This Day in 2024, Country Music Said Goodbye to the Songwriting Cousin of the "King of the Movie Soundtrack

Country music on July 10, 2024 marked the end of Dave Loggins’ life, as the Nashville songwriter died at 76. Best known for writing, Loggins penned multiple No. 1 songs for artists including Reba McEntire, Don Williams, and Alabama. Raised in Appalachia in east Tennessee, he learned fiddle music from his father, picked up guitar, and started writing while in high school. After stints as a draftsman and insurance salesman, the 23-year-old moved to Nashville in 1970. His first years were difficult, with the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame noting he struggled to find “country tunes.” As a performer, his 1974 Epic album Apprentice peaked at No. 53; “Please Come to Boston” hit No. 5 on the Hot 100 and won him a Grammy. His biggest songwriting No. 1 arrived in March 1984 with Alabama’s “Roll on (Eighteen Wheeler).”