William Sherwood Crain (born August 9, 1954 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American songwriter and musician. He has been a staple performer in the Southern rock scene since the early 1970s. He is the younger brother to former Charlie Daniels Band guitarist Tommy Crain, who died in 2011. He has performed with various artists including

The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

and

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...

. In the late 1980s he pursued songwriting and record production. He co-wrote the song "Call It Love" (by Poco) with Ron Guilbeau and Rick Lonow; "It's My Time" by Martina McBride (co-writers Kim Tribble and Tammy Hyler); "

Another Nine Minutes "Another Nine Minutes" is a song written by Tom Douglas, Billy Crain and Tim Buppert and recorded by American country music group Yankee Grey Yankee Grey was an American country music group originally composed of six members: David Buchanan (bas ...

" (co-writers Tim Buppert and Tom Douglas); and "Let 'er Rip" by the Dixie Chicks (co-written with Sandy Ramos). After Henry Paul left the Southern rock band the Outlaws, he recruited Billy Crain to join the Henry Paul Band. Crain remained an important member of the band from 1978 until 1982, collaborating on songwriting, and being the featured lead guitarist. In 2008 Crain would hook up again with Henry Paul, but this time in the reformed Outlaws. This was after the death of longtime founding Outlaw member Hughie Thomasson. Due to health reasons Crain left the Outlaws in 2013, but not before helping Henry Paul produce the critically acclaimed "It's About Pride" album released in 2012.

References

American male songwriters Songwriters from Tennessee 1954 births Living people People from Nashville, Tennessee {{US-rock-musician-stub