# 6 Years Ago Today, the World Lost the Outlaw Country Pioneer Who Wrote Songs Recorded by Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/6-years-ago-today-the-world-lost-the-outlaw-country-pioneer-who-wrote-songs-recorded-by-waylon-jennings-johnny-cash-and-kris-kristofferson/
- Published: 2026-10-28T22:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T04:25:58+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/6-years-ago-today-the-world-lost-the-outlaw-country-pioneer-who-wrote-songs-recorded-by-waylon-jennings-johnny-cash-and-kris-kristofferson/

## Key points

- Billy Joe Shaver died in 2020, aged 81.
- He wrote nine songs on *Honky Tonk Heroes*.
- His work was recorded by country greats across generations.

## Summary

Billy Joe Shaver, a pivotal songwriter in outlaw country, died in 2020 aged 81 after suffering a stroke. Though he did not achieve major mainstream success as a performer, his songs helped shape the genre and were recorded by leading artists including Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

Shaver wrote or co-wrote nine of the ten tracks on Jennings’s 1973 album *Honky Tonk Heroes*, often cited as the first true outlaw country album. His songs were also recorded by artists ranging from Elvis Presley to Willie Nelson, and John Anderson took “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal” into the US top ten in 1981. A 2022 tribute album featured covers by performers including Miranda Lambert, George Strait and Lucinda Williams.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.