Country songwriter Billy “Edd” Wheeler, 91, died on Sept. 16. His most famous numbers were “Jackson” and “Coward of the County,” and his songs were covered by most major country artists (he received 13 awards from ASCAP for songs recorded by Judy Collins, Bobby Darin, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley). Wheeler also wrote several novels and humor books, and several plays (Hatfields & McCoys, Young Abe Lincoln, Johnny Appleseed). He modestly brushed off his technique as “just trial and error. I never considered myself gifted at all. I just barely knew enough to write songs with. For a long time, it was no minor chords, just three chords. There’s been a lot of songs written with just three chords and a capo.”
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