Merle Kilgore
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Biography
Wyatt Merle Kilgore, born on August 9, 1934, in Chickasha, Oklahoma, was an American singer and songwriter. Raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, he began his music career at 14 by carrying the guitar for Hank Williams during performances at the Louisiana Hayride. Kilgore's breakthrough came with the co-written song "Ring of Fire", first recorded by Anita Carter and later by Johnny Cash. He also penned hits like "Wolverton Mountain" for Claude King, "Johnny Reb" for Johnny Horton, and "The Folk Singer" for Tommy Roe. In the early 1960s, Kilgore toured with Johnny Cash as part of his package show. He managed Hank Williams Jr.'s career from 1986 until his death in 2005. Kilgore was inducted into several halls of fame, including the Louisiana Hall of Fame (1993) and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1998). He died on February 6, 2005, from heart failure while undergoing experimental treatments for lung cancer.
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