- In the 1970s, he began having trouble singing and eventually could hardly even speak. He was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological disorder. He recovered most of his voice with vocal exercises and Botox treatments.
- He was a guitarist, fiddler and singer-songwriter with a distinctive tenor voice. He recorded a string of country hits, including versions of Ray Price's "I'll Be There," Marty Robbins' "You Gave Me a Mountain" and Willie Nelson's "Undo the Right" and "What a Way to Live".
- He dropped out of high school and went to work in the oil fields, before starting his musical career playing in Texas beer joints, where he met Willie Nelson.
- After he signed with RCA Records, he was asked to compose a song of his own. He co-wrote "Whiskey River" with Paul Stroud; it became a big hit for his friend Willie Nelson.
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