Ben James Peters (born

Greenville, Mississippi Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 34,400 at the 2010 census. It is located in the area of historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta. H ...

, June 20, 1933; died

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, May 25, 2005) was an American country music songwriter who wrote many #1 songs.

Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Rec ...

recorded 68 of his songs and 6 of them went to #1 on the American country charts. Peters was inducted into the

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is ...

in 1980. Peters was briefly a recording artist himself; his only charting hit was his own composition " San Francisco is a Lonely Town", which hit #46 on the country charts in 1969.

Number One Compositions in America

Turn the World Around ''Turn the World Around'' is an album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1977. After recording exclusively for the RCA Victor label since 1953, Belafonte signed with Columbia Records in the mid 1970s. After a series of pop-oriented albums, ''Tu ...

" (1967) was a #1 Billboard chart country hit for

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

& top 5 Billboard chart AC single. *"

That's A No, No That's may refer to: * ''"That's"'', a brand name used on recordable media by Taiyo Yuden and its subsidiary ''That's Fukushima Co., Ltd.'' * Several English-language listings magazines in the People's Republic of China **''That's Beijing'' **''Tha ...

" was a 1969 #1 Cashbox chart country hit for Lynn Anderson. *"

Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in October 1971 as the first single from the album '' Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs''. The song has since ...

" was a 1971 #1 Billboard chart country hit for

; it also went to #21 on the American pop charts. It won Ben Peters the 1973

Grammy Award for Best Country Song The Grammy Award for Best Country Song (sometimes known as the Country Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the songwriter(s) of the song, not to the artist, except if the artist is also the songwriter. There ha ...

. *"

It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer "It's Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and profession ...

" was a 1972 #1 Billboard chart country hit for

. *" Before the Next Teardrop Falls" (w/Vivian Keith); first recorded in 1967 by Duane Dee in a version which reached #44 on the Billboard country singles chart early in 1968,''Billboard'', January 20, 1968, p. 47 the 1975 version by

Freddy Fender Freddy Fender (born Baldemar Garza Huerta; June 4, 1937 – October 14, 2006) was an American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados. He was best ...

was a #1 Billboard chart country and a #1 Billboard chart pop hit; it won a

Country Music Association Award The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...

for Single of the Year in 1975. *" Love Put a Song in My Heart" (1975) was a #1 Billboard chart country hit for

Johnny Rodriguez Juan Raoul Davis "Johnny" Rodriguez (born December 10, 1951) is an American country music singer. He is a Tejano and Texas country music singer, infusing his music with Latin sounds, and even singing verses of songs in Spanish. In the 1970s an ...

. *"

A Whole Lotta Things to Sing About "A Whole Lotta Things to Sing About" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in August 1976 as the first single from his album '' She's Just an Old Love Turned Memory''. The s ...

" was a #1 Billboard chart country hit for

in 1976. *"

Daytime Friends ''Daytime Friends'' is the third studio album by Kenny Rogers for United Artists Records, released worldwide in 1977. It was his second major success following the break-up of The First Edition in 1976 (his first album '' Love Lifted Me'' was a mi ...

" (1977) was a #1 Billboard chart country hit for

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

covered this song for a special BBC performance with Tony Brown as producer. *"

Burgers and Fries "Burgers and Fries" is a song written by Ben Peters and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in October 1978 as the second single from his album '' Burgers and Fries/When I Stop Leaving (I'll Be Gone)''. The so ...

" was a 1978 #1 Billboard chart country hit for

. *"

Before My Time "Before My Time" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. ...

" was a 1979 #1 Record World chart country hit for

John Conlee John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

and also a #1 hit on Canada's RPM'S country chart. *"

You're So Good When You're Bad "You're So Good When You're Bad" is a song written by Ben Peters, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional ba ...

" (1982) was a #1 Billboard chart country hit for

Other Number One Compositions

I Want To Wake Up With You "I Wanna Wake Up with You" is a song written by Nashville songwriter Ben Peters. It was first recorded by American country music artist and actor Mac Davis and released in March 1980, and then by American country music singer Con Hunley in Septem ...

as recorded by Reggae singer,

Boris Gardiner Boris Gardiner (born 13 January 1943) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist. He was a member of several groups during the 1960s before recording as a solo artist and having hit singles with " Elizabethan Reggae" (in 1970), " I Wann ...

(1986-1987). This song was #1 in UK for 3 weeks. This song is one of the biggest hits in the history of reggae music. *" Living It Down" went #1 in Canada's country music charts and it went to #2 as a Billboard chart country hit for

in 1976 in America.

Notable Compositions

*" If The Whole World Stopped Lovin'" was a #3 pop hit in the UK in November 1967 for the Irish singer

Val Doonican Michael Valentine Doonican (3 February 1927 – 1 July 2015) was an Irish singer of traditional pop, easy listening, and novelty songs, who was noted for his warm and relaxed style. A crooner, he found popular success, especially in the ...

. It made #2 in Ireland. *" If The Whole World Stopped Lovin'" was a #12 American Billboard chart hit in 1966 pop hit for

Roy Drusky Roy Frank Drusky, Jr. (June 22, 1930 – September 23, 2004) was an American country music singer, songwriter, producer, actor and disc jockey popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incor ...

. *" Misty Memories" was a Grammy Nominated country chart hit for

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed onl ...

in 1971. *" I Need Somebody Bad" was a #11 Billboard country chart hit for

Jack Greene Jack Henry Greene (January 7, 1930 – March 14, 2013) was an American country musician. Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, Greene was a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. A three-time Grammy Award nomin ...

in 1973. *" Don't Give Up On Me" was a #3 American Billboard country chart hit for

Jerry Wallace Jerry Leon Wallace (December 15, 1928 – May 5, 2008) was an American country and pop singer. Between 1958 and 1964, Wallace charted nine hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including the No. 8 "Primrose Lane" that was later used as the theme ...

in 1973. *" It's Time To Cross That Bridge" was a #13 Billboard chart country hit for

in 1973. *" I Can't Believe That It's All Over" was a #13 Billboard chart country hit for

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...

in 1973. *" All Over Me" was a 1975 #4 Billboard chart country hit in America for Charlie Rich. *" Lovin' On" was a #20 American Billboard chart country hit for

T.G. Sheppard William Neal Browder (born July 20, 1944) is an American country music singer-songwriter, known professionally as T. G. Sheppard. He had 14 number-one hits on the US country charts between 1974 and 1986, including eight consecutive number ones ...

in 1977. *"Before the Night is Over" was recorded by

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis ma ...

originally in 1977 and by Jerry Lee and

BB King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shim ...

in 2006. *" Puttin' In Overtime At Home" was a 1977 #8 Billboard chart country hit in America for Charlie Rich. It made #3 in Canada. *" Lovin' On" was a #16 American Billboard chart country hit for

Bellamy Brothers The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo consisting of brothers David Milton Bellamy (born September 16, 1950) and Homer Howard Bellamy (born February 2, 1946), from Dade City, Florida. The duo had considerable musical succe ...

in 1978. *"

Tell Me What It's Like "Tell Me What It's Like" is a song written by Ben Peters and performed by Brenda Lee. The song reached #8 on the U.S. country chart and #18 on the Canadian country chart in 1979. It was featured on her 1980 album, ''Even Better''. The song was ...

" (1979) was a #8 American Billboard chart Grammy Nominated country hit for

. *" Lost My Baby Blues" was a 1982 top 5 Billboard chart country hit in America for

David Frizzell David Frizzell (born September 26, 1941) is an American country music singer. He is the younger brother of country musician, Lefty Frizzell. His career started in the late 1950s, but his biggest success came in the 1980s. Biography Frizzell wa ...

. It made #5 in Canada. *"I'm Only a Woman" recorded by Tammy Wynette. *"San Francisco is a Lonely Town" was recorded and released in 1976 by

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

Notable History Making Albums

*Peters had 3 songs, "The Little Town Square", "That's A No No" and "Satan Place" on the million selling The Harper Valley P.T.A. album. This is a pop culture music album by Jeannie C. Riley released in 1968. This is Jeannie C. Riley's biggest album ever. The album was released by

Plantation Records Plantation Records was a country music record label of the 1960s and 1970s helmed by Shelby Singleton. The label is best known for Jeannie C. Riley's 1968 hit "Harper Valley PTA", which topped both the country and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts. ...

, and was very successful. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard pop album chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard country album chart. *Peters had 2 songs, "Mr. Mistletoe" and "Soon It Will Be Christmas Day" on The Christmas Album. This is a holiday music album by country music singer Lynn Anderson released in 1971. This was Lynn Anderson's first Christmas music album. The album was released by Columbia Records, and was very successful. The album reached No. 13 on the "Billboard 200" in 1971 (her highest chart position on that chart). *Peters had 1 song, "Daytime Friends" on the 4 million selling 10 Years of Gold album. This is a collection of 10 years of

hits. The album was released by

United Artist United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

, and went No. 1 on the Billboard country album chart in 1977. *Peters had 1 song, "Daytime Friends" on the 4 million selling

20 Greatest Hits album. This is a collection of his hits prior to this project released in 1983. The album was released by Liberty Records, and was successful.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Ben American country songwriters American male songwriters University of Southern Mississippi alumni 2005 deaths 1933 births Musicians from Greenville, Mississippi 20th-century American musicians Songwriters from Mississippi 20th-century American male musicians