Born on This Day in 1960, the Singer-Songwriter Who Penned No. 1 Hits for Turn-of-the-Millennium Country Pop Stars

Sometimes, the most talented songwriters in any one genre often don’t get their flowers. And some of those songwriters have penned countless Top 40 hits, with few mainstream listeners even knowing their name. I think that’s certainly the case for Marcus Hummon, born on this day in 1960. While casual country fans might not know his name, they definitely know the chart-toppers he wrote in the 1990s and 2000s.

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Marcus Hummon is a singer-songwriter and playwright in country, pop, and opera, known for his recorded works as well as quite a few Top 40 and No. 1 hits for country pop artists around the turn of the millennium. He also scored a number of films and wrote several musicals. And the freshly 65-year-old talent doesn’t appear to be done dazzling the country world yet.

The Legacy of Marcus Hummon

Marcus Hummon was born on December 28, 1960, in Washington, D.C. The son of a United States Department of State worker, Hummon spent much of his childhood traveling around the world, from Italy to Nigeria to Tanzania to the Philippines.

Hummon’s first foray into music came about as a child, when he sang in church and played the drums on Nigerian television. The young talent moved back to D.C. in high school, where he performed in a group with his sisters.

After graduating from college, Hummon, like many musicians, attempted to earn a recording contract in Los Angeles. He was unsuccessful and opted to move to Nashville. Eventually, Hummon was able to score a songwriting and recording contract with Columbia Records.

Marcus Hummon’s first major songwriting success was “Pilgrims On The Way”, recorded by Michael Martin Murphey in 1988. He recorded his debut album, All In Good Time, in 1995. The single “God’s Country” was a pretty big hit, peaking at No. 73 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Hummon would go on to score additional recorded hits and join the alt-country outfit The Raphaels with former Big Country guitarist Stuart Adamson. In the late 90s, Hummond launched his own label, where he released several of his own albums.

Throughout his career, Hummon has written or co-written a substantial number of Top 40 hits for turn-of-the-century country pop artists. His three No. 1 songwriting efforts include “Cowboy Take Me Away” by The Chicks, “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, and “Born To Fly” by Sara Evans. Hummon also wrote Top 40 tunes for the likes of Alabama, Wynonna Judd, Tim McGraw, and many more.

Following the early aughts, Marcus Hummon wrote several Nashville operas and six musicals, including Favorite Son and American Prophet. He also scored the films Lost Boy Home and The Last Songwriter. He has since been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and signed a publishing contract with LBK Entertainment in 2020. I’m sure we can expect even more from the talented singer-songwriter and playwright soon!

Photo by Harry Scott/Redferns