Died On This Date (July 1, 2011) Charlie Craig / Celebrated Nashville Songwriter
Charlie Craig
September 30, 1938 – July 1, 2011
Charlie Craig was a respected Nashville songwriter whose Grammy nominated catalog includes hits he penned for the likes of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Travis Tritt. A gifted musician as well, Craig began performing in clubs when he was barely out of high school. By the time he hit his early 30s, he was living in Nashville and forging a name for himself as a songwriter to reckon with. He remained in demand for the next 40 years. In 2009, he released his autobiography, Old Memories and Me. Charlie Craig was 73 when he died of cancer on July 1, 2011.
Thanks to Ken Morton, Jr. at The Nashville Sound for the assist

Ruth Roberts was a song and jingle writer who is best remembered for co-writing the catchy and iconic New York Mets anthem, “Meet The Mets.” Written in 1961, the tune was initially intended to encourage New Yorkers to welcome the new team to a city that was already home to the storied New York Yankees. The song however, became the team’s anthem and proudly lived on for the next 50 years. Roberts, who was also an excellent pianist, wrote numerous other hits as well. She began selling her songs while still in high school, often at the famous songwriting mecca, the Brill Building in New York City. Her hits included “The First Thing Ev’ry Morning,” recorded by
Ron “Byrd” Foster was a respected Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rock drummer who made significant contributions to the sound of such bands as the Silencers, Iron City Rockers, and Red Hot & Blue. He also played and sang on a handful of
Benton Flippen was an influential fiddle player who was one of the last surviving notable old-timey musicians of his generation. Born into a long line of musically talented Flippens and raised in northeast North Carolina, Flippen first learned to play the banjo as a youngster, but switched to the fiddle after hearing one of his uncles play. His first regional band of note was the Green Valley Boys. During the late ’60s, he joined Camp Creek Boys, and eventually, the Smokey Valley Boys, with whom he played until 1985. The latter earned numerous awards and accolades during Flippen’s tenure. He was also a respected composer, having penned such tunes as “Fiddler’s Reel,” “Benton’s Dream,” and “Smokey Valley Breakdown.” Flippen continued to draw sizable crowds well into his golden years, even as recently as 2008 when he headlined an Old Time music convention at the age of 88. Benton Flippen was 90 when he passed away in hospice care on June 28, 2011.


