James Dexter Weatherly (March 17, 1943 – February 3, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter who wrote mostly pop and country music.
The song was subsequently inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and was chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America as No.
[5] Weatherly's catalog includes songs that have been performed by Ray Price, Lynn Anderson, Brenda Lee, Bob Luman, and Batdorf & Rodney.
[4] Weatherly filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) in October 2002, which is now considered a landmark case in the entertainment community.
Universal Music argued that Weatherly could not proceed on his action because the one-year contractual limitations frequently found in entertainment contracts, had passed or tolled.
This became the issue that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided, in a published decision which set new legal precedent.
However, the court decided Weatherly vs. Universal Music Publishing Group that this one-year time limitation would not apply.
[3] Weatherly's songs have been used in movies and TV shows such as Broadcast News, Modern Family, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, and others.