Harlan Howard
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Harlan Perry Howard (September 8, 1927 - March 3, 2002) was an American Hall of Fame country music songwriter.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, he began writing country music at a young age. After serving as a paratrooper with the United States Army, he went to Los Angeles, California, hoping to sell his music.
He 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 went to No. 1 on the Pop Charts. Buoyed by these two major hits, Howard moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1960. Bringing along a large portfolio of compositions, he signed a contract with Acuff-Rose Music. Howard's songs were so immediately successful that in 1961 alone he had fifteen of his compositions on the country music charts, earning himself ten BMI awards. Among his biggest hits was "I Fall to Pieces," co-written with Hank Cochran and recorded by Patsy Cline. He also wrote the classic Kingston Trio song "Everglades", and the song "Busted", a hit for both Ray Charles and Johnny Cash.
Harlan Howard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997. He died in 2002, aged 74, and was buried in Nashville City Cemetery.
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