On This Day in 2013, We Said Goodbye to the Country Singer, Songwriter, Comedian, and “World’s Worst Guitar Picker”

Born August 26, 1937, in Lubbock, Texas, Don Bowman liked to boast that he was the world’s worst guitar picker. And while it’s supposedly true that his aptitude for the instrument was limited to three chords, he had a multitude of other talents. He was a singer, a songwriter, a DJ, and a comedian—Willie Nelson once referred to him as “my funny friend Don Bowman.”

Videos by American Songwriter

Bowman died on this day (June 5) in 2013 in a Forsyth, Missouri nursing home at age 75. Today we’re remembering the multi-talented man on the 13th anniversary of his death.

The Life and Career of Don Bowman

Growing up in Lorenzo, Texas, Rubel Don Bowman graduated from New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell before attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a disc jockey, he worked at stations near his hometown, including with Waylon Jennings, who grew up nearby in Littlefield. The two men later wrote many songs together, including Jennings’ hits “Just to Satisfy You” and “Anita, You’re Dreaming”.

Later, Bowman worked as a DJ at a radio station in San Diego, California, writing country music parodies on the side. He sent some of those to Chet Atkins, at the time head of RCA Victor.

Despite his limited proficiency on the guitar, Bowman talked Atkins into signing him to RCA Records in 1963. He recorded eight albums with his biggest single—the novelty song “Chit Akins, Make Me A Star”—spending four months on the country charts in 1964, peaking at No. 7 on the Cash Box charts.

Other singles included “For Loving You” with Skeeter Davis, “Folsom Prison Blues 2,” and “Poor Old Ugly Gladys Jones” with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Bobby Bare.

Additionally, Bowman was the original host of the long-running syndicated radio program American Country Countdown.

His True Calling Was Comedy

As a country singer, Don Bowman opened for Jennings, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, Bare and Bill Anderson.

From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, he opened for Willie Nelson & Family during the band’s extended run at a theater in Branson, Missouri.

Bowman opted to stay in Branson after Nelson moved on, portraying the character “Seemore Miles” for the Moe Bandy Show.

In 1966, Bowman won Favorite Country Comedy Recording of the Year award from Billboard. The following year, he was named Comedian of the Year by the Country Music Association.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1982, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson Were at No. 1 With a Song That Almost Went Into the Trash Can]

In the liner notes for one of Bowman’s albums, Willie Nelson praised his longtime friend’s comedic talents.

“One thing I like about Don Bowman is that he makes me laugh even when I don’t feel like it,” Nelson wrote. “He has always affected me this way.”

Featured image by Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images