Don Wayne | |
---|---|
Born | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | May 30, 1933
Died | September 12, 2011 United States | (aged 78)
Genres | Country music |
Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
Donald William Choate (May 30, 1933 – September 12, 2011), who wrote and recorded as Don Wayne, was an American country music songwriter.
Don Choate was born in Nashville, Tennessee, [1] and attended William James High School in White Bluff. He left school early and worked as a tool and diemaker, with aspirations to become a professional musician and songwriter. One of his first successes as a songwriter was "The Lonesome Waltz", co-written with Vic McAlpin and recorded by George Morgan in 1953. [2] In 1958 Wayne recorded "Head Over Heels In Love" for the Swan label, followed the next year by "Poor Little Jimmy" for Look Records, which, though not a hit, was later recorded by both Hank Snow and Burl Ives. [2] [3] [4]
His biggest successes as a songwriter included " Walk Tall", recorded by Faron Young and a big UK hit for Irish singer Val Doonican in 1964; " Saginaw, Michigan", recorded by Lefty Frizzell; "Belles of Southern Bell", a hit for Del Reeves; " If Teardrops Were Silver", recorded by Jean Shepard; and, his biggest hit, " Country Bumpkin", a #1 hit on the country chart in 1974 for Cal Smith. Smith also had hits with several more Wayne songs including “ It's Time to Pay the Fiddler”, “She Talked A Lot About Texas”, and “Woman, Don’t Try To Sing My Song.” Other musicians who recorded his songs included Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, and Hank Williams, Jr. [4]
Wayne won three BMI Awards and an ASCAP Performance Award, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association International Hall of Fame in 1978. [3] [4]
He died in 2011, aged 78, from brain cancer. [3]
Don Wayne | |
---|---|
Born | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | May 30, 1933
Died | September 12, 2011 United States | (aged 78)
Genres | Country music |
Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
Donald William Choate (May 30, 1933 – September 12, 2011), who wrote and recorded as Don Wayne, was an American country music songwriter.
Don Choate was born in Nashville, Tennessee, [1] and attended William James High School in White Bluff. He left school early and worked as a tool and diemaker, with aspirations to become a professional musician and songwriter. One of his first successes as a songwriter was "The Lonesome Waltz", co-written with Vic McAlpin and recorded by George Morgan in 1953. [2] In 1958 Wayne recorded "Head Over Heels In Love" for the Swan label, followed the next year by "Poor Little Jimmy" for Look Records, which, though not a hit, was later recorded by both Hank Snow and Burl Ives. [2] [3] [4]
His biggest successes as a songwriter included " Walk Tall", recorded by Faron Young and a big UK hit for Irish singer Val Doonican in 1964; " Saginaw, Michigan", recorded by Lefty Frizzell; "Belles of Southern Bell", a hit for Del Reeves; " If Teardrops Were Silver", recorded by Jean Shepard; and, his biggest hit, " Country Bumpkin", a #1 hit on the country chart in 1974 for Cal Smith. Smith also had hits with several more Wayne songs including “ It's Time to Pay the Fiddler”, “She Talked A Lot About Texas”, and “Woman, Don’t Try To Sing My Song.” Other musicians who recorded his songs included Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, and Hank Williams, Jr. [4]
Wayne won three BMI Awards and an ASCAP Performance Award, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association International Hall of Fame in 1978. [3] [4]
He died in 2011, aged 78, from brain cancer. [3]