Songwriter Paul Gilley | Kentucky Life | KET
3,788 views · Published 30 July 2013 · 7:00 · Indexed 31 October 2026
Channel: KET - Kentucky Educational Television · 2013 · People & Blogs
You may not know his name, but you surely know his songs. The late Paul Gilley wrote the lyrics for some famous Hank Williams Sr. hits, such as "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Your Cheatin' Heart." A Morgan County historian is determined to give Gilley the songwriting credits he never got in his lifetime. Gilley sold his lyrics as a ghost writer, with the agreement that he would not get credit, a common arrangement in the day. Lynn Nickell of Morgan County, who has written numerous books on the county's history, has spent the past couple of years researching and writing Paul Gilley: The Ghost Writer in the Sky. The 6-foot-9 Gilley, who played basketball at Morehead State University in the early 1950s, nurtured a talent in poetry and song from his early years. He sold songs with partner Carter Gibbs, who served as a source for Nickell's book. Much of Gilley's personal history is lost. He died young at age 27 in a drowning accident, and his heartbroken parents burned many of his belongings. However, Nickell found sources to substantiate claims for Gilley's songwriting, including copies of contracts and letters from Carter Gibbs. In addition, a 1981 biography of Hank Williams Sr. also credits Gilley as the lyric writer to some classic Williams hits. We visit Morgan County for its Paul Gilley Day Celebration.
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