Songwriter. Composed some of the top selling country-pop songs of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. His songwriting talents first gained prominence in 1966 with “The Joker Went Wild” recorded by teen idol Brian Hyland. Roger Miller topped the country charts two years later with another Russell composition “Little Green Apples.” The song won two Grammy’s in 1968, one for “Best Country Song” and because of a successful crossover pop version by O.C. Smith, a second Grammy for “Song of the Year.” That same year Russell wrote the song for which he is best remembered, “Honey.” The Bobby Goldsboro tune went to number one on both the country and pop charts and won the Country Music Association “Song of the Year” for 1968. A string of hits in the early 1970’s included “Saturday Morning Confusion” in 1971 and the 1973 number one hit “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” which was written for and performed by his wife at that time singer/actress Vicki Lawrence. Russell died in 1992 after suffering a heart attack and was inducted posthumously into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame two years later.
Songwriter. Composed some of the top selling country-pop songs of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. His songwriting talents first gained prominence in 1966 with “The Joker Went Wild” recorded by teen idol Brian Hyland. Roger Miller topped the country charts two years later with another Russell composition “Little Green Apples.” The song won two Grammy’s in 1968, one for “Best Country Song” and because of a successful crossover pop version by O.C. Smith, a second Grammy for “Song of the Year.” That same year Russell wrote the song for which he is best remembered, “Honey.” The Bobby Goldsboro tune went to number one on both the country and pop charts and won the Country Music Association “Song of the Year” for 1968. A string of hits in the early 1970’s included “Saturday Morning Confusion” in 1971 and the 1973 number one hit “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” which was written for and performed by his wife at that time singer/actress Vicki Lawrence. Russell died in 1992 after suffering a heart attack and was inducted posthumously into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame two years later.
Bio by: Kim Inboden
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