Tom W. Blackburn

His work included various Western novels and television screenplays, as well as the lyrics to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (his first) and other songs.

Howard Blackburn was then put in charge of monitoring construction jobs for Federal Surety where the insurance company had bonded the contractor.

[4] When Tom was older he helped his Uncle Cecil, who was in the produce business, pickup fresh vegetables from area farms.

[6] After he left college, Blackburn became a "ghost writer" for pulp fiction authors Harry F. Olmsted and Ed Earl Repp, what he called "pulpeteering".

[7] Blackburn stayed employed at the gas company until he could make his freelancing pulp career cover the bills reliably.

[8] Blackburn also wrote stories under the pseudonyms of Steve Herrington, and the Popular Publications house names Ray P. Shotwell and Dave Sands.