[3] As the sixth child in a family of nine,[4] Vern Gosdin began singing in Bethel East Baptist Church in his birth place of Woodland, Alabama, United States,[1] where his mother played piano.

[citation needed] In 1961, Gosdin moved to California, where he joined the West Coast Country music movement, first as a member of the Golden State Boys,[1] which became The Hillmen, and included Chris Hillman.

The duo appeared on the charts in the late 1960s with a song titled "Hangin' On" on the Bakersfield International label, then with "Till The End" on Capitol Records.

[4] In 1976, he signed with Elektra Records and his first hit was a remake of "Hangin' On", which featured Emmylou Harris on harmony vocals and peaked at No. 16.

Gosdin signed with Complete Records in the early 1980s, and, in 1984, released There Is A Season, picked by the Los Angeles Times as best country album of the year.

The pair specialized in songs of cheating and barroom romance, often delivering an over-the-top emotionalism that got Gosdin compared to George Jones.

[1] In 1983, Gosdin had two top 5 hits — "If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)" and "Way Down Deep" with the former earning him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male.

[4] On September 22, 1985, Gosdin appeared at the original Farm Aid concert at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium.