HANK THOMPSON, 82 Country singer, songwriter

Hank Thompson, a 1989 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, died Tuesday evening at his Keller, Texas, residence, four days after canceling the remainder of a tour.

"He was battling aggressive lung cancer," Tracy Pitcox, president of Heart of Texas Records and Mr. Thompson's spokesman, said in a statement.

He was the first country entertainer to travel with his own light and sound systems, the first to have a corporate sponsor, the first to record in high-fidelity stereo and the first to broadcast his TV show in color. In 1960, Mr. Thompson recorded "Live at the Golden Nugget," one of country's first live albums.

"He was one of a kind," said D.D. Bray, Mr. Thompson's manager and booking agent for 25 years. "It's a long, long legacy. ... His songs will live forever."

Mr. Thompson recorded 21 songs that reached the Top 20, including "Humpty Dumpty Heart" and "A Six Pack to Go," and sold more than 60 million records. His final performance was Oct. 8.