Songwriter for Elvis and Garth Brooks Dies

Friends remember Dennis Linde as a brilliant songwriter with a quick wit and fast mind who artfully blended quirky, original lyrics with uptempo melodies. The famed songwriter, who wrote Elvis Presley's "Burning Love" as well as numerous country hits, died Friday of a rare lung disease. He was 63.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer and former BMI Songwriter of the Year was a reclusive homebody who preferred spending time with his family to being seen at industry functions, in-cluding those honoring him with prestigious awards. While many knew his work, few recognized the famed songwriter. He didn't want to be a star; he just wanted to make good music.

"He was the quintessential mystery man of Nashville because he didn't go to all the functions," said Scott Siman, an artist manager who had known Mr. Linde since the 1970s. "It wasn't like he was seen up and down Music Row. He had his own way of writing and conducting himself. If you ever saw Dennis Linde it was amazing, because you didn't get that opportunity very often."

Mr. Linde (pronounced LIN-dee), who lived in Mt. Juliet, died Friday of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

He was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 1994 was chosen BMI's Songwriter of the Year for creating hits "It Sure Is Monday," "Janie Baker's Love Slave," "John Deere Green" and "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer." Also chosen Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter of the Year in 1993, Mr. Linde was known for hits such as "Goodbye Marie" and "Bubba Shot the Jukebox."

"He could write lyrics as good as (Kris) Kristofferson, (Bob) Dylan or (Jerry) Leiber and (Mike) Stoller," said music industry veteran Al Cooley, who pitched Mr. Linde's songs to artists for a decade beginning in 1976. "He could write country, blues, pop and rock and roll. He could write it all.

"Not everybody gets Dennis' stuff, but the people who do consider it some of the
most wonderful music made in Nashville."

Mr. Linde, who was born in Abilene, Texas, and also raised in San Angelo, Texas, Miami and St. Louis, became hooked on music after his grandmother gave him a $14 guitar.

He emerged on the songwriting scene in 1970 after Roger Miller released his song, "Tom Green County Fair," and Roy Drusky cut "Long Long Texas Road." Two years later, Presley recorded "Burning Love."

His songs were recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks ("Callin' Baton Rouge"),
the Dixie Chicks ("Goodbye Earl"), Don Williams ("Then It's Love," "Walkin' A
Broken Heart") and Eddy Raven ("In a Letter to You").

"I don't know anybody who wrote songs like Dennis Linde wrote songs," Siman said. "If you look at his list of songs, they were amazingly well-crafted lyrics. The situations he painted with his songs were so unique. His songwriting was inspirational to a lot of people. He was also just a great human being."

Producer Blake Chancey said Mr. Linde's songs were usually uptempo and always
vivid. "He painted pictures with his lyrics," Chancey said. "Most people that write uptempo songs are never able to draw pictures like that."

A multi-instrumentalist, Mr. Linde also released several albums in the 1970s. "They were revered by critics," Cooley said. "Rolling Stone described him as a Nashville version of Harry Nilsson back in the seventies."

Mr. Linde is survived by his wife, Pam, daughters Lisa Marsden and Katie Brown
and son Will Linde. Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but the family is planning a New Orleans-style music celebration after Jan. 1.

Thanks to Beverly Keel