Wayland Holyfield
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Wayland Holyfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 15, 1942 Mallettown, Conway County, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2024 (aged 82) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country music |
| Occupation | Songwriter |
| Years active | 1970–2024 |
Wayland D. Holyfield (March 15, 1942 – May 6, 2024) was an American songwriter and leader in the songwriting community.[1][2]
Wayland Holyfield was born in Mallettown, Conway County, Arkansas. He was educated in Arkansas public schools and attended Hendrix College at Conway, Arkansas, before graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in marketing in 1965. Prior to his musical career, Holyfield was a wholesale appliance salesman and advertising account manager. His wife Nancy and he had three children, Greg, Mark, and Lee.
Holyfield died at his home in Nashville on May 6, 2024, at the age of 82.[3]
Early career
In 1972, Holyfield left Arkansas and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a songwriting career and his first song was recorded in 1973. He received his first number-one hit with "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer".[2] In 1975, Holyfield achieved his first solo number-one hit "You're My Best Friend" recorded by Don Williams.[4]
In addition to his collaborations with Williams, Holyfield's songs have been recorded by numerous Nashville singers, including George Strait, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, The Judds, Mark Chesnutt, John Anderson, Mel Street, Gary Allan, Johnny Rodriguez, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Oak Ridge Boys, Ernest Tubb, Anne Murray, and Charly McClain.[1] During his career, Holyfield was writer of over 40 top-10 hits and 14 number-one hits. Some of his best-known songs are "Could I Have This Dance", "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend", "'Til the Rivers All Run Dry", "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had", "Only Here for a Little While", "Meanwhile", and "Nobody Likes Sad Songs".[1]
In his home state of Arkansas, Holyfield is most famous for his song "Arkansas, You Run Deep in Me", which was written for the 1986 Arkansas Sesquicentennial celebration. It was named one of Arkansas' official state songs in 1987. Holyfield played the song at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993.[2]
