Shelby in Cleveland County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Don Gibson

— NC Musicians Mural Trail —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 23, 2022

1. Don Gibson Marker

Inscription.
Don Gibson is a Shelby native whose contributions to country music are far reaching. His songs have been recorded by many music legends and span decades. Several of Don's songs have reached number one on the Country Music Charts, and he became a Grand Ole Opry Member in 1958. Don was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973, and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

For more information on Don Gibson visit dongibsontheatre.com, or scan the QR code to the right.

Erected 2020 by NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.

Location. 35° 17.361′ N, 81° 32.452′ W. Marker is in Shelby, North Carolina, in Cleveland County. It is on West Graham Street just east of South Trade Street, on the left when traveling west. Don Gibson marker and mural are on the east wall of the building at this address. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 West Graham Street, Shelby NC 28150, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Earl Eugene Scruggs (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Earl Scruggs (about 400 feet away); Bobby Bell (about 500 feet away); Shelby Sit-ins (about 700 feet away); Cleveland County World War II Memorial (about 700 feet away); Webbley (about 700 feet away); Cleveland County Civil War Monument (about 800 feet away); Cleveland Masonic Temple (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Shelby.

Also see . . .
1. Don Gibson.

Few people around the English speaking world fail to remember Don’s two best known compositions, Sweet Dreams which became one of Patsy Cline’s most indelible
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 24, 2022

2. Don Gibson Marker on the NC Musicians Mural Trail
Born: April 3, 1928, in Shelby, NC Died: November 17, 2003

Donald Eugene Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina on April 3, 1928. He made his first recordings in 1948 with his group, Sons of the Soil. In 1957, RCA opened Studio B in Nashville. Soon after, Don Gibson came in and during an afternoon session recorded "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Oh, Lonesome Me." "Oh Lonesome Me" was number one for eight consecutive weeks on the Billboard country chart in 1958 and was a top ten pop hit. "I Can't Stop Loving You" became a standard recorded by more than 700 artists, including Ray Charles. Today, the Don Gibson Theatre in Shelby honors the memory of this legendary country artist.
Muralist: Scott Nurkin
hits, and the Ray Charles classic single I Can’t Stop Loving You. Both were chart-crossing smash hits, both shattered stereotypes, and you can bet serious money that in almost any nation on Earth, someone somewhere is singing one of those songs tonight. And let’s not forget his third unforgettable country classic, Oh, Lonesome Me. Besides its later crossover to rock and rockabilly band playlists, Don’s original recording was a revolutionary single for its day, as Don and producer Chet Atkins dropped the traditional fiddle and steel guitar treatment for a new and more aggressive sound featuring multiple guitars, a piano, a drummer, upright bass and background singers. Don’s recording of Oh Lonesome Me hit #1 on the national charts and stayed there for eight weeks, an almost unheard of feat in that era.

(Submitted on June 5, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Donald Eugene Gibson.

Gibson was nicknamed "The Sad Poet" because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. His first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording for Mercury Records in 1949. In 1957,
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, April 23, 2022

3. Don Gibson Mural and Marker
(marker is mounted at eye-level on wall, near right edge of mural)
he journeyed to Nashville to work with producer Chet Atkins and record his self-penned songs "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You" for RCA Victor. That afternoon session resulted in a double-sided hit on both the country and pop charts. His song "I Can't Stop Loving You", has been recorded by over 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles in 1962.

(Submitted on June 5, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Don Gibson.

In the course of 1958-1961, Gibson had a total of 11 Top Ten singles, including "I Can't Stop Lovin' You," "Blue Blue Day," "Who Cares," "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles," "Just One Time," "Sea of Heartbreak," and "Lonesome Number One." "I Can't Stop Lovin' You," along with many of his other compositions, became instant country and pop standards in the hands of other artists, and successful as Gibson was as a recording artist, he was even more influential as a composer.

(Submitted on June 5, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Don Gibson Theater in downtown Shelby image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 26, 2024

4. Don Gibson Theater in downtown Shelby

Don Gibson and memorabilia on display at Don Gibson Theater image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 26, 2024

5. Don Gibson and memorabilia on display at Don Gibson Theater

Photo of Don Gibson and his wife Bobbi on display at the Don Gibson Theater, Shelby image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 26, 2024

6. Photo of Don Gibson and his wife Bobbi on display at the Don Gibson Theater, Shelby

Also pictured are his guitar and plaque from his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame

Don Gibson memorabilia on display at the Don Gibson Theater, Shelby NC image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 26, 2024

7. Don Gibson memorabilia on display at the Don Gibson Theater, Shelby NC

Letter from Chet Atkins, hand written lyrics of "I Can't Stop Loving You", and Ray Charles, who made her sing #1 on the Billboard chart

Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 5, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 562 times since then and 36 times this year. Last updated on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. Photos: 1. submitted on June 5, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 3. submitted on June 5, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4. submitted on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 5, 6, 7. submitted on August 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.