Born on This Day in 1951, the Songwriter Who Married Into Country Music Royalty and Penned No. 1 Hits for George Strait and the Oak Ridge Boys

On this day (March 3) in 1951, Bob DiPiero was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He started his musical career by playing in rock bands as a teen and kept rocking through college. Later, he wrote jingles and taught guitar lessons after moving to Nashville. Then, in the early 1980s, A-list artists began recording his songs and sending them to the top of the country charts.

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DiPiero was previously married to award-winning country star Pam Tillis, the daughter of Mel Tillis. The couple divorced after seven years. But just because he has connections to country music royalty doesn’t mean he didn’t carve his own path.

According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, DiPiero joined his first rock band when he was 14 years old. His life as a working musician continued while he attended Youngstown State University, earning money to put himself through college. After graduation, he shifted his focus to songwriting. He found early success writing ad jingles for local businesses. At the same time, he had started writing songs and recording demos, which he would periodically take to Nashville.

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DiPiero moved to Nashville on Halloween 1978. He continued writing songs and became a guitar instructor to make ends meet. One of his students wanted to learn classic country songs. As a result, DiPiero had to learn to play songs by the likes of Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb. Before long, he transitioned from rock and roll to country music.

Five years after moving to Music City, DiPiero found his first of 15 No. 1 singles as a songwriter. The Oak Ridge Boys took “American Made” to No. 1 in 1983. After the song became a jingle for Miller beer and the Baby Ruth candy bar, he was able to quit teaching guitar and start songwriting full-time.

Bob DiPiero Has Written Major Hits for Your Favorite Country Singer

Over the years, Bob DiPiero has won a long list of awards for his songwriting. For instance, he won the CMA Triple Play Award in 1995 and 1996. The award goes to songwriters who achieve three No. 1 singles in a 12-month period. He has consistently penned hits since the 1980s.

George Strait had two major hits with DiPiero’s songs. “Blue Clear Sky” went to No. 1 in 1996 and “Cowboys Like Us” peaked at No. 2 in 2003. Reba McEntire also found success with his compositions. “Till You Love Me,” “Little Rock,” and “I Can See Forever in Your Eyes” were hits for her. Below is a list of highlights from his catalog.

• “Daddy’s Money” –Ricochet, No. 1 (1996)
• “If You Ever Stop Loving Me”–Montgomery Gentry, No. 1 (2004)
• “Money in the Bank”–John Anderson, No. 1 (1993)
• “Southern Voice”–Tim McGraw, No. 1 (2009)
• “Take Me As I Am”–Faith Hill, No. 2 (1994)
• “The Church on Cumberland Road”–Shenandoah, No. 1 (1989)

Featured Image by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic for Country Music Association