Curly Putman

Claude "Curly" Putman, Jr. (born November 20, 1930 in Princeton, Jackson County, Alabama) is an American songwriter, based in Nashville. His biggest success was "Green, Green Grass of Home" (1964, sung by Porter Wagoner), which was covered by Roger Miller, Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Don Williams, Johnny Darrell, Gram Parsons, Joan Baez, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, Roberto Leal, Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare, Joe Tex, Nana Mouskouri, and Tom Jones. The Paul McCartney & Wings hit "Junior's Farm" was inspired by their short stay at Putman's farm in rural Wilson County, Tennessee in 1974.

Biography

Putman is the son of a sawmill worker, and was raised on Putman Mountain in Alabama. He joined the Navy and spent four years on the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge. Married Bernice Soon in 1956. Tried several jobs in different places in the late 1950s and early 60s, inspiring his later hit "My Elusive Dreams". Wrote his first big hit, "Green, Green Grass of Home," when working in Nashville plugging songs for Tree Records.

AL HWY 65 through the Paint Rock Valley in North Alabama is named in his honor, as well as the community park in Princeton.

Selected list of Putman hit songs

• "Green, Green Grass of Home" (Putman)
• "My Elusive Dreams" (Putman/Billy Sherrill)
• "Dumb Blonde" (Putman)
• "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" (Putman/Bobby Braddock)
• "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (Putman/Bobby Braddock)
• "Let's Keep It That Way" (Putman/Rafe Vanhoy)
• "I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again" (Putman/Rafe Vanhoy/Don Cook)
• "Blood Red and Going Down" (Putman)
• "Do You Wanna Go To Heaven" (Putman/Bucky Jones)
• "Smooth Sailing" (Putman/Sonny Throckmorton)
• "Set Me Free" (Putman/Marvin Walters)
• "It's a Cheating Situation" (Putman/Sonny Throckmorton)
• "It Don't Feel Like Sinnin' To Me" (Putman/Mike Kosser)
• "Couldn't Love Have Picked A Better Place To Die" (Curly Putman/Bucky Jones)

Discography

Albums

• 1967: Lonesome Country of Curly Putman (ABC)
• 1969: World of Country Music (ABC)

Singles

External links

• Curly Putman official website
• LP Discography web site
• Alabama Music Hall of Fame
• Poets and Prophets: Salute to Legendary Country Songwriter Curly Putman by the Country Music Hall of Fame
• Green Green Grass of Curly Putnam's Home