Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. (November 20, 1930 – October 30, 2016) was an American songwriter. Born in

Princeton, Alabama Princeton is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Jackson County, Alabama, Jackson County, Alabama, United States. Princeton is located on Alabama State Route 65 in the upper Paint Rock River, Paint Rock Valley. Skyline, Alabama, S ...

, his greatest success was " Green, Green Grass of Home" (1964, sung by Porter Wagoner), which was covered by

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, Johnny Darrell, Gram Parsons,

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, Roberto Leal,

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, Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare,

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, and Tom Jones. Among other songs he wrote were "

D-I-V-O-R-C-E "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" is a song written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, and recorded by American country music artist Tammy Wynette. It was released in May 1968 as the first single and title track from the album '' D-I-V-O-R-C-E''. Wynette's ...

" and "

He Stopped Loving Her Today "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is a song recorded by American country music artist George Jones. It has been named in several surveys as the greatest country song of all time. It was released in April 1980 as the lead single from the album '' I Am ...

Biography

Putman was the son of a sawmill worker. He joined the Navy and spent four years on the aircraft carrier . He married Bernice Soon in 1956. Putman penned his first hit, " Green, Green Grass of Home", when working in Nashville plugging songs for Tree Records.

Death

Putman died of congestive heart failure and kidney failure at his home in

Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon ( ) is the county seat of Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,431 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Middle Tennessee, approximately east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metro ...

at age 85.

Legacy

Alabama State Route 65 through the Paint Rock Valley in North Alabama is named in Putman's honor, as well as a community park in Princeton.

Pop influence

The Paul McCartney & Wings hit " Junior's Farm" was inspired by their short stay at Putman's farm in rural Wilson County, Tennessee in 1974.

Awards

* Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976. * Inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. * Won – 1980 – CMA Song of the Year – ''He Stopped Loving Her Today'' (Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman).
* Won – 1980 ACM – Song of the Year – ''He Stopped Loving Her Today'' (Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman). * Won – 1981 CMA – Song of the Year – ''He Stopped Loving Her Today'' (Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman). * Nominated – 1967 CMA – Song of the Year – ''My Elusive Dreams'' (Billy Sherrill, Curly Putman).
* Nominated – 1968 CMA – Song of the Year – ''D-I-V-O-R-C-E'' (Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman). * Nominated – 1968 Grammy Awards – Best Country Song – ''D-I-V-O-R-C-E'' (Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman). * Nominated – 1980 Grammy Awards – Best Country Song – ''He Stopped Loving Her Today'' (Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman).

Selected list of Curly Putman recorded songs

*"Baby I'll Be Coming Back For More" (Curly Putman, Sterling Whipple) // Released by T.G. Sheppard *"Baby You're Something" (Curly Putman, Don Cook, Rafe Van Hoy) // Released by John Conlee *"Ballad Of Two Brothers" (Curly Putman, Buddy Killen,

Bobby Braddock Robert Valentine Braddock (born August 5, 1940) is an American country music, country songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit s ...

) // Released by Autry Inman (1968) *"Blood Red And Going Down" (Curly Putman) // Released by Tanya Tucker, Graham Blvd, Melba Montgomery, Knightsbridge *"Change My Mind" (Curly Putman) // Released by

Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...

(1969) *"Couldn't Love Have Picked A Better Place To Die" (Curly Putman, Bucky Jones) // Released by Gene Watson (2016), Curly Putman (2010), Clinton Gregory, George Jones, Mickey Gilley *"

" (Putman, Bobby Braddock) // Released by

Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...

(1968),

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...

(1968), Kitty Wells (1968),

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

(1969), Dottie West (1969), Billy Connolly (1975), Hourglass, Countdown Singers *"Dad Blame Anything A Man Can't Quit" (Curly Putman, Roger Miller) // Released by Roger Miller (1966) *"Deep Dark Hollow Road" (Curly Putman, Glen Duncan, Adam Engelhardt) // Released by The Del McCoury Band (2018) *" Do You Wanna Go to Heaven" (Curly Putman, Bucky Jones) // Released by T.G. Sheppard, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road (2015) *"Don't It Seem To Rain A Lot" (Curly Putman) // Released by George Hamilton IV (1972) *" Dumb Blonde" (Curly Putman) // Released by Dolly Parton (1967), Liz Anderson (1968), Dolly Parton & Miranda Lambert (2020) *"Dying To Live Again" (Curly Putman, Dan Lomax) // Released by Junior Sisk (2017) *"Easy Look" (Curly Putman, Sonny Throckmorton) // Released by Charlie Rich *"Ever-Changing Woman" (Curly Putman, Dave Kirby) // Released by Merle Haggard (1980), Randy Travis (2013), J.D. Crowe & The New South (1994), Brother Phelps (1993), Noel Cassidy (2014) *"Every Step Of The Way" (Curly Putman) // Released by Ferlin Husky (1970) *"Famous Last Words" (Curly Putman, Ron Hellard, Bucky Jones) // Released by George Jones (1983) *"Green, Green Grass of Home" (Putman) // Released by Ben Colder (1963), Del Reeves (1965), Jerry Lee Lewis (1965, 1967), Conway Twitty (1965), Porter Wagoner (1966), Stu Phillips (1966),

The Statler Brothers The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group from Staunton, Virginia. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening a ...

(1966), Ferlin Husky (1966), Roy Drusky (1966), Charley Pride (1966), Ben Colder (1967), Dean Martin (1967), Roger Miller (1967), George Jones (1967),

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(1967), Tom Jones (1967), Johnny Paycheck (1967), Trini Lopez (1968),

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(1968), Joe Tex (1968), Henson Cargill (1968), Merle Haggard (1968),

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(1968), Johnny Cash (1968),

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(1968), Jack Palance (1969), Joan Baez (1969), George Melachrino & His Orchestra (1970), Carolina the Band (2022), Ferlin Husky *"

" (Curly Putman, Bobby Braddock) // Released by George Jones *"Hopelessly Yours" (Curly Putman, Don Cook, Keith Whitley) // Released by John Conlee, George Jones (1986), Lee Greenwood and Suzy Bogguss, Lorrie Morgan (2018) *"I Meant Every Word He Said" (Curly Putman, Bucky Jones, Joe Chambers) // Released by Ricky Van Shelton (1990) *"I Think I Know" (Curly Putman) // Released by Marion Worth (1963) *"I Turn To You" (Curly Putman, Max D Barnes) // Released by George Jones (1986) *"I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again" (Curly Putman, Rafe Van Hoy, Don Cook) // Released by Debby Boone, John Conlee, Brenda Lee, Kenny Rogers, Tina Adair (2023), T. Graham Brown (2022) *"If You Think I Love You Now (I've Just Started)" (Curly Putman, Billy Sherrill) // Released by Tammy Wynette (1971), Jody Miller (1970) *"It Don't Feel Like Sinnin' To Me" (Curly Putman, Michael Kosser) // Released by The Kendalls (1988) *"It's a Cheating Situation" (Curly Putman, Sonny Throckmorton) // Released by Moe Bandy, Billy Taylor, John Prine & Dolores Keane (1999) *"I'm Not The Boy I Used To Be" (Curly Putman) // Released by

Tommy Cash Tommy Cash (April 5, 1940 – September 13, 2024) was an American Country music, country musician. His elder brother was Johnny Cash. Background and career Cash was born in Dyess, Arkansas, on April 5, 1940, the youngest of four sons and thre ...

(1966) *"Jailbirds Can't Fly" (Curly Putman) // Released by Tommy Cash (1966) *"Just For You" (Curly Putman, Larry Butler) // Released by Ferlin Husky *"Last Laugh" (Curly Putman, Bobby Braddock) // Released by

Jim Ed Brown James Edward Brown (April 1, 1934 – June 11, 2015) was an American Country music, country singer who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of the Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed b ...

(1967) *"Let's Keep It That Way" (Curly Putman, Rafe Van Hoy) *"Let's Wait A Little Longer" (Curly Putman/ Billy Sherrill) // Released by

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...

& Ernest Tubb (1969), Dottie West &

Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and " I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjo ...

(1969) *"Little Boy Soldier" (Curly Putman) // Released by

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American retired singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of Rock music, rock, Country music, country and Gospel music, gospel. She was among th ...

(1968) *"Made For Loving You" (Curly Putman, Sonny Throckmorton) // Released by Doug Stone (1990), Dan Seals (1990), *"My Arms Stay Open Late" (Curly Putman, Dan Lomax) // Released by Billie Jo Spears (1969) *" My Elusive Dreams" (Curly Putman, Billy Sherrill) // Released by David Houston & Tammy Wynette (1967), Margie Singleton (1967), Jack Greene (1968),

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walki ...

& Lee Hazlewood (1968),

Lloyd Green Lloyd Lamar Green (born October 4, 1937) is an American steel guitarist noted for his extensive country music recording session career in Nashville performing on 116 Chart Hit, No.1 Country music, country hits including Tammy Wynette's “D-I-V-O- ...

(1968),

Bobbie Gentry Bobbie Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is an American retired singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in the United States to compose and produce her own material. Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 ...

(1968), Roger Miller (1968), James Burton & Ralph Mooney (1969), Ernest Ranglin (1969), Bobby Bare (1970), Don Gibson (1970), Bobby Vinton (1970), Bill Anderson (1970),

Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a singer, and an actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s. He was the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John Ritter, grandso ...

(1970) *"Older The Violin, The Sweeter The Music" (Curly Putman) // Released by Hank Thompson, Curly Putman (2010) *"One Dime For The Wine" (Curly Putman) // Released by Porter Wagoner (1967) *"Sally Trash" (Curly Putman,

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

) // Released by Tammy Wynette (1970) *"Set Me Free" (Curly Putman, Marvin Walters) // Released by David Houston (1967),

Clarence Carter Clarence George Carter (born January 14, 1936) is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. His most successful songs include "Slip Away (Clarence Carter song), Slip Away", "Back Door Santa" (both released 1968), "Patches (Ch ...

(1968), Ray Price (1968),

Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. In the later part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname t ...

(1968), Dottie West & Don Gibson (1969),

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), known professionally as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with ...

(1969), Ferlin Husky (1970) *"She's Got My Love and Goes Again" (Curly Putman, Red Lane) // Released by Tommy Cash (1966) *"Smooth Sailing" (Curly Putman, Sonny Throckmorton) // Released by T.G. Sheppard *"There's A New Kid In Town" (Curly Putman, Don Cook, Keith Whitley) // Released by Kenny Rogers (2015), Chris Young (2016) *"War Is Hell (On The Homefront Too)" (Curly Putman, Bucky Jones, Dan Wilson) // Released by T.G. Sheppard *"What I'd Give To Be The Wind" (Curly Putman, Red Lane) // Released by Roger Miller (1968) *"When Can We Do This Again" (Curly Putman, Sonny Throckmorton) // Released by T.G. Sheppard *"Whole Lotta Laying Around" (Curly Putman, Glen Duncan, Adam Engelhardt) // Released by Chris Roberts (2018) *"You Can't Have Your Kate And Edith, Too" (Curly Putman, Bobby Braddock) // Released by The Statler Brothers (1966) *"You Moved Up In Your World" (Curly Putman, Dale Dodson, Brett Eldredge) // Released by Mark Chesnutt (2016)

Discography

Albums

* 1967: ''Lonesome Country of Curly Putman'' (ABC) * 1969: ''World of Country Music'' (ABC) * 2010: ''Write 'em Sad – Sing 'em Lonesome'' (Curly Putman / Engelhardt Music Group)

Singles

References

External links

* * *
Green Green Grass of Curly Putnam's Home
{{DEFAULTSORT:Putman, Curly 1930 births 2016 deaths People from Jackson County, Alabama American country songwriters American male songwriters Songwriters from Alabama Military personnel from Alabama Deaths from kidney failure in the United States