Country Songwriting Legend Dies

You may not be familiar with his name, but chances are you are very familiar with songwriter Jerry Chesnut's music.

Credited with writing some of the biggest hits in country music, Chesnut, who was 87 years old, passed away on Dec. 15.

He was nominated for a Grammy in 1968, for "Another Place, Another Time," recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis.  He also wrote "A Good Year For The Roses," which became a hit for both George Jones and Elvis Costello.

Chesnut's other, numerous hits include "It's Midnight" and "Love Coming Down" by Presley, "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," recorded by Presley and Travis Tritt (see video below), "They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy" by Loretta Lynn, "Oney" by Johnny Cash, "Don't She Look Good" recorded by both Bill Anderson and Eddy Arnold, and "It's Four in the Morning," recorded by both Faron Young and Tom Jones.

I always like a good success story and according to the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, in 1958, Chesnut moved to Nashville full-time to pursue music, selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door, which he found success in, while continuing to write songs. His first break came nine years later, in 1967, when Del Reeves recorded "A Dime at a Time" which Chesnut wrote.

Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with the family.