Iconic Hall of Fame songwriter Wayland Holyfield has passed away at age 82. The singer passed away earlier this week on May 6, according to Music Row. No cause of death has been reported as of this time.
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Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Holyfield became a mainstay songwriter in the industry starting in the 1970s. He moved from Arkansas to Music City to pursue his dreams. According to ASCAP, the songwriter was a part of the organization for 43 years. During his career, he would go on to write songs for a variety of country music legends. These names include George Jones, Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, The Oak Ridge Boys, Waylon Jennings, the Judds, George Strait, and Reba McEntire among others.
Holyfield scored an early career when Don Williams recorded his song "You're My Best Friend" in 1975. It landed at No. 1 on the charts. Other popular hits included "Til the Rivers All Run Dry," Some Broken Harts Never Mend" and "She Never Knew Me." Holyfield also was the theme writer for the popular film Urban Cowboy. Anne Murray recorded "Could I Have This Dance," which ended up winning a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance.
Wayland Holyfield's Best Songs
Over his career, Holyfield wrote more than 100 songs with 14 No. 1 hits and more than 40 of his songs reached the Top 10. Check out some of his more popular hits below.
- "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend"
- "You're My Best Friend"
- "Could I Have This Dance"
- "(I Wish I Had A) Heart Of Stone"
- "Rednecks, White Socks And Blue Ribbon Beer"
- "I Met a Friend of Yours Today"
- "Some Broken Hearts"
- "All I'm Missing Is You"
- "Only Here For A Little While"
- "Never Been So Loved (In All My Life)"
- "You Are Always There for Me"
- "Til The Rivers All Run Dry"
- "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had"
- "Only Here For a Little While"
- "Meanwhile"
- "Nobody Likes Sad Songs"
