Red Lane Award-winning songwriter has died

Red Lane (9 February 1939 – 1 July 2015)

Award-winning songwriter Red Lane died Wednesday evening (July 1, 2015) following a lengthy illness with cancer. He was 76.

A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame since 1993 (inducted Sept 27, 1993), Mr. Lane wrote or co-wrote such country classics as:

• Tammy Wynette’s >> “Till I Get It Right,” (#1 Billboard Hot Country Singles on March 10, 1973; co-written with Larry Henley)
• Merle Haggard’s >> “My Own Kind of Hat” (#4 Billboard Hot Country Singles)
• John Conlee’s >> “MissEmily’s Picture”  (1981; #2 Hot Country Songs) 
• George Strait’s >> “Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa” (July 2003; #11 Billboard Hot Country Singles)
• Willie Nelson’s >> “Blackjack County Chain” (May 1967; #21 Hot Country Songs; banned by radio stations, the song depicts the killing of a Georgia sheriff by members of a black chaingang).
• Eddy Arnold’s >> “They Don’t Make Love Like They Used To” (1968; #10 Hot Country Songs)
• B.J. Thomas’ >> “New Looks From an Old Lover.” (1983; #1 Hot Country Songs; writers: Red Lane, Gloria Thomas, Lathan Hudson).

Lane was born Hollis Rudolph DeLaughter in Zona, Louisiana, on Feb. 9, 1939 (CMT report his birth date as Feb 2nd?).

His family later moved to northern Indiana. Instructed by his father, he began learning to play the guitar when he was 10.

Lane moved to Nashville in the early 60s, where he worked with Justin Tubb and as a session musician. In 1967, he became frontman for Dottie West’s band and co-wrote with West her 1968 hit >> ‘Country Girl’ (1968; #15 Hot Country Singles)

In the early 70s, he recorded for RCA Records and charted four minor hits (1971-72), the biggest being ‘The World Needs A Melody’ and the last, ‘It Was Love While It Lasted’, in 1972, none of them reaching the Top 20.  

Since then he had remained active as a session musician and toured as a guitarist with Merle Haggard.

Some of his songs have been recorded by top artists but he failed to achieve further chart successes of his own. However, Lane was acknowledged in 1993 when he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 1971 Red cut an album for RCA, THE WORLD NEEDS A MELODY, the title track becoming something of a minor classic in recent years with dozens of versions cropping up on various albums. Having always been a good musician and composer, this album did nothing more than re-affirm Lane’s great talent. The songs were very strong and often unique in an oddly familiar way. It was country without apologies and without gimmicks. "Mississippi Woman", a hit for Waylon Jennings, is an earthy bayou song about the eternal triangle which ends in a gruesome murder. "Valley Of The Never Done Good" is an original look at the life of a poor man with only dreams and plenty of work to be done. In contrast "It Always Rains On Tuesday" is an unusual twist on a love affair which only two writers like Red Lane and Hank Cochran could have unravelled…. (Source: * Alan Cackett read more Website Red Lane Profile ; View the Original Article Image which was first published in Country Music People, June 1976. * Highly respected Mr Cackett won the Wesley Rose Media Achievement Award as editor and founder of Maverick Magazine (2008), he contributed regularly to Country Music People magazine from 1970 through to 1992, on a freelance basis and also with Country Music International from 1994 until 2001)

Other album cuts of note written by Red Lane:

• Little Jimmy Dickens recorded “(You've Been Quite a Doll) Raggedy Ann” in 1970 (#75 Hot Country Singles)
• Reba McEntire recorded "I've Seen Better Days" (writers: Red Lane / Danny Morrison) on her 1986 album WHOEVER'S IN NEW ENGLAND
• In 1995 Daryle Singletary recorded >> "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" (writers: Hank Cochran / Vern Gosdin / Red Lane) on his SELF TITLED album
• Ricky Van Shelton recorded "Let Me Live With Love" (And Die with You) on his 1988 album LOVING PROOF
• In 2002 Lee Ann Womack recorded "He'll Be Back" (writers: Hank Cochran, Red Lane, Dale Dodson) on her fourth studio album SOMETHING WORTH LEAVING BEHIND (MCA). She >> performed it live at the Country Music Awards (CMA) 2003.
• In 2009 Lorrie Morgan cut "Til I Get It Right on her album A MOMENT IN TIME
• Mark Chesnutt recorded "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" (Hank Cochran / Vern Gosdin / Red Lane) on his 2004 set SAVIN' THE HONKY TONK
• Jamey Johnson recorded "Would These Arms Be in Your Way" (Hank Cochran / Vern Gosdin / Red Lane) and "She'll Be Back" (Hank Cochran / Dale Dodson / Red Lane) on his 2012 album Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran

Watch John Conlee perform Red Lane's  “Miss Emily’s Picture”:

Teea Goans recorded "Same Ol' Song and Dance" (writers: Rick Holt / Red Lane) on her 2010 album THE WAY I REMEMBER IT.

Reference: Song Credits

Watch the Mr. Red Lane perform in a special Country Music Hall of Fame Songwriter Session (circa March 2013)


Suzy Bogguss tweeted: RIP Red Lane. Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts and music.

Bogguss recorded >> "Burning Down" (Red Lane, Madeline Stone) on her album MOMENT OF TRUTH released August 21, 1990.

RIP Red Lane. Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts and music.

— Suzy Bogguss (@SuzyBogguss) July 2, 2015

Suzy's Wine, Women & Song pal Matraca Berg grew up around songwriters like Sonny Throckmorton, Red Lane and Larry Henley. "That was normal life, my normal world. Writing songs was normal. they were songwriters, and that was really neat" she told Billboard magazines Chet Flippo back in August 1997.

"He was my first big hero," said singer-songwriter Matraca, who first met Mr. Lane through her aunt and uncle when she was just 4 years old. "He came to the house, pulled up a chair, got out his guitar and started making up melodies to nursery rhymes, and he'd sing them with me." "He was thoughtful, highly intelligent and very kind," she adds. "And so funny. 
He was so dry and quick that I was always fighting to keep up."

Berg praised Mr. Lane's economy of words, his beautiful melodies and skill as a guitarist. The two of them wrote their first song together about a year and a half ago. It was called "An Easy Way to Say Goodbye." (SOURCE: The Tennessean)

Obituaries: CMT - The Tennessean - Facebook Fan Page

Sources: Alan Cackett Website - Red Lane Profile