Even the most avid country music fans may not know his name, but they will know his music. Curly Putman died on October 30th 2016, from multiple organ failure.
He co-wrote major hits for George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, and Tanya Tucker, so you’ve definitely heard one or more of his tracks.
Upon leaving high school, American Songwriter reports he enlisted in the United States Navy and spent four years sailing between Korea and Europe on the USS Valley Forge. After a stint in the military, he started writing music.
Putman landed his first hit when Marion Worth made “I Think I Know” a top 10 hit in 1960. He would later move to Nashville, where he found major success as a songwriter.
One of his earliest hits was “Green, Green Grass of Home,” which was recorded by the likes of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Tom Jones.
“I played the song for bunches of people over five or six months before it was ever cut, first Johnny Darrell,” said Putman on his website. “Then things began to happen.”
In 1967, Putman wrote Dolly Parton’s first charting single, “Dumb Blonde.” He later wrote two major hits for Tammy Wynette “My Elusive Dreams” and he co-wrote “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” with Bobby Braddock.
He and Braddock also co-wrote “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” for George Jones, which earned them Song of the Year awards at the ACM and CMA Awards.
The Paul McCartney & Wings track “Junior’s Farm” was inspired by their 1974 stay at Putman’s farm in rural Wilson County, Tennessee. It’s estimated that Putman wrote or co-wrote more than 800 songs over his illustrious career.
North Alabama paid tribute to the iconic songwriter. It named Alabama State Route 65 through the Paint Rock Valley in his honor, as well as a community park in Princeton.
