Esco Hankins born 1 January 1914

Esco Hankins (1 Jan 1914* – 18 Nov 1990) was an American Country and Gospel singer.

Hankins is generally described as a Roy Acuff sound-alike. Whether it was intentional or not, the similarity is irrefutable but may, in part, be explained by the fact that Hankins and Acuff 
 were both born in Maynardville, Tennessee

William Esco Hankins, like Acuff, became interested in music while recovering from an illness. He learned to play guitar and began his professional career in the late 30’s on WROL Knoxville, Tennessee. Roy Acuff  was one of the most popular acts at the station and he had just left Knoxville to go to Nashville to be part of the Grand Ole Opry on WSM. Hankins attempted to fill the void left by Acuff, and did it with a voice and sound which very much sounded like Acuff. Hankins even called his band The Crazy Tennesseans, the original name of Acuff’s band, and had Roy’s cousins Charlie and Gayle in his band.

                                

The public responded well to Hankins and he brcame one of the biggest acts in the area until he was drafted. He served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II and on discharge, he

returned  to WROL. In 1947, at the label owner’s request, he recorded an album of songs associated with Acuff for King Records. (Acuff’s biography states ‘The best Acuff imitator is Esco Hankins. His records even fooled Roy’s mother’). Further King recordings included his own ‘Mother Left Me Her Bible’.

In the early 50s, Hankins relocated to Lexington, Kentucky, where he starred on various popular shows including the Kentucky Barn Dance and Happy Valley Barn Dance. He also became noted as a disc jockey. He recorded four sides for Mercury Records in Nashville, in 1951, but suffered when the label omitted his name on one single and named him Roscoe Hankins on the other. In 1954, he married Jackie Tincher who began to sing harmony with him and together they opened a record shop in Lexington.

In the early 60s, Hankins made further recordings for Columbia Records and a gospel album for Rem. In 1964, they moved to the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree, where they were featured artists until the late 60s. By this time his singing was almost completely confined to gospel music and he recorded albums of the genre for Jewel.

In the 80s, he and Jackie sang at one or two special events, including a popular appearance at the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville. By the mid-80s, worsening health forced him to retire. He died following a stroke in 1990.

(Edited from AllMusic & Warped Records liner notes.)

 N.B. *Some sources give 1924 as birth year.