Country Music Legend Dies at 70 After Remarkable Six-Decade Career

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Country songwriter Walt Aldridge, writer of hits for Ronnie Milsap, Travis Tritt, Heartland and more, has died at 70. FAME Studios paid tribute.

Legendary country songwriter Walt Aldridge, whose work shaped famed recording studio Muscle Shoals and country music for more than 40 years, has died. He was 70.

FAME Recording Studios & Publishing Co. confirmed the news in an emotional post shared on Facebook, writing, “We are deeply saddened to say that our dear friend and colleague Walt Aldridge has passed away. We cannot possibly put into words how much Walt meant to the the FAME family!”

The studio emphasized Aldridge’s essential role in keeping the Muscle Shoals music industry alive through challenging years. “There was a time in the 80s when Walt’s songwriting along with Robert Byrne, Tommy Brasfield and Mac McAnally carried the most of the weight of the Muscle Shoals Music industry through a difficult time in our history,” the tribute continued.

Born James Walton Aldridge Jr. on November 12, 1955, Aldridge became one of the most prolific and respected writers in Nashville and Muscle Shoals. His songs spanned genres and generations, with cuts recorded by artists as varied as Lou Reed, Reba McEntire, Ronnie Milsap, Travis Tritt, Earl Thomas Conley, Heartland, Pam Tillis, Conway Twitty, Tim McGraw, Shenandoah, Blackhawk, and dozens more.

His chart-topping hits included:

“(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” — Ronnie Milsap (1981)

“Holding Her and Loving You” — Earl Thomas Conley (1983)

“Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” — Travis Tritt (2000)

“I Loved Her First” — Heartland (2006)

Across his career, Aldridge wrote or co-wrote 56 Top 40 hits on the Billboard country charts, was twice named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Writers of the Year, and earned more than 20 gold and platinum certifications.

His song “Holding Her and Loving You” earned Song of the Year honors from the Nashville Songwriters Association International, while “No Getting Over Me” was ASCAP’s Most Performed Country Song of the year.

Aldridge spent 17 years as a staff songwriter, musician, and engineer at FAME Recording Studios. During that period, he worked on around 200 records, lending his production, engineering, and instrumental talents to albums by:

Billy Ray Cyrus

Peter Cetera

Dobie Gray

Lacy J. Dalton

Darryl Worley

Terri Gibbs

Jason Sellers

Alabama

Blessid Union of Souls

Clarence Carter

Jerry Reed

Lou Reed

Gus Hardin

Mac Davis

Billy Ocean

Marty Stuart

Heartland

Tony Joe White

Mac McAnally

Vern Gosdin

Marie Osmond

Wilson Pickett

Aldridge was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2018. He also received a bronze star on the Alabama Music Hall of Fame’s Walk of Fame and collected more than 30 performance awards from ASCAP.

In addition to songwriting and studio work, Aldridge fronted the late-1980s country band The Shooters, which released seven charting singles on Epic Records.

FAME’s tribute ended with a heartfelt acknowledgment of his lifelong impact:

“Walt spent 17 years as staff songwriter, musician and engineer at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals… He has been the recipient of over 20 gold and platinum RIAA certifications… and over 30 performance awards… Walt was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2018.”

Aldridge’s contributions helped define an era of country music — and ensured Muscle Shoals remained one of the most essential creative centers in American music. In an interesting coincidence, an exhibition dedicated to Muscle Shoals just opened at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on November 14.

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