Legendary state songwriters play LR

Their names may not be recognizable, but their songs certainly are.

Nashville Songwriting Hall of Fame members and native Arkansans Wayland Holyfield and Randy Goodrum are teaming up to run through their respective greatest hits Friday at Central Arkansas Library System's Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock as part of the Arkansas Sounds Concert Series.

It could be a long night, because between the two of them, they've got a truckload of radio smashes.

Goodrum, who grew up in Hot Springs, is the pen behind Steve Perry's "Oh Sherrie" and "Foolish Heart," as well as Anne Murray's "You Needed Me," Michael Johnson's "Bluer Than Blue," "Who's Holding Donna Now" by DeBarge, Jo Dee Messina's "All Over Again" and many others. His songs have been recorded by -- deep breath -- Kenny Rogers, Barry Manilow, Ray Charles, Judy Collins, Isaac Hayes and Tammy Wynette, just to name a few. He also produced albums by Dottie West and wrote the theme for President Bill Clinton's first inaugural gala, which was fitting since Goodrum and Clinton were classmates and bandmates at Hot Springs High School.

Holyfield, 74, who was born in Mallettown in Conway County and grew up in Little Rock, had his first hit with Johnny Russell's take on "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer." A smattering of his other chart successes include "Could I Have This Dance" by Murray, "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend," "Till the Rivers All Run Dry" and "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had" all by Don Williams and loads of others. In all, Holyfield has had more than 40 Top 10 songs and 14 No. 1s. He also wrote "Arkansas, You Run Deep in Me," for the 1986 Arkansas Sesquicentennial, which went on to become one of the Natural State's official songs.

Not bad for a couple of Arkansas musicians who rolled into Nashville, Tenn., hoping to make it big.

"Whoda thunk it," Holyfield asks with a laugh from the country music capital, where he still lives with his wife, Nancy, and is quick to make a self-deprecating joke. "We're both in the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame. And for the pair of us, it's a good time to come back, while we're still on our game and can fake it."

The two buddies have a long history together, and also a lot in common.

• They both went to Hendrix College in Conway (Goodrum graduated from there, Holyfield transferred to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville after his freshman year).

• They both moved to Nashville in the early '70s to give music a shot

• The music thing worked out pretty well

• Anne Murray had huge hits with songs from both of them

• And there's a presidential connection: Goodrum's gala theme and Holyfield played "Arkansas, You Run Deep in Me" at the first Clinton inauguration.

Goodrum, 69, knew of Holyfield at Hendrix because Holyfield was in a popular dance-circuit band called Johnny Roberts and the Rebels ("A great way to make a living while you're going to school," Holyfield says). But the two didn't meet until they were both in Nashville.

"I ran into Wayland in the early '70s when I was a studio musician and songwriter," Goodrum says from his home in Fayetteville, where he lives with wife Gail. "We were competing for a lot of the same records and I think I played as a studio musician on some of the songs he wrote."

The pair have played benefits and songwriter's nights before, but this will be their first time in a theater, Holyfield says.

And speaking of which -- Ron Robinson, the theater's namesake, may be in the audience Friday, according to Holyfield.

The two were roommates at UA and it was Robinson who commissioned Holyfield to pen "Arkansas, You Run Deep in Me" back in 1986 for the sesquicentennial advertising campaign.

Holyfield says, "[Robinson] went on to become an ad executive and I went to Nashville. We still stay in touch. He's an old friend."

Though hearing their songs on the radio became routine as their careers progressed, both remember that first time they heard something they'd written on the air.

"I was at my home in Nashville and the radio was on," Goodrum remembers. "We were straightening things up, I guess. I heard 'It's Sad to Belong,' a song recorded by England Dan and John Ford Coley, come on the radio. Still, it's vivid in my memory and what an impact it had. It was like every good thing you could feel all piled into one emotion."

"I was shaving," Holyfield recalls of the first time he heard "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer," which he co-wrote with Bob McPhail. "I cut myself, and I said, 'Come here' and Nancy goes, 'You're bleeding,' and I said, 'Listen to this! It's on the radio!'"

Both hits are likely to be in Friday's set list, and Holyfield's daughter, Lee, will be along to provide backup vocals.

"She looks better than Randy and I, so it will be a pleasant distraction for the audience," Holyfield says, laughing.

Weekend on 10/06/2016