3 Country Stars From the 60s Who Wrote Songs for Other Artists

Sometimes, when you pick up your guitar and you’re following the rule of “three chords and the truth,” you don’t know where you’ll end up. Other times, you’ll find a great song to sing on your own. Sometimes, you’ll end up working with some of your favorite peers. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into here today. We wanted to explore the careers of three country stars—but more specifically, we wanted to dive into the creative lives of three country stars from the 1960s who also wrote songs for other artists. Because you can’t always keep your greatest talents to yourself!

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Johnny Cash

Known for his deep voice, his locomotive-like songs, and his knack for connecting with a crowd, Johnny Cash remains one of the most important people in American music. But not only did he sing his own tunes, he helped to write songs for others, including friend Waylon Jennings. Indeed, Cash co-wrote Jennings’ solemn 1966 song, “I Tremble for You”, along with country artist Lew DeWitt. Not a bad pair, Cash and Jennings!

June Carter

Many know June Carter as being part of the first family of country—the Carter Family. She was also married to Johnny Cash for many years. But more than any of these interpersonal dynamics, June Carter was an exquisite songwriter and performer, one of the most important in 20th-century country music. Not only did she perform her songs, but she also wrote for other country artists, including Jean Shepard. Indeed, Carter co-wrote Shepard’s 1961 slide guitar epic, “If You Were Losing Him to Me”.

Don Gibson

Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Don Gibson was known for songs like “Sweet Dreams” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You”. But his talents didn’t just stay in his purview. He extended himself to help others, including country star George Jones. Gibson wrote Jones’ tune “Made for the Blues”, a song lamenting loss and the pains of love. It’s a quintessential, echoing country track. One that will make you fall in love with the genre as well as weep along with it.

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