The musician, who produced such artists as Johnny Cash and U2, died this morning in his Nashville home.
- August 9, 2013
AceShowbiz -
He was scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this coming October, but sadly musician "Cowboy" Jack Clement did not live through his liver cancer ailment long enough to see that day come. The country music legend passed away this morning at the age of 82 in his Nashville home and will hence be posthumously inducted alongside two other inductees Kenny Rogers and Bobby Bare.
After starting out as a singer and guitar player, Clement went on to work as a producer and engineer for Sam Phillips at Sun Records where he made one of his important achievements, that of discovering Jerry Lee Lewis. He also leaves a legacy that includes being the first to record Roy Orbison and bringing black country crooner Charley Pride into the forefront.
As a songwriter, he has penned such hits as "Guess Things Happen That Way", "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" and "The One on the Right is on the Left" for music icon Johnny Cash. He is also credited for the catchy mariachi horns arrangement on Cash's No. 1 hit "Ring of Fire".
Another highlight of his long career in music was a 1987 encounter between him and Irish rock band U2, who approached him for their album "Rattle and Hum". The results were the tracks "When Love Came to Town" with guitar great B.B. King, "Angel of Harlem" about jazz singer Billie Holiday and "Love Rescue", recorded with the backing vocals of music and cultural icon Bob Dylan.
