Harlan Perry Howard (September 8, 1927 – March 3, 2002) was an American songwriter, principally in

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. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote many popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists.

Career

Howard was born on September 8, 1927, in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, Michigan, and grew up on a farm in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. As a child, he listened to the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

radio show. In later years, Howard recalled the personal formative influence of country music:

I was captured by the songs as much as the singer. They grabbed my heart. The reality of country music moved me. Even when I was a kid, I liked the sad songs… songs that talked about true life. I recognized this music as a simple plea. It beckoned me.Retrieved 2019-03-09.

Howard completed only nine years of formal education, though he was an avid reader.‘Harlan Howard’
, Harlan Howard web-site. When he was 12 years of age, he began writing songs, "an enthusiasm fueled by an appetite for books and an ear for a telling phrase." After serving as a paratrooper with the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, he went to Los Angeles, California, hoping to sell his music. Howard did manual labor while writing songs and pushing his finished material. Eventually, he sold some of his compositions and, after a few minor successes, his song, "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down", recorded by Charlie Walker, went to No. 2 on the country music charts in late 1958. A year later Ray Price had a major country hit with " Heartaches By The Number". Simultaneously, a pop version of the song performed by

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. In the fa ...

went to No. 1 on the

pop chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

. Buoyed by these two major hits, Howard moved to

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 ...

, in 1960. Bringing along a large portfolio of compositions, he signed a contract with

Acuff-Rose Music Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. was an American music publishing firm formed in 1942 by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose (songwriter), Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Acuff-Rose's honest behavior towards their writers set them apart from other m ...

. Howard's songs were so immediately successful that, in 1961 alone, he had fifteen of his compositions on the country music charts, earning him ten BMI awards. Among his biggest hits was "

I Fall to Pieces "I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline. Released as a single in 1961 via Decca Records, it topped the country charts, crossed over onto the pop charts and became among C ...

", co-written with

Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy ...

and recorded by

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

. Cline and Candi Staton recorded his "He Called Me Baby", which was later a No. 1 C&W hit for

Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. His eclectic style of music was often difficult to classify, encompassing the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country music, country, sou ...

as "

She Called Me Baby "She Called Me Baby" is a country song written in 1961 by Harlan Howard. Background The song was first recorded by Howard for his September 1961 album release ''Harlan Howard Sings Harlan Howard''. The track was released as a single in January 1 ...

". Though not often thought of as a writer of rhythm and blues songs, Howard wrote Joe Simon's No. 1 R&B chart hit " The Chokin' Kind", a million-selling record in 1969. Howard also wrote the classic

Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

song "Everglades", and the song " Busted", originally a hit for both

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

and

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

and later a 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 ...

who used the song to create awareness for

Feed the Children Feed the Children, established in 1979 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization focused on alleviating childhood hunger. Its mission is "providing hope and resources for those without life's essentials." The organ ...

. The song "The Wall" also became a hit for Johnny Cash on his studio album '' Orange Blossom Special'', as well as his '' Live at Folsom Prison'' album. Howard coined the oft-quoted phrase defining a great country song as Three Chords and the Truth. Howard 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 u ...

in 1973, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997, and the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

also in 1997. He died in Nashville in 2002, at the age of 74, and was buried in

Nashville City Cemetery Nashville City Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville's prominent historical figures are buried there. It includes the tombs of 22,000 people, 6,000 of whom were African Americans. Overview Nashville ...

Discography

*1961: ''Harlan Howard Sings Harlan Howard'' *1965: ''All Time Favorite Country Songwriter'' *1967: ''Mr. Songwriter'' *1967: ''Down to Earth'' *1971: ''To the Silent Majority with Love'' *1981: ''Singer and Songwriter''

Song list

Songs written or co-written by Harlan Howard. *" Above and Beyond (the Call of Love)" *"

Blame It on Your Heart "Blame It On Your Heart" is a song written by Harlan Howard and Kostas, and recorded by American country music artist Patty Loveless. It was released in April 1993 as the first single from her album '' Only What I Feel''. A cover version by Debo ...

" (co-written with Kostas) *"Blizzard" *" Busted" *" Chokin' Kind" *"Call Me Mr. In-Between" *"Don't Call Me From a Honky Tonk Bar" *" Don't Tell Me What To Do (I'll Love You Forever If I Want To)" (co-written with

Max D. Barnes Max Duane Barnes (July 24, 1935 – January 11, 2004) was an American country singer and songwriter born in Hard Scratch, Iowa, United States. In 1973, Barnes moved with his family from Omaha, Nebraska to Nashville, Tennessee, where he di ...

) *"Everglades" *"Evil off My Mind" *"

Evil on Your Mind "Evil on Your Mind" is the name of a popular Country music song, originally made famous by Grand Ole Opry star Jan Howard in 1966. The song was written by her husband at the time, songwriter Harlan Howard. In the mid-'60s, Jan Howard was not acq ...

" *"

Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache) "Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache)" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Buck Owens Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), known professionally as Buck Owens, was an American musician, ...

" (co-written with

Buck Owens Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), known professionally as Buck Owens, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and band leader. He was the lead singer for Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on ...

) *" Foolin' Round" (co-written with Buck Owens) *" He/She Called Me Baby" *" She's Gone, Gone, Gone" *" Heartaches by the Number" *" Heartbreak U.S.A." *"Hurtin's All Over" *"I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today" *"

I Don't Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song) "I Don't Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song)" is a song written by Harlan Howard and recorded by the American country music artist, Conway Twitty, with backing vocals by Twitty's daughter Joni Lee. It was released in July 1984, as the second ...

" *" I Don't Remember Loving You" (co-written with Robert Braddock) *"

" *" I Wish I Could Fall in Love Today" *"

I Won't Forget You "I Won't Forget You" is a power ballad by the American glam metal band Poison, originally from the album ''Look What the Cat Dragged In''. Released as a single in 1987 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records, the song peaked at number 13 on the ...

" *"It's All Over" (co-written with

Jan Howard Jan Howard (born Lula Grace Johnson; March 13, 1929 – March 28, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. As a singer, she placed 30 singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs, country songs chart, w ...

) *" I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" (co-written with

) *" The Key's in the Mailbox" *"

Life Turned Her That Way "Life Turned Her That Way" is a song written by Harlan Howard and first recorded by American country music artist Little Jimmy Dickens in 1965. Mel Tillis recorded it in 1967 and released it as a single in February and was his seventh chart entr ...

" *"Mommy For a Day" (co-written with

) *"

No Charge "No Charge" is a country music song, written by songwriter Harlan Howard. It was first recorded by country singer Melba Montgomery, whose 1974 version was a #1 country hit in both the US and Canada, as well as making #39 on the US pop charts. I ...

" *"Odds And Ends" *"Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" *"Sally Was a Good Old Girl" *"Second Hand Rose" (co-written with Grant Clarke and James Hanley) *" She's a Little Bit Country" *" Somebody Should Leave" (co-written with Chick Rains) *"

Somewhere Tonight "Somewhere Tonight" is a song written by Rodney Crowell and Harlan Howard, and recorded by American country music group Highway 101. It was released in September 1987 as the third single from the album '' Highway 101''. The song was Highway 101 ...

" (co-written with

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

) *" Streets of Baltimore" (co-written with

Tompall Glaser Thomas Paul "Tompall" Glaser (September 3, 1933 – August 12, 2013) was an American outlaw country music artist. Biography Glaser was born in Spalding, Nebraska, the son of Alice Harriet Marie (née Davis) and Louis Nicholas Glaser. He was ...

) *" These Lips Don't Know How to Say Goodbye" *"Three Steps to the Phone (Millions Of Miles)" *"Time Won't Tell" (co-written with Beth Nielsen Chapman) *"

Too Many Rivers "Too Many Rivers" is a Harlan Howard composition which was a 1965 hit single for Brenda Lee. Brenda Lee version Brenda Lee recorded "Too Many Rivers" in a January 29, 1964 recording session at Columbia Recording Studio, Nashville, TN overseen by ...

" *"Under The Influence Of Love" (co-written with

) *"What A Merry Christmas This Could Be" *" Why Not Me" (co-written with

Brent Maher Brent Maher is a producer, engineer, and songwriter currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. He has produced and engineered six Grammy-winning records and received awards from the CMA, ACM, CCMA, ASCAP, SOCAN and NSAI. Maher engineered cl ...

and

Sonny Throckmorton James Fron "Sonny" Throckmorton (born April 2, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Known primarily for his songwriting, Throckmorton has had more than 1,000 of his songs recorded by various country singers. He has also had ...

) *"You Comb Her Hair" (co-written with

) *"You Took Him Off My Hands (Now Please Take Him Off My Mind)" (co-written with

Skeets McDonald Enos William McDonald (October 1, 1915–March 31, 1968), better known as Skeets McDonald, was an American country and rockabilly musician popular during the 1950s and 60s. Best known for the Slim Willet-penned song "Don't Let the Stars Get i ...

and

Wynn Stewart Winford Lindsey Stewart (June 7, 1934 – July 17, 1985), better known as Wynn Stewart, was an American country music performer. He was one of the progenitors of the Bakersfield sound. Although not a huge chart success, he was an inspiration t ...

) *"Your Heart Turned Left and I Went Right" *"Yours Love"

Personal life

Howard was married numerous times, including to country singer

References

External links