Joe Dowell, had No. 1 hit with 'Wooden Heart," dies at 76


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Dowell, a singer briefly popular in the early 1960s who had a No. 1 hit with the ballad "Wooden Heart," has died. He was 76.

Dowell died Thursday at a hospital in his longtime hometown of Bloomington, Illinois. His publicist and friend Johnny Vallis tells The Associated Press that Dowell suffered a heart attack last weekend and never recovered.

"Wooden Heart" already had been a hit for Elvis Presley in Europe when Dowell's version was released. With its bouncy tempo and echoed vocal track, the song topped the Billboard chart in early September 1961. Dowell's other songs included "The Bridge of Love" and "Little Red Rented Rowboat." In subsequent years he recorded commercial voiceovers and gospel songs.

He is survived by a sister and two daughters.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent Entertainment stories

The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast