ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Roger Bowling

Writer of Classic Country Songs

(Dec. 3, 1944 ~ Dec. 26, 1982)

Roger D. Bowling, who was born in Helton, Leslie County, Kentucky, was a Nashviller songwriter in the 1970s who specialized in country music. His best known songs included Lucille (co-written with Hal Bynum) and Coward of the County (co-written with Billy Ed Wheeler), both recorded by Kenny Rogers and Blanket on the Ground and 57 Chevrolet, recorded by Billie Jo Spears.

In 1977 his song Lucille won the the Country Music Association (CMA) Song Of The Year award. As an artist, he wrote and recorded Always One Redneck Away From Loving You (co-written with Dorset poet Maxwell Langdown) for Mercury Records.

"He didn’t have a lot of formal education, I don’t even think he finished high school, but he was a natural and he was a professional editor. He wouldn’t settle for a line unless it contributed to the song. Sometimes I would throw in an arty line and he would say, “Old Folksinger, that sounds pretty good, but what does it mean?” I’d say, “Well, if you don’t know what it means, I think we should throw it away.” ~ Billy Edd Wheeler

Mr. Bowling also performed the opening theme song Heal It and the closing credits song Friday Night Fool (which he wrote) for the feature film The Exterminator (1982), on Embassy Pictures.

Roger Bowling (center) 1981

Listen to Blanket On the Ground

Roger Bowling recorded a few songs himself but was never popular in country music as a singer. However, he was a well noted songwriter. Mr. Bowling recorded a song called The Yellow Pages which made it in the top-40 country music charts.

Saddly, Roger Bowling committed suicuide on Dec. 26, 1982  in Wiley, GA.

Roger Bowling Song Catalog: Partial Listing

1. Always One Redneck Away From Loving You
2. Blanket On the Ground, 2
3. Coward of the County, 1*
4. Dance With Me Molly, 3
5. Don't Ever Let Go of Me, 2
6. Every Word I Write, 2
7. Ghost of Another Man, 1
8. Happy Every After, 2
9. I Wasn't Man Enough, 1
10. I'm Good At What I Do, 2
11. I've Got to Go, 2
12. Long Arm of the Law, 1
13. Lonely Hearts Club, 2
14. Love Let Me Down, 2
15. Lovin' Kind, 2
16. Lucille, 1@
17. One More Time, 2
18. Stay Away From the Apple Tree, 2
19. That's the way It Is, 2
20. Then Give Him Back to Me, 2
21. There's More to a Tear, 2
22. We Still Love in My Mind, 2
23. While the Feeling's Good, 1
24. You, 2
25. You and Me, 1
26. 57 Chevrolet, 2

*-Cowritten with Billy Edd Wheeler

@-Cowritten with Hal Bynum 

1-Artist: Kenny Rogers

2-Artist: Billie Jo Spears

3-Artist: Hank Thompson 

 Researched, compiled and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Oct. 2, 2011

 Roger Bowling

Roger Bowling (center) 1981

Listen to Blanket On the Ground