David Houston

Born and raised in Bossier City, Louisiana, country singer David Houston counted Sam Houston and General Robert E. Lee among his ancestors. As a teenager he became a regular on The Louisiana Hayride, yet his soaring tenor voice drew limited interest at first. Struggling to find steady work in music, he took a job as an insurance underwriter. In the early 1960s, when Epic Records was still establishing itself, producer Billy Sherrill signed him, and Houston delivered the label’s breakthrough success with “Mountain of Love.” His profile rose sharply in 1966 after “Almost Persuaded” earned two Grammy Awards and crossed over to pop audiences. A Grand Ole Opry member since 1971, he placed 28 singles on the charts during the following decade, among them collaborations with Tammy Wynette and Barbara Mandrell. Houston’s final Grand Ole Opry appearance took place on November 6, 1993; later that month a ruptured brain aneurysm placed him in a coma, where he remained until his death on November 30.