The Legendary Troy Seals Has Passed Away
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Many souls have contributed to country music in the last century. The company is more exclusive when you talk about the performers, musicians, and songwriters who if you removed their work from the country music canon, the genre would take on a decidedly different, and often not as compelling or significant aspect. The towering songwriting legacy of Troy Seals is one of those exclusive individuals.
Marvel that it was the same man who wrote or co-wrote the songs “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” by George Jones, “We Had It All” by Waylon Jennings, “Ten Feet Away” by Keith Whitley, and “Seven Spanish Angels,” which became the biggest #1 country hit for Ray Charles when he recorded it with Willie Nelson in 1985, and it went onto be nominated for the CMA Song of the Year. Overall Troy Seals wrote eleven #1 hits and 30 Top 10s.
Troy Seals was a seminal songwriter to country music’s Outlaw movement. He helped launch Conway Twitty’s massive commercial run from the songwriting position, and would go on to become so revered as a wordsmith, his songs would be recorded well outside of the country realm by folks like The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Three Dog Night, and The New Riders of the Purple Sage. Eric Clapton had a hit in 1983 with Troy’s “I’ve Got a Rock and Roll Heart.”
But country music was the compass point for Troy Seals, and where he made a name for himself, and helped make a name for others while his name remained in the fine print of the liner notes. Born in Madison County, Kentucky on November 16th, 1938, Troy’s family moved to Cincinnati when he was 11, and he began performing professionally by the age of 17.
Seals didn’t start out to be a songwriter, but a performer and musician. His extended family included Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts fame, Brady Seals of Little Texas, Dan Seals (England Dan), songwriter Chuck Seals who wrote “Crazy Arms,” and Johnny Duncan.
Early on, Seals met and eventually married rockabilly performer Jo-Ann Campbell. The two recorded songs together and performed on American Bandstand and other programs. When Campbell retired, Troy Seals went to work in construction. They moved to Nashville in 1969, and while building the city’s famed Quadraphonic Studio on Music Row, Seals caught the music bug again and started pursuing work as a session musician.
As the Outlaw sounds started to take over Nashville, Troy Seals started writing some of its most important songs. Sammi Smith recorded Troy’s first Top 40 hit with “Girl in New Orleans.” Though “We Had It All” by Waylon Jennings wasn’t a big chart hit, it became beloved throughout music, with Dolly Parton and even Tina Turner recording versions of it.
It was really Troy’s work with Conway Twitty in the mid 70s into the early 80s that turned both into hit machines. Twitty had #1s with “There’s a Honky Tonk Angel,” “Don’t Take It Away,” “Red Neckin’ Love Makin’ Night,” “Fallin’ for You for Years,” and numerous songs from the Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn catalog like “Feelin’s”, and “I Can’t Love You Enough.”
Some of the other names who recorded Troy Seals songs were Charley Pride, Alabama, David Allan Coe, Johnny Rodriguez, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Glen Campbell, Ronnie Milsap, Gene Watson, Hank Williams Jr., and The Oak Ridge Boys. His extended resume of contributions led to his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988.
Troy Seals also was a recording artist and released a handful of singles and albums. He perhaps put together a strong enough resume for consideration by the Country Music Hall of Fame someday. But when he passed away back on March 6th at the age of 86, the news didn’t even make it out to the public, let alone to the press. It took Robert Oermann breaking the news on April 1st before the public was made aware.
Troy Seals was one of those songwriters that did major work in the shadows. Through George Jones, Troy compelled us to ask, “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” when it comes to the country legends who pass on. Now we must ask that question when it comes to Troy Seals.
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April 1, 2025 @ 12:30 pm
Much has been mentioned regarding the Country Music Hall of Fame the last week or so……. And with that being said, Troy Seals should be considered for that songwriters rotating category. As Trigger has pointed out from the 70’s through the 90’s, few had has many hit records penned.
As a administator and historian for the Twitty family, in additoin to the six #1 singles Troy wrote or co-wrote for Conway, there are many other album cuts. Some outstanding ones include, “Everybody Needs a Hero” (later a hit for Gene Watson), “Play Ruby, Play” (later a hit for Clinton Gregory) and his cover of “We Had it All” (which some feel his his greatest vocal performance ever).
In 1976, after a few succusful ballads with Loretta, Conway approached Troy and asked him to write an uptempo song, like unto “Louisiana Women, Mississippi”, that the duet could release as a single. In less than a week he showed up with “I Can’t Love You Enough”.
From 1974 to the “Final Touches” album of 1993, Troy Seals’ writing was on nearly every Twitty album.
RIP in Troy.
April 1, 2025 @ 3:16 pm
Kentucky rarely gives this incredible songwriter a mention much less an obituary. He deserves laurels, plaques, and endless accolades! RIP Troy Seals
April 1, 2025 @ 3:23 pm
I never knew about Troy Seals. I sure loved Conway though. Many songwriters are very seldom given their due, and that is a shame. I am retired and up in years, but I have always loved country music. My love for the music is deeply rooted because our father would turn on the radio on Friday nights to listen to the Friday Night Frolic, and on Saturday nights, it was the Grand Ole Opry. We could either sit and listen, or we could leave the living room. My father taught himself to play the harmonica, and his favorite song was The Wildwood Flower. I learned the words myself and sang that for many years. I taught myself to play the harmonica as I grew up. I still pull out one of my harmonica from time to time. I am very fortunate to have grown up listening to country music. I like other music as well, especially gospel. I have even sang at funerals in the past. I have always wanted to go to The Grand Ole Opry, but I have never made that trip. I have country music playing in my car, and noone is allowed to mess with my radio in my car. Most of my vinyls that I own are country, but I do have a collection of genres. My first love for music is country, but I do have a broad spectrum of other vinyls. I never loan any of them, and they are not for sale.
April 1, 2025 @ 4:08 pm
WOW! I have never heard of Troy. But I have surly heard of the songs that he has penned and the artist that he wrote them for. And his troubadour brother’s have brought me through some pretty rough times at different points in my life. From heart break to heart attack to severe ptsd and stage 4 stomach/esophageal cancer. I was given 1 month to live and it’s 7 yrs later. So yes I really can’t believe that I have never heard of Troy. If this guy was a frigging horse in Kentuck they would statues of him all over the state. This guy and his musical family are some type of royalty folks and should be recognized as such in the music world. Bit yet they don’t have the weird hair, tats, teeth caps, boob or butt implants, they didn’t come out as gay or any other off the cuff stuff. So I don’t know why they aren’t recognized the way they should be. RIP Troy!
April 1, 2025 @ 8:24 pm
Troy Seals name showed up again and again on the country albums i used to just read and reread as i listened to them as a young disc jockey. And the Seals family are to music like the Barrymores are to the acting profession.
April 1, 2025 @ 8:43 pm
Troy Seals Jo Ann Campbell and the Cincinnati Kids was the house band at The Inner Circle night club in Cincinnati, Ohio in the mid to late 60s. Mostly a 7 peice band, who were, Eddie Setsiter, Tim Drummond, Ron Grayson, Tim Hedding, Les Asch, Dave Parkinson and Bob Thorn… all of whom also did studio work for James Brown at King Records in Cincinnati. Fyi.
April 2, 2025 @ 4:36 pm
Sorry to hear about Troy’s passing surely will be missed. Had the opportunity to see Troy perform with the Gestures. It was twice in the early 60s during my stay in Duluth Minnesota and St Paul Park, a fantastic vocalist. My condolences go out to his family and friends.
April 5, 2025 @ 3:30 pm
So many amazing hits from one man talent! We are loosing very talented writers that are not replaceable, at least I haven’t heard of anyone today.RIP
April 1, 2025 @ 9:03 pm
What can you expect sure he’s a great song writer he’s a Kentucky boy love everything you done rest in peace
April 1, 2025 @ 9:09 pm
I live in Northeastern Greenup Co., Kentucky 1/4 mile from US Rt. 23 Country Music Highway. I will, with deep sadness, miss Mr. Seal’s talents, and will remember him as I listen to the songs he wrote.
Rest In Peace, Desr Sir
April 2, 2025 @ 5:49 am
While Keith has sang it with Willie a few times, the Rolling Stones did record “We Had It All” in their 1980 “Emotional Rescue” but it was shelved. If I recall right, it came out about 15 years ago on a special release, but apparently when Mick was mixing it he was convinced Keith wrote it and had to be corrected
April 2, 2025 @ 11:56 am
In the early 1970s, I was a 19-year-old kid from the Midwest with a band, a demo tape, an audacious dream, and no clue as to how the music business worked. We drove down to Nashville and knocked on pretty much every door on Music Row. Everyone we met was polite, but I’ve forgotten the names of all of them – except one.
We stumbled upon a place called Quadraphonic Sound Studios, where a friendly man who introduced himself as Troy Seals greeted us like we could be the Next Big Thing. We sat in his office as he listened intently to all five of the original songs on our demo tape, making a few positive comments here and there. At one point, he picked up a nearby guitar and made a couple of suggestions on how we might rearrange the intro to the first song on the tape so as to hook the listener.
Ultimately, he said he liked our sound and felt that we had some good possible songs for album cuts, but he didn’t hear anything that he felt would be a hit single. He encouraged us to keep writing and to contact him again if we came up with more. Well, as you might guess, the band broke up shortly after that, the members all pursuing separate lives in separate cities. The dream may have withered, but I’ll always treasure my chance encounter with a class act like Troy Seals.
April 2, 2025 @ 11:58 am
Thanks for sharing the story.
April 2, 2025 @ 12:50 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this story. I had never heard of Troy Seals but reading his story and the songs he wrote, I found myself say,”WHAT! WHAT! Over and over. I loved and listened to all of his songs, YES, HIS songs, for years and never knew. Makes me sad and I do hope the Country Music Hall of Fame realize they will never, ever have a writer like Troy Seals again especially with the crap country music is recording today. Makes me very thankful indeed that I had the privilege to enjoy all the REAL country greats!! Thank you for sharing this!!!!!
April 2, 2025 @ 1:41 pm
Pop-Country singer Johnny Tillotson also passed away. He was best known for the top 5 country song “It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’” in 1962. He was 86.
April 2, 2025 @ 6:10 pm
Of course, I hadn’t heard that he had died. I hadn’t heard his name mentioned in so long, I wasn’t sure if he was still living. I was a kid but hearing his songs, they stuck with me. I always loved his songs and his singing.
April 5, 2025 @ 3:33 pm
Johnny T was plastered on my bedroom walls in the 60’s
April 2, 2025 @ 6:56 pm
I will pray for you and you miss your kids and your wife
April 3, 2025 @ 5:51 am
And yet you left out the biggest single of his career. Odd really.
April 3, 2025 @ 7:22 am
Well why don’t you enlighten us to what that “biggest single” was for the edification of everyone as opposed to implying it was somehow intentional or even nefarious.
April 3, 2025 @ 8:48 am
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_the_Fifties_Tonight_(In_the_Still_of_the_Night)
April 11, 2025 @ 5:53 pm
Good neighbor when we lived in Hendersonville
April 11, 2025 @ 5:59 pm
Nice person & good neighbor when we lived in Hendersonville