Died On This Date (September 12, 2011) Don Wayne / Wrote Numerous Country Hits
themusicsover Don Wayne (Born Donald Choate)
May 30, 1933 – September 12, 2011
Don Wayne was a respected Nashville songwriter whose songs have been recorded by a who’s who of country music legends. Born in Nashville, Wayne took a shine to country music at an early age, often catching his favorite singers on the Grand Ole Opry program on his radio. In 1953, George Morgan recorded his “Lonesome Waltz” for Columbia Records, making it Wayne’s first major label recording. In later years, his songs were made into hits by the likes of Lefty Frizzell (“Saginaw, Michigan”), Cal Smith (“Country Bumpkin”), Del Reeves (“The Belles Of Southern Bell”), and Faron Young (“Walk Tall,” which was later recorded by punk band, Stiff Little Fingers). Wayne’s songs have also been put onto vinyl by Hank Williams Jr., Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, George Jones, and Jerry Garcia, to name a few. Wayne also recorded a handful of his own albums, and over the years, he was either recognized or given awards to by virtually every country music organization. Don Wayne was 78 when he passed away on September 12, 2011. Although cause of death was not immediately released, he was reportedly in hospice care just prior to his death.
Hank Garland was respected session guitarist who was part of country music’s legendary Nashville A-Team who played on most of the greatest records during the ’50s and ’60s. Garland picked up the guitar at the age of six, and by the time he was 12 he was playing on local radio stations, and within two years of that, he moved to Nashville to further his career. Like his friend 
Johnny Duncan was a prolific country singer and guitarist who could count 14 studio albums to his name. Born into a talented family that included cousins Eddie Seals, 
During his time, Conway Twitty was one country music’s most successful artists, landing 45 singles at the #1 slot of the music charts. Twitty was already singing on his local radio station by the time he hit his early teens, while also excelling at baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies were interested in signing him when he got out of high school, but the US Army beat them to the punch. After serving his country, Twitty took a cue from 
Chuck Willis had a relatively short career as a singer and songwriter of Blues, R&B and early Rock ‘n’ Roll. He recorded for Columbia, Okeh and Atlantic Records over a career that lasted less than ten years before he unexpectedly died. But what a career he had. His hits included “It’s Too Late (She’s Gone),” covered by no less than