Harlan Perry Howard (September 8, 1927 – March 3, 2002) was an American songwriter, principally in country music.
In a career spanning six decades, Howard is credited with writing more than 4,000 songs, over 100 of which reached country music's Top 10.
In later years, Howard recalled the personal formative influence of country music: I was captured by the songs as much as the singer.
[3] When he was 12 years of age, he began writing songs, "an enthusiasm fueled by an appetite for books and an ear for a telling phrase.
"[2] After serving as a paratrooper with the United States Army, he went to Los Angeles, California, hoping to sell his music.
Howard's songs were so immediately successful that, in 1961 alone, he had fifteen of his compositions on the country music charts, earning him ten BMI awards.
On March 3, 2023, Willie Nelson released his 73rd studio album I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard.