We Just Lost the Hall of Fame Songwriter and Alan Jackson Collaborator Behind Your Favorite Era-Defining Country Hits of the 90s

Songwriter Jim McBride died on Tuesday (January 6). However, the tragic news didn’t begin to circulate until later in the week. Today (January 8), many country music fans woke up to the news that the man who wrote some of their favorite songs is no longer with us. His songwriting credits include Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” as well as hits from Conway Twitty, Waylon Jennings, and many more.

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According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, McBride came into his skills later in life than some. He got his first guitar when he was 21 and took lessons from his uncle. However, it didn’t take him long to start crafting songs. He was bringing his songs to Nashville by the early 1970s. He wrote several songs that were cut by The Hagers and performed on Hee Haw for a national TV audience.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1993, Alan Jackson Scored a No. 1 Hit with His Signature Song “Chattahoochee”]

Things turned around for McBride in 1981 when Conway Twitty gave him his first hit with “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn.” The song peaked at No. 3 on the country chart. Johnny Lee took “Bet Your Heart on Me” to No. 1 that same year. McBride wrote and co-wrote several more hits throughout the 1980s. Notably, he co-wrote “Rose in Paradise,” which was a No. 1 single for Waylon Jennings in 1987.

Jim McBride Helped Define ’90s Country

While Jim McBride penned several notable hits in the 1980s, some of his most memorable songs came in the 1990s. Most of those were the result of his collaborations with Alan Jackson.

McBride and Jackson co-wrote several era-defining songs. “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” was a No. 2 hit for Jackson in 1990. They also co-wrote “Someday,” which topped the chart in 1991. In 1994, their collaboration “(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All” went to No. 4, giving Jackson another solid country hit.

McBride’s biggest success as a songwriter came in 1993. He and Jackson co-wrote “Chattahoochee,” which became one of the biggest hits of the decade. It topped the country chart and won Single of the Year at the ACM Awards. It also took home Single and Song of the Year at the CMA Awards. Additionally, it was named the 1994 ASCAP Country Song of the Year.

While many country fans may not recognize Jim McBride’s name, most of them have loved his work for decades. The country music world was better because he was part of it.

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