Wayland D. Holyfield

Wayland Delano Holyfield, 82, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, May 6, 2024, at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.

He is survived by his beloved wife Nancy Holyfield (née Selig); his sons, Greg (m. Carol) and Mark (m. Quinn); his daughter, Lee Billips (m. BJ); brother-in-law Reo Hosman; three grandchildren, Wayland, Lucy, and Lillian; three “bonus” grandchildren, John, Katie, and David; and many close friends. He is predeceased by his parents, William Earl Holyfield and Francis Mallett Holyfield; brother William Earl Holyfield; and sister Gladys Hosman.

A Nashville Hall of Fame Songwriter, Wayland’s songs revealed an unflagging devotion to topics of great importance to him—according to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum—with his lyrics addressing a soulmate, a lost love, or his home state of Arkansas. “You’re my bread when I’m hungry,” he wrote for the Don Williams 1975 hit, “You’re My Best Friend.”

“You’re my shelter from troubled winds / You’re my anchor in life’s ocean / But most of all, you’re my best friend.”

Those words came from the pen of a man who was no less devoted to his wife of 53 years, as well as to his musical peers for whose rights he advocated.

Born in Mallettown, Arkansas, in 1942, Wayland’s family later moved to Little Rock. He attended Hendrix College on a basketball scholarship before transferring to the University of Arkansas and supporting himself by playing in a band. After graduation, he had a brief stint in advertising before going into music. He toured with the trio The General Store before moving to Nashville in 1972 to pursue a songwriting career.

One year later, his fortunes changed with his first hit: Johnny Russell’s “Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer,” which he wrote with Bob McDill and Chuck Neese. But his true artistic “breakthrough,” as he put it, was “You’re My Best Friend”—the first of three #1 hits he’d enjoy with Don Williams in the 1970s. Their next two collaborations—“Till the Rivers All Run Dry” and “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”—were also songs about passions that couldn’t be extinguished.

“One of the most rewarding things for a songwriter is to be able to touch people’s lives,” Wayland had told the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The music he produced over five decades did just that, with more than 40 top 10 country hits—including 14 No. 1s— and his songs recorded by artists such as Crystal Gayle, Julio Iglesias, Ronnie Milsap, Telly Savalas, Charley Pride, Reba McEntire, Waylon Jennings, Mark Chesnutt, George Strait, Conway Twitty, Randy Travis, Tom Jones, Lou Rawls, The Judds, Barbara Mandrell, Shenandoah, Brooks & Dunn, Mac Davis, and Tammy Wynette.

In 1980, Anne Murray recorded “Could I Have This Dance,” which Wayland co-wrote with Bob House. The country waltz was featured in the movie Urban Cowboy, topped the country charts, and became a wedding standard.

In 1986, Wayland was commissioned by the state of Arkansas to write a song for its sesquicentennial celebration. “Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)” was soon adopted as an official state song, and Wayland performed it at the presidential inauguration of Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1993.

A lifelong advocate for songwriters, Wayland was the first Nashville composer to be elected to ASCAP’s Board of Directors and served on the board for more than 25 years. He was named the organization’s Country Writer of the Year in 1983 and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. He also served as President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and as Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation’s board.

Beyond songwriting, Wayland was ever-present for his wife, kids, and grandkids. He was an avid fly fisherman and talented golfer. He enjoyed rooting for his beloved Arkansas Razorbacks. Many counted him as a close friend.

A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church, 4815 Franklin Pike in Nashville, TN. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the service following at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be sent to: Faith Family Medical Center Nashville: https://faithmedical.org/ (326 21st Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203), Vantage Point Foundation (Veterans Pushing Forward): vpveteran.org (P.O. Box 31224 Charleston, SC 29417), or Nashville Rescue Mission: https://nashvillerescuemission.org/ (PO Box 2466, Nashville, TN 37202-4661).

Arrangements in the care of Compassion Funeral & Cremation & Services, Nashville, TN (615) 857-9955.We are proud to be locally owned & operated.