On what would have been his 53rd birthday, American Songwriter profiles country songwriter Scotty Emerick, born Walter Scott Emerick in Hollywood, Florida, on 11 July 1973. Emerick is best known for his prolific creative partnership with the late Toby Keith, with whom he co-wrote a string of number-one country hits, making him a notable if less visible figure behind Keith's success.

Raised in Vero Beach and inspired by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, Emerick moved to Nashville at 19 and had early success writing for Sawyer Brown, including the 1995 top-five single "I Don't Believe in Goodbye". After meeting Keith in a shared dressing room at the 1997 CMA Awards, the pair went on to write roughly 53 songs together over a decade, including chart-toppers such as "I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight", "I Love This Bar", "Whiskey Girl" and "As Good as I Once Was". Emerick has also written for Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson, released a solo album, The Coast Is Clear, in 2003, and now tours as part of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.