# Born 62 Years Ago Today in Oregon, the Country Singer-Songwriter Who Penned Hits for Tracy Byrd and John Michael Montgomery

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/born-62-years-ago-today-in-oregon-the-country-singer-songwriter-who-penned-hits-for-tracy-byrd-and-john-michael-montgomery/
- Published: 2026-11-12T15:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T16:42:51+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/born-62-years-ago-today-in-oregon-the-country-singer-songwriter-who-penned-hits-for-tracy-byrd-and-john-michael-montgomery/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Jerry Kilgore turns 62 on 12 November.
- His songs reached the charts for Tracy Byrd and John Michael Montgomery.
- He released four studio albums and wrote for several country artists.

## Summary

Country singer-songwriter Jerry Kilgore, born in Tillamook, Oregon, on 12 November 1964, built a career writing songs for other performers as well as recording his own music. His co-written song “Love Lessons” reached No. 9 for Tracy Byrd, while John Michael Montgomery took “Cover You in Kisses” to No. 3 on the US country chart.

Kilgore got his first guitar at 12 and was inspired to pursue country music after seeing George Strait perform in Portland in 1986. He played honky-tonks in Oregon, Arizona and North Carolina before moving to Nashville, where his songwriting success led producer Scott Hendricks to sign him to Virgin Records. Kilgore released four studio albums, including his 1999 debut *Love Trip*, and also wrote songs recorded by Mark Wills, Clay Walker and Reba McEntire.

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