On This Day in 2020, Country Music Said Goodbye to the Songwriter Who Penned Hits for Waylon Jennings, Ricky Skaggs, and More

On this day (October 7) in 2020, Ray Pennington died in his Hendersonville, Tennessee, home after entering a garage that had caught fire. He was 86 years old. Before he died, Pennington built a legacy as a singer, songwriter, producer, and label founder. He is best remembered for writing Waylon Jennings’ 1974 No. 1 hit “I’m a Ramblin’ Man.” However, Jennings was far from the only country star to cut Pennington’s songs.

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Born in Clay County, Kentucky, in 1933, Pennington began his career in a band called the Western Rhythm Boys. In the late 1950s, he inked a deal with King Records, where he released singles under the name Ray Starr. However, he was unsatisfied with the quality of his early recordings. So, he took a producer role at the label. He produced sessions for the likes of The Stanley Brothers, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Reno & Smiley.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1977, Waylon Jennings Proved the Power of Outlaw Country With a Massive Run Atop the Country Albums Chart]

Pennington moved to Nashville in the early 1960s, where he took a job at Pamper Music. There, he produced records for the likes of Kenny Price and Tex Williams. Price recorded several of Pennington’s songs, making them hits. Notably, Price found chart success with “Walking on New Grass” and “Happy Tracks.”

Step One Records

Ray Pennington co-founded Step One Records in 1984. Country legend Ray Price was the first artist to sign with the new label. Price released six studio albums with the label between 1985 and 1991. He was far from the only legend to sign with Pennington’s label, though. The label’s roster also boasted The Kendalls, Charlie McCoy, Buddy Emmons, Gene Watson, Cal Smith, and Kitty Wells.

Ray Pennington Wrote Songs for Country Music Legends

As an artist, Pennington held recording contracts with Capitol Records, Monument Records, and RCA Records. He found some chart success, landing multiple top 40 hits. However, he was more successful as a songwriter. Jennings took “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” to No. 1 in 1974. Pennington also penned “Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown” with Roy Marcum. The Stanley Brothers originally recorded it in 1963. Then, nearly two decades later, in 1983, Ricky Skaggs took the song to No. 1 on the country chart.

According to a Music Row report, a long line of legends recorded Ray Pennington’s songs. That list includes Porter Wagoner, Ferlin Husky, George Morgan, Jean Shepard, Mel Tillis, and many more.

Featured Image by Clayton Call/Redferns