External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
Jay Knowles | |
|---|---|
| Born | Texas, U.S. |
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Songwriter |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
Jay Knowles is an American songwriter whose work has been recorded by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Jack Ingram, David Nail, Lee Ann Womack, and Lainey Wilson. He co-wrote Strait's "She'll Leave You with a Smile", which reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2002, [1] and Jackson's "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore", which was nominated for Best Country Song at the 55th Grammy Awards. [2] His credits also include Jack Ingram's "Love You", [3] David Nail's Top 20 hit "Kiss You Tonight", [4] and Lainey Wilson's "Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'". [5] His work has been profiled in major outlets including The New Yorker , which cited him as a voice in Nashville's contemporary songwriting community. [6]
Knowles' first chart entry as a songwriter was "Self Made Man" (2000) for Montgomery Gentry, co-written with Wynn Varble. [7] In 2002, he co-wrote Strait's No. 1 hit "She'll Leave You with a Smile" with Odie Blackmon, helping Strait set a record for most No. 1 country singles by a solo artist. [8] The single earned Knowles a BMI Country Award and a BMI Million-Air Award. [9] [10]
In 2006, Jack Ingram released Knowles' co-write "Love You", written with Trent Summar, which entered the Billboard country charts. [11] In 2014, David Nail's single "Kiss You Tonight", co-written by Knowles with David Cook and Summar, reached No. 17 on Billboard Country Airplay and was selected as a "Critic's Pick" by Taste of Country. [12] [13]
With Adam Wright, Knowles co-wrote "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" (2012), which earned a nomination for Best Country Song at the 55th Grammy Awards. [14] The pair also contributed "Taillights Blue" to Jackson's 2010 album Freight Train , highlighted in coverage by The Boot. [15]
Knowles' songs continued to appear on major label projects into the 2010s and 2020s. He co-wrote "The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone" with Wright, the title track of Lee Ann Womack's 2017 album, [16] and the title cut of Lainey Wilson's 2021 debut Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' . [17] Outside country, he co-wrote "(I Do) Like We Do" with Jim McCormick for Harry Connick Jr.'s 2015 album That Would Be Me. [18]
In addition to commercial recordings, Knowles has been active in the Nashville songwriting community. He has appeared in songwriter rounds at the Bluebird Café and led critique sessions for the NSAI. [19] [20]
Knowles has co-written extensively with Adam Wright, Wynn Varble, Jim McCormick, Trent Summar, and Odie Blackmon.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
