Born on This Day in 1953, the Rocker Turned Country Artist Who Wrote Hit Songs for George Strait, Faith Hill, and Keith Whitley

On this day (April 28) in 1953, Fred Knobloch was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He found an all-consuming passion for music early in life. Following that passion led him to become an award-winning hit musician and songwriter with multiple hits under his belt. Over the years, Knobloch has seen success as a recording artist and songwriter. Moreover, he has done so over multiple genres.

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Knoblock was only seven years old when his parents gave him the small transistor radio that changed his life forever, according to the Magnolia Tribune. He would plug in his headphones, hide under his blankets, and spend nearly every night listening to music. More specifically, he would turn his dial to the Nashville-based WLAC, an R&B station, and listen well into the night.

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Four years later, he got his first guitar and started taking lessons. When he was 16, Knobloch started a band called Black Salt with some of his friends from school. They covered songs from bands like the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. They won a battle of the bands competition sponsored by Malaco Records. The grand prize was a six-hour studio session.

Before long, Knobloch was hanging around the studio, soaking up knowledge like a sponge. Eventually, he became a session guitarist. This led to him writing songs for some of the recording artists on the label’s roster.

Fred Knobloch Moves to Nashville

After finding some success in Mississippi, Fred Knobloch moved to Nashville, where he continued his songwriting career. He also started pursuing a recording career.

Knobloch released Why Not Me in 1980. The title track reached No. 18 on the Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. It also peaked at No. 30 on the country chart. The next year, he released “Killin’ Time,” a duet with Susan Anton, which was a top 10 hit on the country and Adult Contemporary charts. He also had a top 10 country hit with his rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis.”

Later, he and two other A-list songwriters–Paul Overstreet and Thom Schuyler–formed the group S-K-O (Schuyler, Knobloch, and Overstreet) in 1986. Together, they released a self-titled album in 1986.

Their debut album spawned two hit singles. “You Can’t Stop Love” peaked at No. 9 on the country chart. Then, “Baby’s Got a New Baby” went to No. 1. In 1987, Overstreet left the group to pursue a solo career. Craig Bickhardt replaced him and the newly renamed band, S-K-B, released No Easy Horses in 1987. The album produced three singles, one of which became a top 10 hit. “Givers and Takers” reached No. 9.

Knobloch’s songs have been recorded by a long list of country greats. For instance, George Strait took “Meanwhile” to No. 4 in 1999. “Somebody’s Doin’ Me Right” was a posthumous hit for Keith Whitley in 1992. Faith Hill took “If My Heart Had Wings” to No. 3 in 2001. Other artists who cut his songs include Sawyer Brown, Trisha Yearwood, John Anderson, the Everly Brothers, and Confederate Railroad.

Featured Image by  Ebet Roberts/Redferns