GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter Kenny O’Dell died Wednesday of natural causes at the age of 73.
O’Dell was responsible for such songs as Charlie Rich’s 1973 number one “Behind Closed Doors,” which earned O’Dell his GRAMMY for Best Country Song. He was also nominated for a GRAMMY in 1984 for The Judds’ hit “Mama He’s Crazy.”
O’Dell also wrote pop and soft rock songs, including “Next Plane to London”, which was a Top 20 hit in 1967 for Rose Garden. His sole Billboard Top 40 appearance came in 1967 when “Beautiful People” climbed to number 38, and his only other Billboard Top 100 appearance came in 1968 with the local hit “Springfield Plane”.
O’Dell released three albums of his own between 1968 and 1978, with his biggest hit being 1978’s “Let’s Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin’,” which was a Top Ten hit.
Source: The Tennessean