Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters Ep. 124 - CURLY PUTMAN ("Green, Green Grass of Home")
Pulled from deep in our archives, we present the long-lost final interview with two-time Grammy nominee and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Curly Putman, who wrote "Green, Green Grass of Home," "He Stopped Loving Her Today," "My Elusive Dreams," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," and many others. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul chat about how the long-lost final interview with Curly Putman went missing and how they finally recovered it. Plus, they discuss the new Ken Burns documentary, Country Music. PART TWO - 9:24 mark Scott heads over to the now-departed songwriting legend's house to chat about the unusual instrument Curly began on; what Roger Miller said that encouraged him when he was a struggling shoe salesman; why Dottie West being late for a recording session opened a door for “Green, Green Grass of Home;” how Curly became known for killing off the characters in his songs; the reason he didn’t want to rent his house to Paul McCartney; why he thinks “He Stopped Loving Her Today” appeals to so many listeners; which of his songs he’d like to be remembered for in the distant future; and the secret to his sixty year marriage. ABOUT CURLY PUTMAN The late Claude “Curly” Putman, Jr. enjoyed a streak of more than 30 years of consistent country chart success. Many of his songs have become iconic country recordings, including “Green Green Grass of Home” by Porter Wagoner, “Dumb Blonde” by Dolly Parton, “My Elusive Dreams” by Tammy Wynette and David Houston, “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” by Tammy Wynette, “Blood Red and Going Down” by Tanya Tucker, and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones, which won CMA Song of the Year for two years in a row. Transcending country music’s classic era, Curly continued to enjoy Top 10 hits with a new generation of artists that included “I Meant Every Word He Said” by Ricky Van Shelton and “Made For Lovin’ You” by Doug Stone. Curly became one of the few songwriters to have a song written in tribute to him when Paul McCartney composed “Junior’s Farm” following a six week stay at Putman’s ranch when Wings was recording in Nashville. Curly, a two-time Grammy nominee, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Twenty-three of his songs have earned BMI performance awards, and his music has been recorded by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins, Charley Pride, Johnny Paycheck, Ray Price, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Joe Tex, Esther Phillips, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Keith Whitley, George Strait, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Blake Shelton, Gram Parsons, The Grateful Dead, and literally hundreds of others.