Born on This Day in 1931, the Songwriter Who Refused To Give up and Penned Hits for George Jones, Elvis Presley, and Dolly Parton

On this day (May 7) in 1931, Jerry Chesnut was born in Harlan County, Kentucky. He found his love for country music early in life and eventually relocated to Nashville. There, he struggled for nearly a decade to make it as a songwriter. Finally, the industry took notice, and he became an in-demand songsmith who penned hits for Elvis Presley, George Jones, Del Reeves, Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, and many more.

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Chesnut grew up in the coal camps of Eastern Kentucky, where he regularly listened to the Grand Ole Opry and the Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round, a daily country radio show broadcast from Knoxville, Tennessee. After joining the Air Force and serving in the Korean War, he moved to Florida. There, he performed on local radio stations and honed his songwriting skills. Eventually, he committed to chasing his dreams and moved to Nashville.

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Jerry Chesnut’s Early Years in Nashville

According to his website, Jerry Chesnut relocated to Music City in 1958. Unfortunately, his career was slow to take off. As a result, he became a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. He climbed the company ladder, becoming a regional distributor. However, he never stopped honing his craft and trying to break into the music business.

Nashville is often called a “ten-year town” because it takes many individuals a decade to “make it” in the industry. This was true for Chesnut. He was in town for nine years before he landed his first hit as a songwriter. In 1967, Del Reeves cut “A Dime at a Time” and took it to No. 12 on the country chart. The next year, Jerry Lee Lewis took “Another Place, Another Time” to No. 4.

Over the next few years, George Jones (“If Not for You,” “A Good Year for the Roses”), Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton (“Holding on to Nothing”), and Tammy Wynette (“The Wonders You Perform”) had hits with Chesnut’s songs.

Hee Haw, Record Deal, and More

Jerry Chesnut signed a recording contract with United Artists in the early 1970s. However, he didn’t see the same success from his songs as other artists did. As a result, he walked away from that side of the business to continue writing songs.

In 1971, he joined the cast of Hee Haw. The hit show allowed him to share his musical and comedic talents with millions of viewers. However, it didn’t feel right to him. He believed it was negatively impacting his songwriting. So, he quit the show after one season.

Finally, he bought a building on Nashville’s music row and continued writing and pitching songs. The location made it easier for him to meet with producers and artists. As a result, he was able to make connections with most of the biggest names in town. At his peak, he was licensing around one song per week. Producers would come to his demo sessions to get first dibs on the songs he wrote.

He was named Billboard’s Songwriter of the Year in 1972. He is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, and the International Songwriters Association Hall of Fame.

Jerry Chesnut Wrote Enduring Hits

Jerry Chesnut wrote hundreds of songs in his lifetime. The list below contains a few of his most memorable compositions.

• “A Good Year for the Roses”–George Jones (No. 2)
• “Another Place, Another Time”–Jerry Lee Lewis (No. 4)
• “Holding on to Nothing”–Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton (No. 7)
• “It’s Four in the Morning”–Faron Young (No. 1)
• “It’s Midnight”–Elvis Presley (No. 2)
• “Oney”–Johnny Cash (No. 2)
• “T-R-O-U-B-L-E”–Travis Tritt (No. 13)
• “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy”–Loretta Lynn (No. 4)

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