Born in Georgia on This Day in 1936, the First Country Artist to Ever Write, Sing and Publish a No. 1 Hit

In 1967, a singer-songwriter named Leon Ashley scored his first number-one single with “Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)”. The song was subsequently covered by the likes of Marty Robbins and Kenny Rogers. While “Laura” would remain the lone number-one hit of Ashley’s career, the song is unique in that it established the Georgia-born singer as the first country artist to write, sing, and publish a chart-topping track. Today we’re taking a look at the life and career of Leon Ashley, born Leon Walton on this day (May 18) in 1936 in Covington.

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Growing up singing in church, Ashley made his public performance debut on a local radio station at age 9. Two years later, he had his own show, according to Allmusic.

Leon Ashley was involved in the music industry before his own singing career began, at one time owning several radio stations in Louisiana.

In 1960, he recorded his first single, “He’ll Never Go”, for the record label Goldband. It gained little attention, and he signed with Imperial the next year. Unfortunately, his next two singles also gained little traction.

In 1966, Ashley teamed up with country singer-songwriter Margie Singleton, who had previously performed with George Jones and Faron Young. Apparently sparks flew when the pair recorded “How Can We Divide These Little Hearts”, because they were married the following year. The couple continued their songwriting partnership for the rest of their marriage.

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Leon Ashley Founded His Own Record Label

After finding little success on other people’s record labels, Leon Ashley decided to start his own. He formed Ashley Records in the 1960s, where he released the sole number-one single of his career.

Co-written with his wife, “Laura” reached the top of the country singles chart in September 1967. Sung from the perspective of Laura’s husband, the track details the breakdown of a marriage.

Additionally, Ashley’s record of the same name peaked at number 10 on the country albums chart.

He continued recording, primarily duets with Singleton. Another single, “While Your Lover Sleeps”, peaked atop the Canadian country charts.

However, Ashley never matched the chart success of “Laura”. By the late 1960s, he shifted his focus to writing songs for other artists. Still, he continued performing through the early 2000s, when his declining health forced him to take a step back.

Leon Ashley died in Hendersonville, Tennessee on October 20, 2013, after a lengthy illness. He was 77 years old.

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