Biography
Glenn Sutton ranks high among the leading tunesmiths of the countrypolitan period, having partnered on the David Houston standard "Almost Persuaded" and later serving as producer for the smash "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" recorded by his wife at the time, Lynn Anderson. Born September 28, 1937, in Hodge, Louisiana, Sutton spent his childhood in Henderson, Texas; during his U.S. Air Force enlistment he performed on the side with the honky tonk group Slim Mims & the Dream Ranch Boys. Once discharged, he moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he repaired electric razors, sold insurance policies, and appeared at area nightspots. In 1963 he issued the overlooked solo 45 "Long Tall Texan." Early in 1964 Sutton placed his initial songs with Starday Music, achieving a modest chart entry after Hank Williams, Jr., cut "Guess What, That's Right, She's Gone." By the close of that year he had settled in Nashville and joined Al Gallico Music as a staff songwriter. He quickly joined forces with producer Billy Sherrill; the pair helped pioneer the polished, pop-tinged countrypolitan style that prevailed in Nashville throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their breakthrough song, the enduring 1966 David Houston single "Almost Persuaded," reached number one, securing its creators the Grammy for Best Country Song and BMI’s Country Song of the Year award. Sutton and Sherrill continued working with Houston, generating further chart-toppers such as "Have a Little Faith," "Already It's Heaven," "With One Exception," and "You Mean the World to Me."
Sutton and Sherrill also collaborated on several Tammy Wynette successes, notably the number-one records "I Don't Wanna Play House," "Take Me to Your World," and "Bedtime Story." Wynette herself received co-writing credit on two additional chart-toppers, "Singing My Song" and "The Ways to Love a Man." Outside his partnership with Sherrill, Sutton joined producer Jerry Kennedy to compose the 1968 Jerry Lee Lewis country number one "To Make Love Sweeter for You." Independently he supplied Lewis with the follow-up hits "She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)" and "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)," the latter drawn from a newspaper ad and completed only hours before its studio date. For several years Sutton additionally served as associate staff producer at Epic Records, overseeing sessions for Tommy Cash, Jim & Jesse, and Bob Luman.
Sutton is perhaps most widely recognized, however, for his association with Anderson, whom he wed in 1968, and for the song "Rose Garden." Penned by Joe South and first cut by Billy Joe Royal in 1967, "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" became Sutton and Anderson’s initial number-one single following its 1970 Columbia release. Sutton subsequently wrote and produced Anderson’s other chart-toppers "You're My Man," "Keep Me in Mind," and "What a Man My Man Is," along with the Top Ten singles "Sing About Love" and "Stay There 'Til I Get There." Sutton and Anderson ended their marriage in 1977, coinciding with his return to recording for Mercury. The 1979 single "The Football Card" achieved modest crossover success, while the novelty track "Red Neck Disco" also drew notice. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999, Sutton passed away from an apparent heart attack on April 17, 2007.
Sutton and Sherrill also collaborated on several Tammy Wynette successes, notably the number-one records "I Don't Wanna Play House," "Take Me to Your World," and "Bedtime Story." Wynette herself received co-writing credit on two additional chart-toppers, "Singing My Song" and "The Ways to Love a Man." Outside his partnership with Sherrill, Sutton joined producer Jerry Kennedy to compose the 1968 Jerry Lee Lewis country number one "To Make Love Sweeter for You." Independently he supplied Lewis with the follow-up hits "She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)" and "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)," the latter drawn from a newspaper ad and completed only hours before its studio date. For several years Sutton additionally served as associate staff producer at Epic Records, overseeing sessions for Tommy Cash, Jim & Jesse, and Bob Luman.
Sutton is perhaps most widely recognized, however, for his association with Anderson, whom he wed in 1968, and for the song "Rose Garden." Penned by Joe South and first cut by Billy Joe Royal in 1967, "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" became Sutton and Anderson’s initial number-one single following its 1970 Columbia release. Sutton subsequently wrote and produced Anderson’s other chart-toppers "You're My Man," "Keep Me in Mind," and "What a Man My Man Is," along with the Top Ten singles "Sing About Love" and "Stay There 'Til I Get There." Sutton and Anderson ended their marriage in 1977, coinciding with his return to recording for Mercury. The 1979 single "The Football Card" achieved modest crossover success, while the novelty track "Red Neck Disco" also drew notice. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999, Sutton passed away from an apparent heart attack on April 17, 2007.
Albums
