Born on This Day in 1948, the Hitmaking Songwriter Whose Songs Were Recorded by Buck Owens, Whitney Houston, and Reba McEntire

On this day (March 6) in 1948, Peter McCann was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His career began when he co-founded a folk rock band after college. After they released a few albums together, he left the band and became a staff writer for ABC Records, where he wrote smash hits. Later, he moved to Nashville, where his country compositions were recorded by some of the genre’s biggest names.

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After finishing college, McCann co-founded the folk rock band Repairs. A chance meeting with Andrew Oldham, the Rolling Stones’ producer, led to a deal with Motown Records. They released a pair of studio albums and a live disc before McCann chose to leave the band and write songs full-time in 1975.

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McCann then took a staff writer job with ABC Records. Things started slowly for him. It was almost a year before he scored his first hit as a songwriter. Jennifer Warnes recorded “Right Time of the Night” as her debut single, and it became a hit. The song peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 and No. 17 on the country chart. It also topped the Adult Contemporary chart.

After having his first major hit as a songwriter, McCann landed a recording contract. He released a pair of albums, but only found one hit as a performer. “Do You Wanna Make Love” was a No. 5 hit on the Hot 100 in 1977. Buck Owens released a cover of the song in 1979. A year later, Millie Jackson and Isaac Hayes released a duet version. Neither was as successful as the original.

Peter McCann Wrote Country Hits

According to Music Row, Peter McCann’s songs were recorded by a long list of country stars. Crystal Gayle, Lee Greenwood, Reba McEntire, Lynn Anderson, Eddie Rabbitt, and Kenny Rogers are among those who recorded his compositions.

He found his first major country hit in 1985, when Earl Thomas Conley took “Nobody Falls Like a Fool” to the top of the chart. Later that year, Janie Fricke took “She’s Single Again” to No. 2. Baillie & the Boys also had a top 20 hit in 1991 with “Treat Me Like a Stranger.”

Peter McCann was also an activist who advocated for songwriters and publishers. He was the vice president of the NSAI for more than a decade. Additionally, he spent more than 20 years in Washington lobbying for songwriters’ rights.

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