American songwriter and country musician born April 3, 1928 in Shelby, North Carolina and died November 17, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. Collaborated briefly with Sue Thompson in the 1970s.
- Became a cast member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1958.
- Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973.
- Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
