William Edwin Bruce Jr. (December 29, 1939 – January 8, 2021) was an American country music songwriter, singer, and actor.
He was known for writing the 1975 song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and recording the 1982 country number one hit "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had".
109 on the Billboard "Bubbling Under" chart with his own recording of "See the Big Man Cry" (Wand 140), both published by Bill Justis at Tuneville Music.
In 1969, Bruce signed with Monument Records, where he continued to have minor successes with "Everybody Wants To Get To Heaven" and "Song For Jenny".
Bruce wrote "The Man That Turned My Mama On" which became a major hit for Tanya Tucker in 1974, as was his "Restless" for Crystal Gayle the same year.
[6] After the 1986 album entitled Night Things and a 1988 self-titled follow-up, Bruce made a conscious decision to cut back on his music to focus on his acting career, appearing in several made-for-TV films.
Bruce played the irascibly surly town lawman who found himself reluctantly co-owning a saloon with Maverick, with whom he seemed to maintain a surreally adversarial relationship more or less throughout the entire season.
An album of previously unreleased songs by Bruce, titled After Hours, was released by Music Row Talent Records on May 10, 2024, in association with Old Hat Productions.
"[11] Music Row Magazine wrote that the album proves Bruce "was a songwriting master to the end.