Boudleaux and his wife, Matilda, whom everyone called, Felice, became the most successful country and rockabilly songwriter team in the history of the industry.  They produced hits for Tony Bennett, Eddy Arnold, Jimmy Dickens, the Osborne Brothers, Roy Orbison, Carl Smith, Charley Pride, Buddy Holly, Jim Reeves, Leo Sayer, Christy Lane, Joe Stampley and Moe Bandy and - most memorably - the Everly Brothers.

Together, Boudleaux and Felice wrote over 1,500 songs, including such hits as “Rocky Top,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susan,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Love Hurts,” “Country Boy,” “Hey Joe,” “This Orchid Means Goodbye,” “Back Up Buddy,” “My Last Date,” and the list goes on!

Boudleaux was asked to give advice to someone wanting to become a songwriter.  He responded, “Unless one feels driven to compose and at the same time has all the instincts of a Mississippi riverboat gambler, he should never seek songwriting as a profession. Unless you know in your heart that you’re great, feel in your bones that you’re lucky and think in your soul that God just might let you get away with it, pick something more certain, like chasing the white whale or eradicating the common housefly. We didn’t have the benefit of such sage advice. Now it’s too late to back up. We made it. Sometimes it pays to be ignorant.”

Boudeaux died of cancer on June 18, 1987 in Knoxville.  Felice died on April 22, 2003.  They were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991.

Dusty Owens
TCM Radio News

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