Born in Arkansas 86 Years Ago Today, the Hall of Fame Songwriter Who Overcame Tragedy To Pen Hits for George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, and More

Wayne Kemp doesn’t have the instant name recognition of country music superstars like George Jones, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, and George Strait. However, he undoubtedly belongs in the same category. One of Nashville’s songwriting greats, he penned hits like “Love Bug” for Jones and Twitty’s number-one hit “Next in Line”. Today we’re taking a look at the life and career of Wayne Kemp, born in Greenwood, Arkansas, on this day (June 1) in 1940.

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Growing up in Muldrow, Oklahoma, Kemp’s parents played multiple instruments and encouraged their nine children to develop their own musical pursuits.

He got his start performing in church and at local events. By age 16, he was writing songs and playing guitar professionally with Tulsa country star Benny Ketchum.

In 1965, a friend of Kemp’s passed along his demo tape to George Jones. The country legend subsequently recorded two of Kemp’s songs—”Love Bug”, which peaked at number six on the Hot Country Songs chart, and “I Made Her That Way”. This led to Kemp recording with Jones and his backing band in Nashville.

An Accident Nearly Cost Wayne Kemp His Career

Tragically, Wayne Kemp was on en route to a gig with his band when a drunk driver smashed into the car they were riding in. The car caught fire, killing two of Kemp’s bandmates and leaving him with third-degree burns on his face, hands and legs.

Doctors told him he would never play guitar again. They were wrong. His first chart-topper came in 1968 when Conway Twitty reached number one with “Next in Line”. Twitty recorded a few more of Kemp’s songs. Eventually, the “Hello Darlin” crooner invited him to join his touring band on guitar.

Signing as a staff writer with Tree International, Kemp released three solo records from 1971 to 1983. He continued writing for other artists during this time. Some of his songwriting credits include Johnny Cash’s “One Piece at a Time” (1976); George Strait’s “The Fireman” (1985); and Johnny Paycheck’s “The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised” (1982).

Kemp also placed 24 singles on the country charts between 1969 and 1986. His highest entry came in 1973 with “Honky Tonk Wine”, which peaked at number 17.

[RELATED: The Lighthearted Johnny Cash: 3 of His Unexpected Novelty Songs (1969-1998)]

In 1999, Wayne Kemp was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He died on March 9, 2015, in Lafayette, Tennessee, at age 74.

Featured image courtesy of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame