Biography
Born Samuel Hutt on 15 November 1940 in Wangford, Suffolk, England, the future performer grew up with Allen Hutt as his father, the chief sub-editor of the communist newspaper The Daily Worker and president of the National Union of Journalists. His mother worked as a teacher of English to Russian students. After studying medicine at Cambridge University and qualifying as a doctor, Hutt first encountered country music through Gram Parsons when the singer’s girlfriend received treatment from him in 1971. Following time spent in the USA, he found himself drawn ever deeper into the genre while still practising medicine, eventually harbouring a strong desire to perform himself. The marriage of his girlfriend to his closest friend prompted a period of reflection in a Suffolk pub beside the Wangford bypass, where the Hank Wangford persona took shape as a singer of songs from the Wangford Hall of Pain. He later observed, ‘Hank Wangford was a good name for the classic country star. He sings about pain, he sings about heartache, and that was good because Sam could go on living and being normal.’ From 1976 onward he cultivated a following on the London pub-rock circuit.
The resulting character served simultaneously as tribute and gentle satire of country music’s more extravagant traits. He established Sincere Management, whose motto was ‘It’s in the post,’ along with Sincere Products, advertised as ‘Brought to you with no regard for quality.’ Publicity frequently portrayed him as a gynaecologist-cum-country singer, often alongside a Harley Street sign. Although his recordings remained comparatively slight, they thrived in pub and club settings, while his media profile endured; ‘Chicken Rhythm’ drew on Ray Stevens’ quirky ‘In The Mood,’ and ‘Cowboys Stay On Longer’ echoed David Allan Coe’s ‘Divers Do It Deeper.’ Wangford consistently assembled skilled collaborators, among them Andy Roberts, who performed as Brad Breath, and Melanie Harrold, known as Irma Cetas. His fiddler and duet partner Bobby Valentino, previously of the Fabulous Poodles and a noted Clark Gable lookalike, later pursued a solo career. With his ponytail, stubble and gap-toothed smile, Wangford proved a compelling live performer, devising the stage production ‘Radio Wang’ and hosting two country music series on Channel 4 Television. He has continued his work in women’s healthcare, lecturing and training doctors and nurses throughout the UK and overseas. As he remarked, ‘I have had letters of referral from doctors which start “Dear Dr. Wangford”, so the transmogrification is complete.’
The resulting character served simultaneously as tribute and gentle satire of country music’s more extravagant traits. He established Sincere Management, whose motto was ‘It’s in the post,’ along with Sincere Products, advertised as ‘Brought to you with no regard for quality.’ Publicity frequently portrayed him as a gynaecologist-cum-country singer, often alongside a Harley Street sign. Although his recordings remained comparatively slight, they thrived in pub and club settings, while his media profile endured; ‘Chicken Rhythm’ drew on Ray Stevens’ quirky ‘In The Mood,’ and ‘Cowboys Stay On Longer’ echoed David Allan Coe’s ‘Divers Do It Deeper.’ Wangford consistently assembled skilled collaborators, among them Andy Roberts, who performed as Brad Breath, and Melanie Harrold, known as Irma Cetas. His fiddler and duet partner Bobby Valentino, previously of the Fabulous Poodles and a noted Clark Gable lookalike, later pursued a solo career. With his ponytail, stubble and gap-toothed smile, Wangford proved a compelling live performer, devising the stage production ‘Radio Wang’ and hosting two country music series on Channel 4 Television. He has continued his work in women’s healthcare, lecturing and training doctors and nurses throughout the UK and overseas. As he remarked, ‘I have had letters of referral from doctors which start “Dear Dr. Wangford”, so the transmogrification is complete.’
Albums
