The archive

Paper, photographs
and a bar napkin.

The Harlan Howard archive

Portrait of country songwriter Harlan Howard, photographed by Jim Herrington — Nashville, Tennessee 1927 to 2002

From the notebook

Somebody Should Leave, in his own hand

Harlan Howard wrote Somebody Should Leave with Chick Rains. Reba McEntire cut it for My Kind of Country, and in May 1985 it became her second consecutive number one on the Billboard country chart. The lyric below is the working draft, corrections and all.

Original handwritten lyric, Harlan Howard and Chick Rains

Photographs

The archive, in order

From a Detroit orphanage in the 1930s to the Ryman stage in 2002. Captions carry only what the estate can source. Click any photograph to see the whole image.

Harlan Howard at age seven, photographed at the Detroit orphanage where he was placed in the 1930s — At seven, in the Detroit orphanage 1930s

Second orphanage photograph of Harlan Howard at seven, printed in a Detroit newspaper seeking word of his mother — The photograph a Detroit paper ran, looking for his mother 1930s

Harlan Howard press photograph from the late 1960s — Press photograph, late in the sixties 1960s

Harlan Howard and Buck Owens, the starvation buddies who wrote 'Tiger By The Tail' — With Buck Owens, the starvation buddies

Harlan Howard fishing at Center Hill Lake, Tennessee — Fishing at Center Hill Lake, from Thursday afternoon on

Harlan Howard publicity photograph from the early 1980s — Publicity photograph early 1980s

The 1920s stone house at 1902 Wedgewood Avenue in Nashville in 1992, before restoration as the home of Harlan Howard Songs — 1902 Wedgewood Avenue, before 1992

The restored 1902 Wedgewood Avenue house in 1993, after renovation as the offices of Harlan Howard Songs — Restored. The office moved in January 1994. 1993

Harlan Howard, Patty Loveless and Kostas at the number one party for 'Blame It On Your Heart' — The number one party for Blame It On Your Heart, with Patty Loveless and Kostas

Harlan Howard being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997 — Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame 1997

Harlan Howard's Gibson J-200 and his hat on the Ryman stage at his celebration of life — His Gibson J-200 and his hat, on the Ryman stage 2002

The table

Who he ran with

Tootsie's, the office on Wedgewood, and the writers and singers who kept turning up. Click any photograph to see the whole image.

Bobby Bare, Kris Kristofferson, Harlan Howard, Willie Nelson and Billy Walker at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge — Tootsie's: Bobby Bare, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Billy Walker

Kris Kristofferson, Harlan Howard and Willie Nelson at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge — Tootsie's, with Kristofferson and Nelson

Harlan Howard with Kris Kristofferson at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Nashville — With Kris Kristofferson

Shel Silverstein, John D. Loudermilk, Harlan Howard and Chet Atkins together — Shel Silverstein, John D. Loudermilk and Chet Atkins

Harlan and Melanie Howard with John D. and Susie Loudermilk — With John D. and Susie Loudermilk

Harlan Howard with John Prine — With John Prine

Harlan Howard with Bill Monroe — With Bill Monroe

Harlan Howard with Patsy Cline, who took his I Fall to Pieces to number one — With Patsy Cline, who took I Fall to Pieces to number one

Harlan Howard with Ricky Van Shelton after Life Turned Her That Way went to number one — With Ricky Van Shelton, after Life Turned Her That Way went to number one

Melanie Howard, Gladys Knight, Harlan Howard and Gladys Knight's son Jimmy Newman — Gladys Knight at the office, with her son Jimmy Newman

Melanie Howard, Harlan Howard and songwriter Diane Warren — With Diane Warren

Raul Malo, Harlan Howard and Steve Fishell — With Raul Malo and Steve Fishell

Harlan and Melanie Howard at a dinner party for Willie Nelson — A dinner party for Willie Nelson

September 1997

Seventy years old

The party at Harlan Howard Songs for his seventieth birthday, the same year he entered two halls of fame. Click any photograph to see the whole image.