Nov. 17: "Oh, Lonesome Me," "Sea od Heartbeak" Country star Don Gibson died on this date in 2003.

He was 75 years old when he died from natural causes. 

Singer/songwriter Don Gibson was one of the most popular and influential forces in '50s and '60s country, scoring numerous hit singles as a performer and a songwriter. Gibson's music touched on both traditional country and highly-produced country-pop, which is part of the reason he had such a broad audience.

(Links for viewing You Tube videos:)

-- "I Can't Stop Loving You"

-- "Sea of Heartbreak"

-- "Oh Lonesome Me"

-- "Sweet Dreams"

Born Donald Eugene Gibson in Shelby, North Carolina, he was one of the most popular and influential forces in '50s and '60s country, scoring numerous hit singles as a performer and a songwriter. Gibson's music touched on both traditional country and highly-produced country-pop, which is part of the reason he had such a broad audience.

Don was very shy and stuttered and  would listen to music on the radio and visualize himself as a performer. He took his first step toward this goal at 14 when he bought a guitar and learned some rudimentary chords. He was soon sitting with the instrument and watching and listening to other, older boys and men playing and try to pick up on what they were singing and playing.

In 1955, he began to compose songs in earnest, and one of his originals, "Sweet Dreams" became a Top Ten hit and was covered by Faron Young, who took it to number three at the same time.

Following the success of "Sweet Dreams," Gibson was signed to RCA Victor in 1957 by Chet Atkins. Released early in 1958, Gibson's first RCA single, "Oh Lonesome Me," was a blockbuster, spending eight weeks at the top of the country charts and crossing over into the pop Top Ten. That same year, he realized a long-held dream when he made his first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.

For nearly a decade after his first hit single, "Sweet Dreams," in 1956, he was a reliable hitmaker, and many of his songs have become country classics -- they have been covered by a wide range of artists, including Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Kitty Wells, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, and Ronnie Milsap.

A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson also penned and recorded many other country standards such as "Blue Blue Day," "Sea of Heartbreak" and "I Can't Stop Loving You."  He enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970's. He was nicknamed "The Sad Poet," because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love.

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He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973, and in 2001, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.