Sonny James, a country hall of fame singer who recorded smooth romantic ballads such as "Young Love" and turned pop songs into country hits, died Feb. 22 in Nashville. He was 87. Family friend Gary Robble, who was the lead singer of Mr. James' backing band, announced the death but did not cite a cause. Mr. James, who also was a songwriter, guitarist and fiddler, was promoted as the "Southern Gentleman" because of his gentle demeanor. Raised in Alabama, he started his music career with his family's band and, before he reached high school age, he already had performed on...