Billy Grammer's career began in the days when it was possible for a country music signer to build a lifelong career on just one smash. Grammer died yesterday in Benton, Illinois, where he was born 85 years ago . According to the account in the Benton Evening News, Grammer fell asleep in his armchair at his home on Tuesday and never woke up. He died at a hospital there early Wednesday morning. He would have turned 86 on August 28th. The oldest of thirteen kids, he grew up in Benton, playing music with his family and appeared on local radio before World War II military service. 

Grammer made his first records in 1948 leading a band called the Shennandoah Valley Boys. Grammer also worked as a sideman with singers Hawkshaw Hawkins and Grandpa Jones. Roy Clark became one of his closest friends. He recalled seeing Grammer on local TV. "When I'd see the screen and Billy'd be standin' back a little out of focus, I thought it was me."  Clark played lead guitar for popular DC singer-bandleader Jimmy Dean's band the Texas Wildcats and when Dean fired him in 1955 for being chronically late to shows, Grammer took his place. Grammer later hooked up with Fred Foster,  who co-owned Monument Records. Late in 1958, Monument  records first single was "Gotta Travel On,"  It hit # 5 on the country charts and crossed over to reach # 4 on the pop charts as the folk music revival gained popularity nationwide. It became Monument's first big hit. Monument later became the home of Roy Orbison, Boots Randolph and a number of other country and pop stars. Grammer joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1959.  He never had another hit like "Gotta Travel On" but all the same, Billy Grammer carved a nitch for himself.