Felice Bryant has passed away

We've lost another of the greats...

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=2606024

Holly, Everly Bros.' Songwriter Felice Bryant Dies
Tue April 22, 2003 01:49 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Felice Bryant, who co-wrote the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie" and "Bye Bye Love" and Buddy Holly's "Raining in My Heart," died on Tuesday, the performing rights organization BMI said. She was 77.

Bryant, who collaborated with her husband, Boudleaux Bryant, on some of the most popular songs in rock 'n' roll and country music, died at her home in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She had been diagnosed with cancer, BMI spokeswoman Caroline Davis said.

Boudleaux Bryant died in 1987 at age 67.

It has been estimated the 800 recorded titles written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant sold more than half a billion copies worldwide, Davis said. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991.

Felice Bryant was born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto on Aug. 7, 1925, in Milwaukee. As a child she composed lyrics to traditional Italian tunes, and in her teens sang in and directed shows at the local USO.

In 1945, while working as an elevator attendant at Milwaukee's Schroeder Hotel, she struck up a conversation with a visiting musician from Georgia named Boudleaux Bryant. They eloped two days later.

Their first hit was "Country Boy" by Grand Ole Opry newcomer Little Jimmy Dickens who took it to the Country Top 10 in June 1949.

The Bryants moved to Nashville in 1950 and are generally considered the first people to come to the country music capital to make their living solely as songwriters, said Davis.

They had a string of country singles for Dickens ("Out Behind the Barn," "I'm Little but I'm Loud"), Carl Smith ("Hey Joe" (also a pop hit for Frankie Laine), "It's a Lovely, Lovely World," "This Orchid Means the End"), Eddy Arnold ("The Richest Man in the World," "I've Been Thinkin"') and Jim Reeves ("Blue Boy").

Felice Bryant usually collaborated with her husband, but earned a huge hit on her own with "We Could," which was recorded by Dickens, Jim Reeves, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Kitty Wells, George Morgan, the Louvin Brothers, Charley Pride, Al Martino and John Prine.

The Bryants in 1957 scored two No. 1 pop hits with the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Susie." The Bryants provided the Everlys with virtually all their early hits, including the Boudleaux/Felice co-writes "Problems," "Poor Jenny" and "Take a Message to Mary."

"All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Devoted to You" and "Love Hurts" were credited solely to Boudleaux.

"Raining in My Heart," first offered to the Everlys, was passed on to Buddy Holly and recorded at his final session in 1958.

Felice Bryant's survivors include two sons, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a sister.

 

Sad news. She and her husband wrote some really great, timeless songs.

 

RIP

Think I'll pop in my Everly Bros. Best.

 

Ditto ...

BTW, according to a radio report, she wrote one of my favorites ... "Rocky Top" ... which I didn't know.

 

"Bye Bye Love"! RIP Felice Bryant.

 

'Sleepless Nights' is one of the loveliest songs I've ever heard.

Rest in Peace and God bless, Felice

 

Great songwriter,will surely be missed!!!!!!
God bless and RIP!
txguitar