbillies" Considering the quality of Pete Cassell’s music, he could have been among the top names in country music had not certain circumstances conspired against him. As it was, he was an extremely popular radio artist, with an impressive reputation at WSB Atlanta and WWVA Wheeling from the late 1930s to the late 40s. Blind since infancy, he died at the early age of 37, leaving a small but powerful group of recordings that he made for Decca, Mercury, and the Majestic labels. His vocal style—which influenced several other country artists including Eddy Arnold—could be described as achingly soulful, but that doesn’t do full justice to a man who definitely had a way with a poignant song.