Charlie Black, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, dies at 71

Charlie Black, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who co-wrote chart-topping country hits for Anne Murray, Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson, died Friday at age 71.

Nashville Songwriters Association International confirmed his death Monday to the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Songwriting credits in his five-decade career extend to country hitmakers Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, Tanya Tucker, George Strait, John Conlee, K.T. Oslin, Lynn Anderson, Phil Vassar, Collin Raye and more.

And while his songbook runs deep, Black's most successful accomplishments include co-writing Murray hits "Shadows in the Moonlight" and "A Little Good News." The latter earned two awards in 1984, including a Grammy Award and CMA Award for Murray, pinnacle reignitions for an artist performing songs co-written by Black.

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Black entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991. Country music trade publication Music Row first reported his death early Monday.

"Turns out songwriting is the best job around," Black once said, per a biography on the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame website. "You just can't beat hearing your words and music on the radio, or going No. 1 or staying No. 1."

Raised in Washington D.C. suburb Cheverly, Maryland, a 21-year-old Black moved to Nashville in 1970 with singer aspirations. His dreams shifted to songwriting when Tommy Overstreet cut a handful of Black co-writes within a year him relocating to Music City.

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His songwriting career launched with "I Don't Know You (Anymore)," a 1971 top five song for Overstreet.

Overstreet continued to cut co-writes from Black in the early and mid-1970s, including top 10 hits "(Jeannie Marie) You Were a Lady" and "If I Miss You Again Tonight."

Black began collaborating regularly with songwriter Rory Bourke and Tommy Rocco, respectively, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A Bourke co-write scored Black his first No. 1 hit in 1979, "Shadows in the Moonlight." The success of "Shadows" — plus Black co-writing crossover Jennifer Warnes hit "I Know a Heartache When I See One" — earned him SESAC Country Songwriter of the Year in 1979.

His success continued throughout the 1980s with co-writes "Do You Love As Good As You Look" (recorded by the Bellamy Brothers), “Slow Burn” (T.G. Shephard) and "Honor Bound (Earl Thomas Conley)" topping country charts.

A string of Murray hits in the early 1980s helped earn him ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 1983 and 1984.

Reba McEntire and K.T. Oslin sent Black co-writes — "You Lie" and "Come Next Monday," respectively — to No. 1 in 1990. The 1990s ended with Black collaborating with Phil Vassar on hits for Alan Jackson ("Right On The Money") and Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"). Black also co-wrote notable Vassar singles "Carlene" and "Six Pack Summer."

Per his website, Black lived in Port St. Joe, Florida with songwriter-wife Dana Black.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Charlie Black, country songwriter for Reba McEntire, dies at 71