On This Day in 2005, the World Lost the Country Songwriter Who Co-Wrote One of Johnny Cash’s Biggest Hits

On this day (February 6) in 2005, Merle Kilgore died of heart failure in a hospital in Mexico. His legacy in country music is long and storied. He was the house guitarist for the Louisiana Hayride and wrote his first million-seller while he was still a teen. Later, he co-wrote “Ring of Fire” with June Carter, which became one of Johnny Cash’s biggest hits. Kilgore’s other songs were recorded by a long list of artists, including Johnny Horton, Tammy Wynette, and Faron Young, among others.

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Kilgore wriggled his way into the country music world when he was just 14 years old. He attended multiple recordings of The Louisiana Hayride. Eventually, he found himself working for Hank Williams, carrying his guitar. By the time he was 16, he was the house guitarist for the legendary radio and TV show.

[RELATED: Country Flashback: Johnny Cash Recorded His Iconic Hit “Ring of Fire” on This Day in 1963]

According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Kilgore spent much time with Williams. As a result, he decided to try his hand at songwriting. When he was 18 years old, he wrote “More and More,” which became a major hit for Webb Pierce. His recording stayed at No. 1 for 10 weeks. At the same time, he worked as a disc jockey at multiple Louisiana radio stations while further honing his songwriting skills.

Merle Kilgore Helps Johnny Cash Land His Biggest Hit

While Kilgore is best known for his songwriting, he was also a recording artist. However, he only released a handful of singles. He notched a pair of top 10 singles with “Dear Mama” and “Love Has Made You Beautiful” in 1960. While he was working on his recording career, he toured with Johnny Cash, which is how he became acquainted with June Carter.

Carter brought the idea for “Ring of Fire” to him, and they co-wrote it. Anita Carter, June’s sister, released the first version of the song in 1962. The next year, Cash released what would become the definitive version, which topped the country chart for 7 weeks. It was Cash’s longest-running No. 1 single.

Kilgore’s Other Hit Songs

While “Ring of Fire” is his best-known composition, Merle Kilgore wrote several songs that became hits for a long list of artists. See a list of selected hits below.

• “Wolverton Mountain” (Kilgore, Claude King)–Claude King (No. 1)
• “More and More” (Kilgore, Webb Pierce)–Charley Pride (No. 7)
• “Let Somebody Else Drive” (Kilgore, Mack Vickery)–John Anderson (No. 10)
• “Johnny Reb” (Kilgore)–Johnny Horton (No. 10)
• “Happy to Be with You” (Kilgore, June Carter, Johnny Cash)–Johnny Cash (No. 6)

Featured Image by Beth Gwinn/Redferns