Wayland D. Holyfield (March 15, 1942 – May 6, 2024) was an American songwriter and leader in the songwriting community.
Personal life
Wayland Holyfield was born in Mallettown, Conway County, Arkansas. He was educated in Arkansas public schools and attended Hendrix College at Conway, Arkansas, before graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in marketing in 1965. Prior to his musical career, Holyfield was a wholesale appliance salesman and advertising account manager. His wife Nancy and he had three children, Greg, Mark, and Lee.
Holyfield died at his home in Nashville on May 6, 2024, at the age of 82.
Early career
In 1972, Holyfield left Arkansas and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a songwriting career and his first song was recorded in 1973. He received his first number-one hit with "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer".
In addition to his collaborations with Williams, Holyfield's songs have been recorded by numerous Nashville singers, including George Strait, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, The Judds, Mark Chesnutt, John Anderson, Mel Street, Gary Allan, Johnny Rodriguez, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Oak Ridge Boys, Ernest Tubb, Anne Murray, and Charly McClain.