Died On This Date (August 28, 2012) George Green / Longtime John Mellencamp Writing Partner
themusicsover George Green
January 28, 1952 – August 28, 2011
George Green was a successful songwriter who is most often associated with John Mellencamp for whom he wrote the lyrics for such pop hits “Hurts So Good,” and “Crumblin’ Down.” A boyhood friend of Mellencamp, Green’s collaborations also include “Thundering Hearts,” “Rain On The Scarecrow,” and “Minutes To Memories.” Throughout the years, Mellencamp has recorded over a dozen songs co-written with him. Green also has had his songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, Kenny Chesney, Ricky Skaggs, Hall & Oates, Vanessa Williams, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Dwight Yoakam, to name a few. George Green was 59 when he died of lung cancer on August 28, 2011.
Terry Clements is perhaps best remembered as the longtime guitarist for folk legend, Gordon Lightfoot. He joined up with Lightfoot in 1970 and continued to play with him for some 40 years. Clements was just five years old when he picked up the guitar, and over the years his playing would be influenced by the likes of Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, and Dick Dale. After high school, he served in the US Navy for a couple of years and then returned to his music career, first playing with Golden Sunflower while working as a session player for Lou Adler, and later joining forces with Lightfoot with whom he stayed until the final years of his life. Terry Clements was 63 when he died on February 20, 2011. The cause was attributed to a stroke he had recently suffered.
