Known best for songs penned for Garth Brooks, Randy Travis and others, songwriter Kim Williams, born in Kingsport, Tenn., in 1947, died yesterday, Feb. 11, in Florida.
Williams is also the principle co-writer on the majority of original cuts from trucker/singer-songwriter Tony Justice’s forthcoming “Brothers of the Highway” record. Williams penned its title track in collaboration with cowriters Doug Johnson and Nicole Witt some years ago, and Justice, reached by phone this morning, notes Williams and himself collaborated on nine of the record’s other tracks.
“He deserves all the recognition he gets,” Justice said of Williams. “He was a great guy.”
Trucking-themed “Papa Loved Mama,” co-written with Garth Brooks, was among Williams’ most well-known tracks. He also co-wrote the title track of Justice’s trucking-music debut, “On the Road,” with Kenny Chesney.
Williams lived in the Clinch Mountain area, near Rogersville, Tenn., says Justice. A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, reported the Tennessean, Williams is survived by his wife, Phyllis, and daughter, Amanda.
