Bob Gallion born 22 April 1931

Bob Gallion (born April 22, 1924 in Ashland, Kentucky; died August 20, 1999) was an American country music singer. Between 1958 and 1973, he recorded for various country labels, charting nine times on the Hot Country Songs charts. His biggest hit was "Wall to Wall Love", which went to number 5 in 1962.

Bob Gallion took up the guitar at an early age whilst growing up in Columbus, Ohio and had turned pro by his 20th birthday. He worked local gigs and radio programmes before joining Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper's Clinch Mountain Clan on Wheeling's WWVA Jamboree. In 1951 he formed his own band, the Country Boys and stayed on the Jamboree until '56 when he became a regular performer on the Louisiana Hayride.

In the mid-50s, when offered a recording contract with MGM Records, he decided to pursue a solo career. Singing mainly honky tonk country and occasional rockabilly tracks, he

worked on the Louisiana Hayride at Shreveport but eventually relocated to Nashville, guested on the Grand Ole Opry and worked tours with other singers. He gained his first chart successes in 1958/9 with ‘That’s What I Tell My Heart’ and ‘You Take The Table And I’ll Take The Chairs’.

In 1960, after joining Acuff-Rose Music, he moved to the Hickory label and immediately scored a Top 10 with ‘Loving You Was Worth This Broken Heart’ and followed up with two Top 20 hits ‘One Way Street’ and ‘Sweethearts Again’. In 1962, he gained his biggest chart hit, a number 5, with ‘Wall To Wall Love’. 

                                    

He gradually turned more and more towards disc jockey work and after moving his centre of operations to Georgia, he spent six years on WGUN Atlanta.

He recorded for United Artists Records, in 1968, gaining his last solo chart entry with ‘Pick A Little Happy Song’. He also decided to return to theWheeling Jamboree, where he became a featured artist until 1983. During this time, he often toured with Patti Powell. They recorded together, registered a minor hit with ‘Love By Appointment’ in 1973 and later made an album for Starday. Gallion gradually phased out most of his performing and instead headed Bob Gallion Productions, a booking agency that operated in Wheeling but dealt with tours for many acts as well as those playing the Jamboree.

Gallion died in 1999 at age 75, in Williamstown, West Virginia. He was survived by his wife, June, who continued to run his booking agency.