Singer-songwriter Sonny Throckmorton is a country music icon. Although a performer and recording artist himself, Sonny is mostly known for his songwriting prowess. Over 1,000 of his songs have been recorded by various artists including Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogers, The Judds, The Oak Ridge Boys, George Burns, and George Strait.

Sonny was born in Carlsbad in 1941. After moving around the Southwest, his family settled in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he grew up. After College, he moved to San Francisco, where he initially made a living as a rock and roll musician. Taking some advice from music producer Pete Drake, Throckmorton switched gears and started focusing on country music. In 1964 he relocated to Nashville. His first success as a song writer was “How long has it been” which became a Top Ten hit for Bobby Lewis. His songs became increasingly popular with recording artists and during one nine-month period in the mid-70’s over 150 of his songs were recorded.

Throckmorton signed with Mercury Records in 1976 and recorded the album The Last Cheater’s Waltz. Although this album didn’t make it into the charts, Sonny’s songs continued to be in-demand by other artists. Between 1976 and 1980, at least one of his songs could be found on the weekly country charts.  Sonny was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International for 1978 and 1979. He was also named Songwriter of the Year in 1980 by Broadcast Music Incorporated. In 1987 Sonny was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received many other awards and after recording the album Southern Train in 1988, Sonny moved back to Texas to spend more time with family.