Country songwriting great Frank Dycus has died at age 72. The writer of hits for George Strait, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Porter Wagoner and others passed away on Friday, November 23, following years of failing health.

One of Music Row’s best raconteurs, Marion Franklin Dycus was born in Hardmoney, Kentucky and was one of 13 children. He was fronting a country band by the time he was in his teens. He hitchhiked to California at age 15, then returned to Kentucky and joined the Air Force for a seven-year stint.

He spent time in Kansas working at Boeing and hosting a radio show before moving to Nashville in 1967. Dycus first tasted songwriting success in 1970, when George Morgan had a hit with his co-written “Lilacs and Fire.” Porter Wagoner took the Dycus song “Charley’s Picture” to No. 15 in 1971.

The songwriter’s first top-10 hit was with the 1974 Jerry Lee Lewis single “He Can’t Fill My Shoes.” The Wagoner and Dolly Parton 1976 top-10 hit duet “Is Forever Longer Than Always” was also from the Dycus catalog.

Dycus is perhaps best known for the trio of hits he co-wrote for George Strait, 1981’s “Unwound” and “Down and Out,” plus 1982’s “Marina Del Ray.” George Jones won a 1992 CMA Award for “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair,” which Dycus also co-wrote.

The songwriter hit No. 1 with “Gonna Get a Life,” sung by Mark Chesnutt in 1995, which helped Dycus earn SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year honors.

Dycus also wrote charted singles for Johnny Bush, Red Sovine, Johnny Paycheck, Joe Sun, Stella Parton, David Ball, Doug Supernaw, Gary Allan, Ronny Robbins. The Rovers, Southern Reign, Gary Stewart and his frequent song collaborator, Dean Dillon.

Other Frank Dycus co-writers have included Jim Lauderdale, Larry Kingston, Porter Wagoner, Billy Yates and Kerry Kurt Phillips.

Frank Dycus is survived by his wife, Mary Johnson; by children Sheila Dycus, Shannon Foxen, Shawn Bilbrey and Robert Dycus; by siblings Don Dycus, Jerry Dycus and Dana Forbes; by stepchildren Jamie Scott, Donna Stevenson, Dean Birkheimer and Glen Birkheimer and by grandchildren Vinnie Johnson and Samantha Bilbrey.

Jones-Stewart Funeral Home in Lyons, Georgia is handling the funeral arrangements. Dycus wished to have his ashes scattered off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia. Donations in his name can be made to Vanderbilt Children’s Cancer Center in Nashville.

A memorial service for Tim Johnson will be held Thurs., Nov. 1, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden’s Massey Hall. There will be no admission charge for attendees. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MusiCares at www.grammy.org/musicares/donate.

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Songwriter Tim Johnson passed away Sun., Oct. 21, following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 52 and died at home. The established member of Nashville’s music community had more than 100 major label cuts to his credit, with some of his biggest hits including Diamond Rio’s “God Only Cries,” Jimmy Wayne’s “Do You Believe Me Now,” and Daryle Singletary’s “I Let Her Lie.”

His list of singles and cuts also includes Joey + Rory’s “Remember Me” and “That’s Important to Me,” Tim Rushlow’s “She Misses Him,” Jeannie Kendall’s “Out of Loneliness,” Rockie Lynne’s “I Can’t Believe It’s Me,” Tracy Lawrence’s “Up to Him,” Blaine Larsen’s “The Best Man,” Derek Sholl’s “When They Come Back,” and Doug Stone’s “Nice Problem.” Johnson’s “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” written with Jon Wolfe and James Dean Hicks, was recorded by Joe Nichols for his 2011 album release.

Johnson’s talent extended to the studio, where he produced artists including Blaine Larsen. The respected songwriter was active with NSAI, where he served on its Song Camp faculty and was a longtime board member. He assisted the organization with its legislative work in Washington, D.C. Friends say he was a champion of songs and songwriters, and always encouraged aspiring writers. He also founded the Songwriter’s Institute.

In 2007 Johnson teamed with Rory Feek and Jeff Skillen to establish the Song Trust, which had success with “Bring Him Home Santa,” a song about fathers who serve in the military. Feek and his wife, Joey, said they are “saddened with the loss of our good friend. His passing leaves a big hole in our hearts and an even bigger one in the heart of country music.”

Growing up in Noti, Oregon, one of Johnson’s early songwriting influences was Mickey Newbury.

Johnson is survived by wife Meg, son Jack and daughter Cey. MusicRow extends sincere condolences to his loved ones.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced. Check MusicRow.com for updates.

Friend and songwriter James Dean Hicks shared his thoughts on Tim:

He was one of the biggest personalities and talents that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He made this world a better place in all ways and was a great friend to so many. He was one of the best songwriters and was a master at writing alone. “I Let Her Lie” and “She Misses Him” are a couple of the supreme works that Tim created alone. I believe what made him happiest was writing songs with his buddies and lifting us up and sharing success with us. His mission in life was to make sure songwriters got paid and recognized for their talents. And he always made us all smile. He was the funniest guy I have ever known. He was writing until the very end and was at the top of his game. I know we will be blessed to hear many of his songs in the future. Our loss is heaven’s gain. God bless Tim Johnson and his beautiful family.

Bluegrass headliner Connie Gately was laid to rest in Hermitage Memorial Gardens over the weekend.

The lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Connie & Babe and The Backwoods Boys died on Monday, October 15. He was 83 years old. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has identified Gately as a “bluegrass pioneer” and selected him for its oral-history program.

Born in St. Louis in 1929, he grew up in Middle Tennessee. Gately attended university at Lipscomb, Memphis State and Peabody, earning a masters degree while playing college baseball.

He formed The Backwoods Boys with guitarist/singer Babe Lofton (1929-1993) around 1952, when it debuted on disc on the Nashville independent label Republic Records. The core of the group also included banjo player Joe Drumright.

Gately and Drumwright served a brief stint as members of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys band in the late 1950s, but maintained their membership in Connie & Babe as well. Gately’s group recorded extensively for Starday Records in the late 1950s.

All of the Backwoods Boys also had careers outside of music. Writer Walt Saunders has speculated that this might be a reason why the group was able to survive for more than 40 years. Gately was in management at Aladdin Industries in Nashville for more than three decades.

Following a long hiatus from the studio, Connie & Babe and The Backwoods Boys resumed recording in 1992. Rounder Records issued the group’s comeback CD, Down the Road to Home, in 1995.

Among the band’s noteworthy performances were “Toil, Tears and Trouble,” “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” “Lonely Years,” “How Will the Flowers Bloom,” “Roll On Blues” and “Grave on the Rolling Hillside.” All of these were composed by Gately. His “Home Is Where the Heart Is” was later recorded by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

Gately’s son Fred Gately and Drumwright’s son Jody Drumwright have reportedly continued the group as Sons of the Backwoods.

Connie Gately is survived by his wife Bernita, son Fred and daughters Connie and Carol, as well as grandchildren, great grandchildren, step-children and step-grandchildren. Services at the Hermitage Funeral Home and the burial were held on Saturday, October 20.

Guitarist Dennis “Dino” Zimmerman passed away August 11, 2012 in Nashville. He was 67.

Zimmerman played guitar as a member of the Malaco Rhythm Section in the ‘70s with James Stroud, Don Barrett, and the late Carson Whitsett before he made his move to Nashville. He played on sessions and toured with KT Oslin, Mila Mason, Holly Dunn and more. He also owned and operated Dino’s Demos recording studio.

A Celebration of Life will be held in his honor September 22 at 3 pm in the Reverb Room, second floor of the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Nashville.

For more information, contact Susan Marshall here or at 615-818-6235.

Swanlund was the longest standing member of the band since 1985 when he started playing slide guitar for the group.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Stuart’s family and those who knew him,” said founding member Doug Gray. “We have lost a great friend.”