On This Day in 2016, the World Lost the Songwriter Behind Hits From Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, and Joe Diffie

On this day (February 11) in 2016, songwriter Kim Williams died in Panama City, Florida, at the age of 68. His songwriting left a major mark on the country music world throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He co-wrote major hits for Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, and Joe Diffie, among others.

Videos by American Songwriter

Williams grew up in a musical family and was playing music with local bands and writing songs by the time he was in junior high. After high school, he joined regional touring bands, performing throughout the Southeast and Midwest. However, that didn’t last. He grew tired of the road and wanted something a little more predictable.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1991, Garth Brooks Was in the Middle of an 11-Month-Long Run at the Top of the Country Albums Chart]

According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Williams retired from the road after he got married. He and his wife planned to start a family. As a result, he started working in construction and took electronic technician jobs. In 1974, an electrical fire at a glass plant nearly killed him.

He was left badly burned and had to undergo hundreds of surgeries. However, the fire was seemingly a blessing in disguise. He got most of his treatment at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Hospital. Being in Nashville inspired him to get back into the music business. More specifically, he started honing his songwriting skills.

Kim Williams Probably Wrote Your Favorite ’90s Country Songs

Kim Williams took some songwriting classes to sharpen his skills. Then, in 1989, he signed on with Tree International as a staff songwriter and began cranking out songs that became unforgettable hits by some of the era’s biggest names.

Williams found his first major success as a songwriter in 1991. He co-wrote “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)” with Ken Spooner. Joe Diffie took it to No. 1 on the country chart.

He also co-wrote multiple songs that became signature hits for Garth Brooks. For instance, Williams co-wrote “Ain’t Goin Down Till the Sun Comes Up,” “It’s Midnight Cinderella,” “Papa Loved Mama,” and “The Night I Called the Old Man Out” for Brooks.

Williams, Mark Sanders, and Ed Hill co-wrote Reba McEntire’s 1995 No. 1 single “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.”

Williams most successful work was “Three Wooden Crosses,” co-written with Doug Johnson and recorded by Randy Travis in 2003. It was a No. 1 single and won Song of the Year at the CMA and ACM Awards.

In short, Kim Williams wrote some of the most memorable country songs of the last three decades. It is hard to overstate his importance to the development of the genre through the 1990s.

Featured Image by Tammie Arroyo/AFF-USA/Shutterstock