James Kenneth Donley, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi,[1] began his musical career playing in local bars.
He served briefly in the Army before being discharged on psychological grounds, then revived his musical career.
Donley wrote many songs, such as "Born To Be A Loser", that went on to be hits by other artists, including Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis.
[2] Married six times, and prone to bouts of both heavy drinking and domestic violence, Donley saw his musical career decline in the early 1960s.
At the time of his death, he was married to Lillie Mae Ugas Donley, who has since died.