Don Robertson (songwriter)

Donald Irwin Robertson (December 5, 1922 – March 16, 2015) was an American songwriter and pianist, mostly in the country and popular music genres. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. As a performer, he hit the US Top 10 with "The Happy Whistler" in 1956 (peaking at No. 6). The track reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart the same year. It sold more than one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Although contracted to Capitol at the time of his biggest selling hit single, Robertson subsequently signed a recording contract with RCA Victor. He composed or co-composed with Hal Blair (né Harold Keller Brown; 1915–2001), many hits for other musicians, including Elvis Presley, who recorded more than a dozen of Robertson's songs, five of which appeared in Presley's numerous films. He is also the inventor of the "slip note" piano style made famous by Floyd Cramer. Having resided in Lake Sherwood, California for 55 years, he died in 2015.

Best known published songs

• "Anything That's Part of You" (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger" (with Doris Clement and John Crutchfield)
• "Born to Be with You" (performed by The Chordettes)
• "Hummingbird" (performed by Les Paul and Mary Ford and Frankie Laine)
• "I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye" (performed by Jerry Lee Lewis, Jean Shepard, Hawkshaw Hawkins)
• "I Don't Hurt Anymore" (with Walter E. Rollins), (performed by Hank Snow, Jerry Lee Lewis)
• "I Let Her Go" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Frankie Laine)
• "I Love You More and More Every Day" (performed by Al Martino)
• "I Met Her Today" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "I'm Counting On You" (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "I Really Don't Want to Know" (with Howard Barnes), (performed by Les Paul and Mary Ford, Tommy Edwards, and Elvis Presley)
• "Love Me Tonight" (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Hank Snow)
• "No More" (based on the song "La Paloma", co-written with Hal Blair, (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "Not One Minute More" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Della Reese)
• "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Hank Locklin)
• "Ringo" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Lorne Greene)
• "Stand In" (with Hal Blair), (performed by Don Robertson himself and Jim Reeves)
• "Starting Today" (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "There's Always Me" (performed by Elvis Presley and Jim Reeves)
• "They Remind Me Too Much of You" (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "What Now, What Next, Where To (with Hal Blair), (performed by Elvis Presley)
• "You're Free to Go" (with Lou Herscher) (performed by Carl Smith)

Legacy

Notably, Robertson lent his piano-playing skills to the Disney theme park attraction Country Bear Jamboree. His instrumental song "Pianjo" is played by the audio-animatronic bear, Gomer as the attraction’s opening number.

References

External links

• Don Robertson site
• Nashville Songwriters' Foundation Biography of Don Robertson
• Obituary

1. Don Robertson
2. Ringo (song)
3. Born to Be with You (song)
4. I Don't Hurt Anymore
5. Hummingbird (1955 song)
6. I Love You More and More Every Day
7. I Really Don't Want to Know
8. Please Help Me, I'm Falling
9. (I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too
10. The Happy Whistler
11. Anything That's Part of You
12. Starting Today (Elvis Presley song)
13. They Remind Me Too Much of You
14. Ninety Miles an Hour (Down a Dead End Street)
15. Robertson (surname)
16. There's Always Me
17. Not One Minute More
18. 1922 in the United States
19. Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger
20. I'm Yours (Elvis Presley song)