Biography

Has charted more than 80 singles on Billboard's country chart since 1958, the most recent being "Too Country," a collaborative effort with Brad Paisley, George Jones and Buck Owens. The song, which rails on the current state of country music radio, helped the four singers win the Country Music Association's 2001 Vocal Event of the Year award.

Frequent guest celebrity/panelist on game shows, most notably Match Game 73 (1973) and Password Plus (1979).

Performed the top ten hit "Still" in 1963.

Prolific country singer and songwriter, having written hits recorded by such artists as Ivory Joe Hunter, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dean Martin, Ray Price, Collin Raye, Debbie Reynolds, Connie Smith, Porter Wagoner, Steve Wariner, Lawrence Welk, Kitty Wells, Faron Young and many others.

Of his 80 Billboard country hits, seven reached the No. 1 position -- including "Mama Sang a Song" (1962); "Still" (1963); "I Get the Fever" (1966), "For Loving You" (a 1967 duet with singer Jan Howard); "My Life (Throw it Away if I Want To)" (Billboard's No. 1 country song for 1969); "World of Make Believe" (1974); and "Sometimes" (a 1976 duet with singer Mary Lou Turner).