He played for the group throughout the next decade until 1970, when it dissolved due to the divergent musical interests of him and Kal David.

[3] Cotton's experiences in New Orleans had been the basis for a previous composition, "Down in the Quarter", featured on the 1975 Poco album Head Over Heels, and Cotton has described a track from the 1982 Poco album Ghost Town, "Break of Hearts", as being a follow-up to "Heart of the Night.

[4] In 1978, Cotton and Rusty Young, "got a little rehearsal hall, put together a band, and played 'Heart of the Night'" for ABC Records executives.

[6][7] He also penned such Poco classics as "Barbados",[8] "Indian Summer", "Ride The Country", and "Bad Weather".

[10] Cotton moved to Key West, Florida, in 2005, shortly after Hurricane Wilma struck the area.