"King of Western Swing" Hank Thompson dead at 82

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Honky-tonk baritone Hank Thompson, the "King of Western Swing" who churned out a string of top 10 country hits during a decades-long career, has died at 82, his family said on Wednesday.

Thompson's death was announced by his wife on Thompson's Web site, which carried a notice that he died on Tuesday in the Fort Worth, Texas, area where he lived. He had been treated recently for lung cancer.

Thompson got his first break in 1948 when fellow singer Tex Ritter got him a contract with Capitol Records and he immediately began turning out hits.

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RIP

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Here is a video of Hank performing: