Jul 13, 1965

Songwriter Neil Thrasher is born in Birmingham. After a short career in the duo Thrasher Shiver, he writes Randy Houser's "How Country Feels," Rascal Flatts' "Fast Cars And Freedom" and Jason Aldean's "Fly Over States," among others

Jul 16, 1965

Retired songwriter Ted Snyder dies in Woodland Hills, California, following abdominal surgery. His compositions included "Who's Sorry Now?," a hit for western swing band Milton Brown & His Brownies as well as Connie Francis

Jul 23, 1965

Guitarist Saul Hudson is born in London, England. Working professionally under the name Slash, he becomes a member of Guns N' Roses in 1985. The band will be mentioned in the lyrics of two 2016 country hits: Thomas Rhett's "T-Shirt" and Keith Urban's "Wasted Time"

Sep 23, 1965

Songwriter Rodney Clawson is born in Dallas, Texas. He scores hits by writing Kenny Chesney's "American Kids," Jason Aldean's "Burnin' It Down," Luke Bryan's "Drunk On You," Lady Antebellum's "Bartender" and Florida Georgia Line's "Dirt"

Oct 27, 1965

Native American songwriter Peter La Farge commits suicide by slashing his wrists in a Greenwich Village bathtub. At the time, Johnny Cash has a country hit with the La Farge-penned "The Ballad Of Ira Hayes"

Nov 1, 1965

Kris Kristofferson arrives in Nashville, where he takes a job as a janitor at the Columbia Recording Studios. The gig is an intermediate step before he becomes one of the town's most influential songwriters

Nov 6, 1965

Jazz and vaudevillian songwriter Clarence Williams dies in Queens, New York. Associated with Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller, his output included "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It," a country hit for Hank Williams, T. Texas Tyler and Ricky Nelson

Nov 11, 1965

Songwriter Dallas Frazier records his original version of "Elvira," a future country hit for The Oak Ridge Boys

Dec 2, 1965

Songwriter Casey Beathard is born in Torrance, California. He authors such hits as Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink," Darius Rucker's "Come Back Song," Eric Church's "Homeboy" and George Strait's "The Breath You Take"

Dec 25, 1965

Songwriter Alex Zanetis, best known for co-writing "Snap Your Fingers," is injured in a car crash on Highway 50 in Flora, Illinois. He's hospitalized at Clay County Hospital with a fractured jaw, broken arms and other minor injuries