Billy Grammer
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Biography
William Wayne Grammer, born on August 28, 1925, in Benton, Illinois, is an American country music singer and guitarist. After serving in the US Army during World War II, Grammer's music career began when he was hired by Connie B. Gay to sing for his WARL radio program, Town and Country Time. Demonstrating his guitar skills, Grammer was re-contracted as both singer and lead guitarist. Grammer's breakthrough came with the million-selling single "Gotta Travel On", released in 1959 under Monument Records. The song peaked at number 4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and number 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming his most notable hit. That same year, he became a regular cast member on the Grand Ole Opry and named his band after his hit as The Travel On Boys. In 1963, Grammer recorded the first chart version of Bobby Bare's "Detroit City", entitled "I Wanna Go Home". He founded RG&G (Reid, Grammer & Gower) Company in 1965, which produced the Grammer guitar until 1970. His guitar was installed into the Country Music Hall of Fame on March 1, 1969. In 1990, he was inducted into the Illinois Country Music Hall of Fame. On February 27, 2009, he was honored by the Grand Ole Opry for his 50-year membership. Grammer died on August 10, 2011, at Benton Hospital.
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