Billy Edd Wheeler

Wheeler developed his career with appearances on the “WWVA Jamboree” radio show, broadcast from his home state of West Virginia, and on television programs such as “Today” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” Pat Boone and the Kingston Trio were among the first artists to record his songs, though he also found brief popularity as a solo act with the 1963 country single, “Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back.” Johnny Cash and June Carter released “Jackson” in 1967 and won a Grammy for their recording. Other notable cuts include Elvis Presley’s “It’s Midnight,” a Top 10 Country hit in 1975, and Kenny Rogers’ “Coward of the County,” a nominee for 1979 ACM Single Record of the Year. Wheeler was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.