Henson Cargill, 66; sang the 1968 country and crossover pop hit ‘Skip a Rope’

Henson Cargill, 66, whose 1968 hit “Skip a Rope” topped the country charts with its understated take on social problems, died Saturday in Oklahoma after complications from surgery.

“Skip a Rope” made it to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and was a top 25 crossover success on the pop music chart.

A 1968 New York Times review called the song “a little morality lesson within the context of a child’s skip-rope rhyme” and said Cargill “has one of those deliciously smooth country baritones like Johnny Cash’s or Dave Dudley’s.”

Written by Jack Moran and Glen Douglas Tubb, “Skip a Rope” was nominated as the 1968 Country Music Assn. song of the year, according to the association’s website.

Cargill’s other country hits included “None of My Business” and “The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I’ve Ever Heard.” A collection of his songs was released in 2005 on CD as “A Very Well Traveled Man.”

Born in Oklahoma City, Cargill attended Colorado State University, where he began performing at local events. In the 1980s, Cargill owned and operated a west Oklahoma City country music showplace called Henson’s.