His most famous songs as a writer include "The Letter", "Neon Rainbow", "Soul Deep", and "Always on My Mind" (written with Mark James and Johnny Christopher).
Carson was born in Denver, Colorado, to Odie and Olivia Head, who played music professionally under the pseudonym Thompson.
[1] They met in Nebraska while working for radio station KMMJ, moved to Colorado and eventually to Springfield, Missouri, to join the KWTO music staff.
He lived in several cities, including Denver, as a young man leading bands and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1962.
The song was an international hit for The Box Tops and later for Joe Cocker and Leon Russell and was nominated for two Grammys.