Dewayne Blackwell
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Dewayne Blackwell passed away on Sunday (May 23) at age 84.
Blackwell was noted in Nashville for such hits as “Friends in Low Places,” “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home,” “Honkytonk Man” and other country hits. He began his career in pop music as the writer of the classic “Mr. Blue.”
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Dewayne Blackwell migrated with his family to California when he was a boy. His parents were Dust Bowl “Okies.” He was one of eight children who labored alongside them as an itinerant crop picker. The family lived in shanty towns with Latino agricultural workers, which sparked Blackwell’s lifelong interest in Mexico.
His father was a fiddler and guitarist who played for square dances. Blackwell and his younger brother began playing in California bars when he was 14.
After dropping out of high school, Dewayne Blackwell moved to Alaska, where he worked as a stevedore and longshoreman. This is when he began writing songs.
Back in California, he performed and recorded with his family trio The Blackwells in 1958-61. The group’s final single was produced by the legendary Phil Spector. The Blackwells folded when brother Ron Blackwell died in a motorcycle accident. (Ron had posthumous success as the writer of “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” a 1966 smash for Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs).
Dewayne Blackwell’s first songwriting success occurred when the teen-idol pop trio The Fleetwoods recorded his “Mr. Blue” in 1959. It became a million-selling No. 1 smash that was later recorded by such artists as Bobby Vee, Johnny Crawford, Bobby Vinton, Pat Boone, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Garth Brooks and Bob Dylan.
The Fleetwoods also recorded the songwriter’s “The Last One to Know” (1960). His other pop successes during this early phase of his career included British star Billy Fury’s “Love Or Money” (1961), The Everly Brothers’ “The Ferris Wheel” (1964), Bobby Vee’s “Hickory, Dick and Dock” (1964) and Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs’ “Oh That’s Bad No That’s Good” (1967). His songs were also recorded by Roy Orbison, The Four Preps, Peggy March, Little Richard, The Ventures and other ‘60s pop artists.
Dewayne Blackwell’s first charting country song was 1970’s “Mama Come’n Get Your Baby Boy,” recorded by Johnny Darrell. In 1974, he recorded as a solo artist. But Blackwell’s country songwriting career did not achieve real notoriety until the following decade.
Sometimes co-writing with Larry Bastian, Earl Bud Lee and a few others, he had a solid string of country successes between 1982 and 1992. These included the No. 1 David Frizzell hit “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino” (1982), which was nominated for a songwriting Grammy Award. Other top-10 tunes included “Honkytonk Man” (1982) by Marty Robbins (the title song of a Clint Eastwood movie) and “Saturday Night Special” (1988) by Conway Twitty.
In 1990, Garth Brooks scored the biggest hit of his career with Blackwell and Lee’s “Friends in Low Places.” It was named Single of the Year by both the CMA and the ACM, was nominated for a Grammy and was crowned ASCAP’s Country Song of the Year in 1991.
Other notable Dewayne Blackwell country songs include “Cowboy in a Three-Piece Business Suit” (Rex Allen Jr., 1982), “Turn the Pencil Over” (Porter Wagoner, 1982), “Tulsa Ballroom” (Dottie West, 1983), “A Million Light Beers Ago (David Frizzell, 1983), “Make My Day” (T.G. Sheppard & Clint Eastwood, 1984), “Still Pickin’ Up After You” (The Kendalls, 1987), “When Karen Comes Around” (Mason Dixon, 1988), “Nobody Gets Off in This Town” (Garth Brooks, 1989) and “Yard Sale” (Sammy Kershaw, 1992).
His songs were also recorded by Mark Chestnut, Moe Bandy, The Oak Ridge Boys, Joe Stampley, Merle Haggard, Shelly West, Reba McEntire, Confederate Railroad, Daryle Singletary, Michael Peterson and Floyd Cramer, among others.
In 2003, the songwriter retired to Ajijic, a town on the shores of Lake Chapala in central Mexico. The following year, he opened his restaurant Senor Azul (Mr. Blue) there.
Dewayne Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. His death was confirmed by Wikipedia yesterday.
Veteran Songwriter Glenn Douglas Tubb Passes
/by Robert K OermannGlenn Douglas Tubb. Photo: Courtesy Lyn Stevens
Hit country songwriter Glenn Douglas Tubb died in Nashville on Saturday (May 22) at age 85.
Tubb was active for seven decades on the Nashville music scene, co-writing hits for Johnny Cash, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Webb Pierce and The Wilburn Brothers, among others. His classic “Skip a Rope” is the current single by Marty Stuart.
“Two Story House” was a hit duet for George Jones & Tammy Wynette in 1980. Tubb co-wrote
it with Wynette and David Lindsey. The songwriter was also a recording artist.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Glenn Douglas Tubb was the nephew of Country Music Hall of Fame member Ernest Tubb (1914- 1984) and the cousin of Grand Ole Opry star Justin Tubb (1935-1998).
His first big songwriting success was 1957’s “Home of the Blues,” co-written with Vic McAlpin and sung by Johnny Cash. In 1959, Ernest Tubb had a hit with his nephew’s song “Next Time.”
Webb Pierce scored a top-10 hit with Glenn Douglas Tubb’s “Sweet Lips” (1961). The Wilburn Brothers did the same with “Tell Her So” (1963).
In 1967, Tubb and Jack Moran co-wrote the social-commentary song “Skip a Rope.” It became a No. 1 country smash for Henson Cargill the following year and crossed over to become a pop hit as well. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1969.
“Skip a Rope” has since been recorded by dozens of others, including Jimmy Dean, B.J. Thomas, Conway Twitty, Autry Inman, Lynn Anderson, The Harden Trio, Gene Vincent, George Jones, Joe Tex, Patti Page, Jack Reno, Rex Allen, Lawrence Reynolds, The Jordanaires, Bobby Bare, The Brothers Four and The Kentucky HeadHunters.
Cash returned to Tubb’s song catalog to record the gospel tune “I Talk to Jesus Every Day” in 1971.
The songwriter’s own recording career included stints with the Dot, Decca, Mercury and MGM labels, sometimes billed as “Glenn Douglas” or “Doug Tubb.” His 1958 LP was titled Heartbreak Alley. Later albums included New Country Psalms, Half and Half, Glenn Douglas, Let Me Cry Alone, Gonna Make My Mark and Aged to Perfection. He appeared on the Opry and on The Ozark Jubilee network TV series.
Tubb toured with Cash, Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Marty Robbins and others. He continued to write and perform until the time of his death, frequently appearing as the host of the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree at the Texas Troubadour Theater near the Opryland Hotel & Resort.
He also sang duets with his wife, Dottie Snow, the daughter of Grand Ole Opry stars Radio Dot & Smokey Swann. The two are ministers. Their weekly service called “The Kitchen Tabernacle” was posted on Facebook Live and Periscope each Sunday afternoon.
Joe Rucker, Jimmy Payne, Glenn Douglas Tubb and his wife Dottie Snow Tubb. Photo: Courtesy Lyn Stevens
Glenn Douglas Tubb’s songs were recorded by Dwight Yoakam, The Collins Kids, Kitty Wells, Charlie Louvin, Hank Williams Jr., Sonny James, Jan Howard, Charley Pride, Bob Dylan, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Nat Stuckey, Gene Watson, Jack Barlowe, Billy Walker, Anne Murray and many more.
At the time of his death, the songwriter was working on a documentary film about his life.
Glenn Douglas Tubb arrangements are being handled by Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Woodlawn Memorial Park. No services will be held at this time.
Nashville Musician Gabe Dixon To Release New Album
/by Lorie HollabaughGabe Dixon. Photo: Shervin Lainez
Musician Gabe Dixon will release a new album, Lay It On Me, on June 25. He has already released the soulful title track.
Dixon got his start as a teen playing keyboards professionally around Nashville, before studying classical piano at the University of Miami and launching the Gabe Dixon Band. The group released a string of albums, garnering praise from press and performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Show. Dixon became a go-to for some of the biggest names in modern music, touring and performing with artists including Paul McCartney, Alison Krauss, O.A.R. and, most recently, Tedeschi Trucks Band. Dixon released his debut solo album One Spark in 2011 which was followed by his celebrated sophomore effort, Turns To Gold, in 2016.
His third solo project, Lay It On Me was recorded with producer Dustin Ransom, and features a blend of old school soul grooves, pop hooks, and rock energy.
“I’ve been on this journey of learning to believe in myself and my music for most of my life,” says Dixon. “I’ve spent quite a bit of my time playing in support of other artists’ visions over the years, but with this record, I’ve finally reached a place where I’m able to fully realize my own.”
Songwriter Ben Glover Earns 40th Career No. 1
/by Lydia FarthingBen Glover
Lauded songwriter and producer Ben Glover has achieved his 40th No. 1 career single. Hitting this career accolade with Crowder‘s “Good God Almighty,” this is Glover’s second No. 1 with Crowder, after hitting the chart pinnacle for the first time with him in 2014 with “Come As You Are.”
Over twenty years after moving to Nashville to pursue music, Glover, who writes for Capitol CMG Publishing, is both a Grammy award-winning songwriter and GMA Dove award winner, as well as an NSAI awards recipient and ASCAP’s Christian Songwriter of the Year for five years since 2010. Co-writing MercyMe’s No. 1 “Even If,” additional chart-topping hits from Glover include songs recorded by award-winning artists Mandisa, Chris Tomlin, and for King & Country. With more than 400 songs penned to his name, other artists who have recorded his songs are The Backstreet Boys, Amy Grant & James Taylor, Joy Williams, NF, Thompson Square, Trace Adkins, Marc Broussard, and Clay Walker, to name a few.
Glover also co-wrote “Hard To Love” with country artist Lee Brice, which began a creative relationship between the two, eventually leading Glover to produce Lee’s latest album, Hey World.
“I came to Nashville over twenty years ago, had a five-minute artist career, and got dropped a couple of times early on,” Glover shares. “If you’d have told me then that I would someday be celebrating 40 No. 1 songs, I’d have thought you were either crazy or had some magic elixir that would allow me to live 500 years so I’d have enough time to do it. I’m just grateful I’ve had so many opportunities through the years to get to this place. I couldn’t have accomplished this sort of thing without the artists, producers, and writers willing to work with me and the champions who went to bat for me to convince all those people it would be worth it.”
“We couldn’t be more proud of our long relationship with Ben and getting to celebrate this incredible and unprecedented milestone with him,” says Brad O’Donnell, co-president of Capitol CMG. “Ben has always had an ability to draw out an artist’s unique voice and help them write their best songs. And now with ‘Good God Almighty,’ he’s done it again.”
Glover resides in Brentwood, Tennessee with his wife and two children.
Acclaimed Songwriter Jon Nite Renews Deal With Sony Music Publishing Nashville
/by Lydia FarthingJon Nite
Sony Music Publishing Nashville announced it has renewed its worldwide deal with Grammy-nominated, CMA, and ACM award-winning hitmaker Jon Nite. This agreement extends Nite’s longstanding relationship with the company which began in 2009.
“Jon is a true craftsman of the highest order. Throughout his years of success as one of Nashville’s top songwriters, he has never sacrificed his integrity or work ethic, and he continues to create masterful music that will be appreciated for generations. We are honored to remain Jon’s publisher and look forward to celebrating many more career milestones with him in the coming years,” shares Josh Van Valkenburg, SVP Creative, Sony Music Publishing Nashville.
Texas native Nite is credited for an array of country music hits including “Lady” by Brett Young, “Break Up in the End” by Cole Swindell, “Strip it Down” by Luke Bryan, “Living” by Dierks Bentley, “We Were Us” by Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, “Beachin” by Jake Owen, “Think a Little Less” by Michael Ray, “Boy” by Lee Brice, and many more.
Over the last year, Nite earned incredible success with his work on Gabby Barrett’s multi-genre, award-winning break-up anthem “I Hope,” which was co-written by fellow SMP songwriters Barrett and Zach Kale. “I Hope” dominated the country charts, breaking airplay and streaming records.
“I’m so thankful to be a part of the Sony Music Publishing family. I’ve been lucky enough to have these friends for the last decade help me take these songs and turn them into a living, breathing American dream,” says Nite. “Josh V, Dane, Tom, Rusty, all the way to Jon Platt have believed in what I’m fighting to create every day, and it has resulted in hits that are heard in places I can’t even pronounce. I hope to keep the bar high and help my team see the success they deserve.”
Throughout his songwriting career, Nite’s songs have been recorded by country superstars Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, David Nail, Kenny Chesney, Phillip Phillips, Chase Rice, Chris Young, Darius Rucker, and Dustin Lynch, among many others. He has written sixteen No. 1 singles, and earned three CMA Triple Play Awards, an ACM Vocal Event of the Year award, an NSAI Song of the Year Award for Swindell’s “Break Up In The End,” and was named one of Variety’s 2020 hitmakers.
Billy Ray Cyrus Signs With United Talent Agency
/by Lydia FarthingBilly Ray Cyrus
Leading global talent, entertainment and sports company UTA has signed Billy Ray Cyrus for worldwide representation in all areas.
Throughout his nearly three-decade career, Cyrus has achieved global success as a singer, songwriter, actor, producer and philanthropist. Most recently, he celebrated the highest RIAA 14x Diamond-certified song in recorded music history with Lil Nas X on the worldwide smash, “Old Town Road (Remix ft. Billy Ray Cyrus).”
The Flatwoods, Kentucky native exploded onto the music scene when his first album, Some Gave All, debuted on the all-genre Billboard album chart at No. 1 and stayed there for a record-breaking 17 weeks in 1992. The lead single, “Achy Breaky Heart,” became a phenomenon and went multi-Platinum. His success continued with dozens more singles including “It Could’ve Been Me,” “She’s Not Crying Anymore,” “Wher’m I Gonna Live When I Get Home?” and “Some Gave All.” He also enjoyed a successful career as an actor in the series Doc and Still The King, as well as the hit Disney Channel series Hannah Montana with his daughter Miley.
Cyrus has been awards at the Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, MTV VMA Awards, Country Music Association Awards, American Music Awards and Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Juno Awards, along with many other accolades.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Announce New Summer Tour, Live Album
/by Lorie HollabaughNathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Photo: Rett Rogers
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are heading back out on the road on a new run kicking off July 20.
The extensive slate of shows includes their annual shows at Red Rocks Amphitheater, as well as performances at Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, Nashville’s First Bank Amphitheater, Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater, and more. The band will share the stage with The Marcus King Band, Margo Price, Bahamas, Delta Spirit and Tré Burt.
General on-sale begins on Thursday, May 27 at 10 a.m. local time at nathanielrateliff.com/tour.
In September 2020, Rateliff and his ten-piece folk band played a six-night run at Red Rocks to a reduced capacity crowd of only 125. During the run of socially distanced shows, Rateliff recorded Red Rocks 2020, a new live album that will be released on July 17.
August 25—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre**
†with Margo Price
‡with Bahamas
**with Delta Spirit
††with Tré Burt
AIMP Partners With EnterGain On New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative
/by Lorie HollabaughThis effort will launch with a survey of AIMP membership to get a baseline of the current organization. Key findings will be presented at the AIMP’s Global Music Publishing Summit taking place on June 7. The survey has been emailed to members and will be open for response until May 31. Members who did not receive the survey and wish to participate can email DEI@aimp.org.
“The AIMP carefully considered the best way to address diversity, equity, and inclusion issues for our organization that would be of real value to our members and make a material difference,” says John Ozier, national chair of the AIMP and Nashville chapter president. “I’ve been fortunate to experience what EnterGain has to offer, and they have been working with music organizations on these issues for a quite some time. Their facilitators are top-notch, and they have given us valuable guidance on how to approach these sensitive and important issues with our members.”
The three 90 minute training sessions are scheduled for June 21, June 28, and July 6. They will be co-led by two executive-level facilitators from EnterGain with virtual session tools and staff to support interactive discussion. Registration will be free to AIMP members and will open shortly at aimp.org.
FirstBank Amphitheater Slates Lady A, Jonas Brothers, More In Inaugural Lineup
/by Lydia FarthingRendering of FirstBank Amphitheater
FirstBank Amphitheater has announced the lineup for the grand opening season of the new open-air venue for this summer and fall.
Greta Van Fleet will be one of the first artists to perform at the brand new venue in Franklin, Tennessee on Aug. 5, along with Lady A, Harry Connick Jr., Jonas Brothers and Kelsea Ballerini, Santana, and Nathaniel Rateliff throughout the following months. More shows will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We could not be more excited to open this incredibly special venue in Tennessee this summer,” says Bob Roux, president of Live Nation Concerts. “This initial lineup of artists performing this year is just the beginning of what fans can expect to see and we can’t wait for artists and fans alike to be able to experience what we’ve been working on.”
Rendering of FirstBank Amphitheater
The new amphitheater resides on a 138-acre site convenient to Nashville and the surrounding cities. Positioned at the base of a limestone rock quarry surrounded by cliffs up to 100 feet tall, the venue will host up to 7,500 concert attendees and also includes a spacious 1.5 acre plaza area for gathering, dining, and merchandise.
In celebration of the opening season, FirstBank has launched a VIP sweepstakes where music fans can enter for a chance to win VIP season tickets to the opening season of the venue. One grand prize winner will receive a FirstBank Amphitheater Season Pass which entitles the pass holder plus one guest access to reserved tickets for every Live Nation produced concert at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin, Tennessee in 2021. Find the full sweepstakes details and enter for a chance to win at firstbankamphitheater.com/vipsweeps.
FirstBank Amphitheater Opening Season Schedule:
Aug. 5 – Greta Van Fleet^
Aug. 27 – Lady A*
Aug. 29 – Harry Connick Jr+
Sept. 16 & Sept. 17 – Jonas Brothers with Kelsea Ballerini^
Sept. 29 – Santana+
Oct. 1 – Nathaniel Rateliff^
^On sale starting Thursday, May 27 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com.
*On sale starting Friday, May 28 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com.
+ On sale TBA
Industry Ink: Leslie Jordan, Seryn, Billy Blue Records, AGD Entertainment
/by Lydia FarthingLeslie Jordan Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut
Leslie Jordan was joined onstage during his Opry debut set by TJ Osborne, Vince Gill, and Charlie Worsham. Photo: Rachael Black
The Grand Ole Opry welcomed actor, writer, comedian, and singer Leslie Jordan for his Opry debut on Saturday, May 22 in front of a full capacity crowd.
Jordan’s performance as well as those by Brothers Osborne, Vince Gill, and Charlie Worsham aired on Opry Live on the Circle Network. Jordan was joined onstage during his set by TJ Osborne, Gill, and Worsham for the Opry standard “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”.
Jordan released his country album Company’s Comin’ in April, which featured duets with Dolly Parton, Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, Chris & Morgane Stapleton, Ashley McBryde, Worsham, Katie Pruitt, Tanya Tucker and Osborne, as well as co-producers, Travis Howard and Danny Myrick. Best known for his roles on Will and Grace and Fox’s Call Me Kat, the Emmy award-winning actor has seen a surge in popularity since his relatable, slice-of-life videos went viral on social media during the pandemic. Continuing his success into 2021, Jordan launched his Apple Music Country radio show Hunker Down Radio with Leslie Jordan, and landed on The New York Times Best Seller list with his book How Y’all Doin’.
ONErpm Inks Partnership With Indie Folk-Pop Group Seryn
Pictured (L-R): Chase Johnson, Aaron Stoner, Casey Childers, Trenton Wheeler, Nathan Allen and ONErpm’s Jeff Tobias
Seryn—a six-piece, Nashville-based, indie folk-pop ensemble originally formed in Dallas in 2010—has reunited to create new music in partnership with independent digital solutions company ONErpm.
“We are so excited to have found a home in Nashville and at ONErpm,” the band shares. “We are ready to move forward with a great team, with lots of new music on the horizon.”
The band’s latest release, “Figuring Out,” will be available on all platforms Friday, May 28. Seryn will also be performing at Mercy Lounge’s The High Watt with The Hardin Draw and Thomas Dietzel on June 25.
Australia Native Kristy Cox Signs With Billy Blue Records
Jerry Salley (Billy Blue Records), Kristy Cox, Ed Leonard (Billy Blue Records)
Australia’s “Queen of Bluegrass” Kristy Cox has signed with Nashville’s Billy Blue Records.
Cox has topped the Billboard charts and is a multiple winner of Australia’s CMAA Golden Guitar Awards. She and her growing family made Nashville home just 8 years ago, and she will become a U.S. citizen in October of 2021. When she’s not writing, recording or performing, Cox is one of Nashville’s favorite barista’s as the owner of a mobile Australian coffee van.
“I have known Kristy since she was a very young lady, and she is truly one of the hardest working women I have ever been associated with in the music business,” Creative and A&R Director of Billy Blue Records Jerry Salley says. “We will start recording our 7th bluegrass album together, and her incredible vocal talent is only matched by her ambition and drive to get things done! I am beyond excited to welcome Kristy to Billy Blue Records. She is exactly the kind of artist and person that we want to become a member of this label family.”
“When I first visited Nashville I met Jerry Salley, and since then, he has become not only a huge part of my career through our 6 albums together, but a huge part of my family… He’s the closest thing we have to family on this side of the big pond,” shares Cox. “I am looking forward to this next chapter and joining this amazing label family.”
AGD Entertainment Announces Winners to ‘Zero To 60’ Scholarship
Nicolas Edgerson “Legendary Nedge” and Damon McKinney “Tae”
AGD Entertainment, a Nashville-based entertainment company specializing in career development in the ever-changing music industry, has announce the winners of their first-ever Zero to 60 (ZT60) Scholarship program designed for developing 16 to 20 year-old artists.
The inaugural recipients include 18 year-old Nicolas Edgerson “Legendary Nedge” from Atlanta, who received the Full Scholarship which covers his nine-month experience with the ZT60 program, and 18 year-old Damon McKinney “Tae” of Nashville, who received a partial ZT60 scholarship.
Full Scholarship recipient Legendary Nedge is a rap artist who counts his major influencers as Drake and 2Pac. He started to use music as an outlet to heal himself from problems like depression and anxiety. Partial Scholarship recipient Damon McKinney “Tae” says he has been greatly influenced by Pharrell Williams, and his sound has evolved from pop into a jazz/hip hop influenced sound over the years. Tae’s proudest moment to date was at his first year at Bonnaroo in 2018, when he had the opportunity to be in the studio with Billie Eilish and Finneas.
“We believe that motivated artists should have the opportunity to succeed,” said Nathan Dohse, president of AGD Entertainment and author of the Zero To 60 Program. “Finances should not be the main cause preventing success as an artist. We are thrilled to be able to offer AGD’s services to Legendary Nedge and Tae and to support them in their creativity to reach their full potential as artists.”
Songwriting Great Dewayne Blackwell Passes
/by Robert K OermannDewayne Blackwell
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Dewayne Blackwell passed away on Sunday (May 23) at age 84.
Blackwell was noted in Nashville for such hits as “Friends in Low Places,” “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home,” “Honkytonk Man” and other country hits. He began his career in pop music as the writer of the classic “Mr. Blue.”
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Dewayne Blackwell migrated with his family to California when he was a boy. His parents were Dust Bowl “Okies.” He was one of eight children who labored alongside them as an itinerant crop picker. The family lived in shanty towns with Latino agricultural workers, which sparked Blackwell’s lifelong interest in Mexico.
His father was a fiddler and guitarist who played for square dances. Blackwell and his younger brother began playing in California bars when he was 14.
After dropping out of high school, Dewayne Blackwell moved to Alaska, where he worked as a stevedore and longshoreman. This is when he began writing songs.
Back in California, he performed and recorded with his family trio The Blackwells in 1958-61. The group’s final single was produced by the legendary Phil Spector. The Blackwells folded when brother Ron Blackwell died in a motorcycle accident. (Ron had posthumous success as the writer of “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” a 1966 smash for Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs).
Dewayne Blackwell’s first songwriting success occurred when the teen-idol pop trio The Fleetwoods recorded his “Mr. Blue” in 1959. It became a million-selling No. 1 smash that was later recorded by such artists as Bobby Vee, Johnny Crawford, Bobby Vinton, Pat Boone, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Garth Brooks and Bob Dylan.
The Fleetwoods also recorded the songwriter’s “The Last One to Know” (1960). His other pop successes during this early phase of his career included British star Billy Fury’s “Love Or Money” (1961), The Everly Brothers’ “The Ferris Wheel” (1964), Bobby Vee’s “Hickory, Dick and Dock” (1964) and Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs’ “Oh That’s Bad No That’s Good” (1967). His songs were also recorded by Roy Orbison, The Four Preps, Peggy March, Little Richard, The Ventures and other ‘60s pop artists.
Dewayne Blackwell’s first charting country song was 1970’s “Mama Come’n Get Your Baby Boy,” recorded by Johnny Darrell. In 1974, he recorded as a solo artist. But Blackwell’s country songwriting career did not achieve real notoriety until the following decade.
Sometimes co-writing with Larry Bastian, Earl Bud Lee and a few others, he had a solid string of country successes between 1982 and 1992. These included the No. 1 David Frizzell hit “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino” (1982), which was nominated for a songwriting Grammy Award. Other top-10 tunes included “Honkytonk Man” (1982) by Marty Robbins (the title song of a Clint Eastwood movie) and “Saturday Night Special” (1988) by Conway Twitty.
In 1990, Garth Brooks scored the biggest hit of his career with Blackwell and Lee’s “Friends in Low Places.” It was named Single of the Year by both the CMA and the ACM, was nominated for a Grammy and was crowned ASCAP’s Country Song of the Year in 1991.
Other notable Dewayne Blackwell country songs include “Cowboy in a Three-Piece Business Suit” (Rex Allen Jr., 1982), “Turn the Pencil Over” (Porter Wagoner, 1982), “Tulsa Ballroom” (Dottie West, 1983), “A Million Light Beers Ago (David Frizzell, 1983), “Make My Day” (T.G. Sheppard & Clint Eastwood, 1984), “Still Pickin’ Up After You” (The Kendalls, 1987), “When Karen Comes Around” (Mason Dixon, 1988), “Nobody Gets Off in This Town” (Garth Brooks, 1989) and “Yard Sale” (Sammy Kershaw, 1992).
His songs were also recorded by Mark Chestnut, Moe Bandy, The Oak Ridge Boys, Joe Stampley, Merle Haggard, Shelly West, Reba McEntire, Confederate Railroad, Daryle Singletary, Michael Peterson and Floyd Cramer, among others.
In 2003, the songwriter retired to Ajijic, a town on the shores of Lake Chapala in central Mexico. The following year, he opened his restaurant Senor Azul (Mr. Blue) there.
Dewayne Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. His death was confirmed by Wikipedia yesterday.