On This Day in 2019, Nashville Bid Farewell to the Songwriter Who Penned Country Classics for Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, and Tammy Wynette

On this day (May 12) in 2019, Glenn Martin died at the age of 86. After rubbing elbows with Nashville-based artists and songwriters at regular concerts in his home state of Georgia, he moved to Nashville. There, he kicked off a successful songwriting career, penning songs that became hits for some of the biggest names in country music. Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, and Ray Price are among those who found chart success with Martin’s songs.

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Martin was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. After high school, he joined the United States Air Force and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. When he came back to the States, he worked for Bell South for a time before opening furniture and music stores, according to Music Row. His music store was his gateway to Music City.

[RELATED: Behind The Song: “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone” by Doug Sahm]

Martin held weekly concerts at his music store. As a result, he met many songwriters and musicians who eventually convinced him that he needed to relocate to Nashville. Finally, he agreed, pulled up stakes, and moved to Middle Tennessee, where he set to work writing songs.

It didn’t take him long to find his first hit. In 1969, Roy Clark cut “April’s Fool,” which became a chart hit. The same year, Bobby Bare found a hit with “Which One Will It Be.” One year later, Charley Pride recorded “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” and gave Martin his first No. 1 as a songwriter. Pride also took “I’m Just Me” to No. 1, adding another chart-topper to the songwriter’s resume.

Glenn Martin Wrote Country Classics

The peak of Glenn Martin’s popularity came in the 1970s. The decade saw several high-level artists take his songs up the country charts. According to Secondhand Songs, hundreds of artists have recorded his songs. Below are some of the highlights from his catalog.

• “It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)–Merle Haggard (1972)
• “I Still Believe in Fairy Tales”–Tammy Wynette (1975)
• “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone”–Charley Pride (1970)
• “April’s Fool”–Roy Clark (1969)
• “A Cold Day in July”–Ray Price (1970)
• “Memories of Us”–George Jones (1975)

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