Born on This Day in 1939, the Legendary Songwriter Who Warned Mammas Everywhere Not To Let Their Babies Grow up To Be Cowboys

On this day (December 29) in 1939, Ed Bruce was born in Keiser, Arkansas. Throughout his career, he found success as both a recording artist and songwriter. However, his most memorable contributions to the country music world came from his songwriting. Bruce penned tunes that became hits for the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, and Charlie Louvin.

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Bruce’s family moved from Arkansas to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was very young, according to Rolling Stone. At just 17, he signed a deal with Sun Records. However, he was still years removed from the A-list country singer/songwriter he would become later. At the time, he was a rockabilly artist who released songs like “Rockin’ Boppin’ Baby” in the late 1950s. He found his first hit in 1975 with “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” a song he wrote with his then-wife, Patty. His rendition peaked at No. 15. Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings would later take the song to the top of the country chart.

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Six years later, in 1981, Bruce landed his first No. 1 on the country chart with “You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had.” More top-five hits followed. “Ever, Never Lovin’ You,” “After All,” “You Turn Me on (Like a Radio),” and “Nights” kept him in the upper region of the country chart throughout the remainder of the 1980s.

Ed Bruce Wrote Legendary Hit Songs

Ed Bruce’s best-known work is “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” He had a hit with it in 1975. Then, three years later, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings released it as a single from their album Waylon & Willie. Their version of the song spent four weeks at No. 1 on the country chart and reached No. 42 on the Hot 100.

Bruce also wrote “See the Big Man Cry,” which was a top 10 hit for Charlie Louvin in 1965. Tanya Tucker had two hits with Bruce’s songs. “The Man That Turned My Mama On” was a top-five hit for her in 1974. “Texas (When I Die) became one of her signature songs when she made it a hit in 1979.

In short, Ed Bruce was the songwriter behind some of the best country songs recorded during the 1970s.

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