Hart was born to a sharecropper family in Loachapoka, Alabama, United States,[4] and spent his childhood in nearby Phenix City, Alabama, along with his 11 siblings (Nadine, Bo, Junior, Olin, Marrell, Pearl, Lonnie, Sandra, Gail, J.P., Harold, and a child who died in infancy).

[1] After the war, he lived in California, where he taught classes in self-defense at the Los Angeles Police Academy.

Other artists who recorded his songs included Patsy Cline ("Lovin' In Vain"), George Jones ("My Tears are Overdue") and Porter Wagoner ("Skid Row Joe").

In 1969, Hart re-signed with Capitol Records and soon became a part of the Bakersfield sound by signing up with Buck Owens' songwriting and management company.

It was also played on adult contemporary stations, earning a position on Billboard's Easy Listening survey.

1 in 1973), "Hang In There Girl" (1974), "The Want-To's" (1974), "My Woman's Man" (1975), "The First Time" (1975), "I'd Like To Sleep Till I Get Over You" (1975) and "The Warm Side of You" (1975).

[citation needed] With the success of "Easy Loving" and other songs he wrote, plus a popular concert attraction on the road, Hart became independently wealthy and owned a songwriting company, a school for the blind, a trucking company, and a chain of martial arts studios—his hobby was as a master of karate.

[6] A few years later, Phenix City declared a major east–west street Freddie Hart Parkway in his honor.

Hart released a handful of new albums on CD, showcasing his passion for gospel music, patriotism and the traditional country sound that originally made him famous.

Hart retained a large following in Europe and the U.S., performing at music festivals, universities, churches and industry events.

In 2017 he performed in Pigeon Forge Tennessee and received the Hall of Fame award from the North American Country Music Associations International.

His final performance was in March 2018 on the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree as a special guest to David Frizzell.

Various musicians performed in the Heartbeats over the years, including Bobby Wayne and Dennis Hromek, both of whom would go on to join the Strangers.