|
Sandy Pinkard was born James Sanford Pinkard Jr., on 4th January 1946, in Abbeville, Alabama. His father, Ruel Pinkard, worked as a farmer and part-time mechanic, while his mother, Minnie Lou, was a homemaker who sang in the local church choir.
Sandy grew up in a musical household, where gospel and country music were a constant presence. He showed an early interest in songwriting and learned to play guitar as a teenager. After graduating from high school, he attended Auburn University, where he majored in English and developed a love for language that would feed into his later work as a lyricist.
Having served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War, Sandy began his career in Nashville as a staff songwriter in the early 1970s, writing material for a variety of country artists. Among his earliest successes was “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” co-written with Larry Collins, which became a hit for David Frizzell and Shelly West and went on to become a country standard. His writing style often blended traditional country themes with a strong sense of melody and storytelling.
In the late 1970s, he formed the comedic country duo Pinkard & Bowden with singer-songwriter Richard Bowden. The act became known for its sharp parodies of popular country and pop songs, often laced with satire and adult humour. Their albums included titles like Writers in Disguise and Cousins, Cattle, and Other Love Stories, and they built a loyal following through television appearances and live performances. Among their best-known tracks were “Mama She’s Lazy,” a spoof of The Judds’ “Mama He’s Crazy,” and “Arab, Alabama,” which parodied cultural stereotypes with a biting edge that sometimes stirred controversy.
Outside of his work with Bowden, Sandy continued to write straight country songs, contributing material to other artists and earning respect in Nashville for his versatility. While the duo eventually disbanded in the mid-1990s, Sandy Pinkard remained active in the music industry, occasionally performing solo and continuing to write.
His hits as a songwriter included not only “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” for David Frizzell & Shelly West, “Coca Cola Cowboy” for Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker’s top-10 hit with “Pecos Promenade”, Vern Gosdin's chart-topping “I Can Tell By the Way You Dance”, Anne Murray's “Blessed Are the Believers” and the Ray Charles & Clint Eastwood duet “Beers to You”.
Sandy Pinkard's blend of lyrical wit and deep familiarity with the traditions of country songwriting gave him a distinctive voice in American music.
Sandy Pihkard died at the age of 79, on the 26th July 2025, in Kingwood, West Virginia,, USA, of undisclosed causes.
The above is just one of the many profiles of leading songwriters, singers, musicians and music industry personnel, published by the International Songwriters Association and "Songwriter Magazine". Please click HERE for more.
© Jim Liddane
Copyright Songwriter Magazine, International Songwriters Association & Jim Liddane: All Rights Reserved
The Main Menu
ISA • International Songwriters Association (1967)
internationalsongwriters@gmail.com
The Small Print
This International Songwriters Association 1967 site is a non-profit non-commercial re-creation of portions of the full site originally published by the International Songwriters Association Limited, and will introduce you to the world of songwriting. It will explain music business terms and help you understand the business concepts that you should be familiar with, thus enabling you to ask more pertinent questions when you meet with your accountant/CPA or solicitor/lawyer.
However, although this website includes general information about legal issues and legal developments as well as accounting issues and accounting developments, it is not meant to be a replacement for professional advice. Such materials are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal/accounting developments.
Every effort has been made to make this site as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an "as is" basis and the author(s) and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained on this site. No steps should be taken without first seeking competent legal and/or accounting advice
Some pictures on this site are library images supplied by (amongst others) the ISA International Songwriters Association (1967), International Songwriters Association Limited, Dreamstime Library Inc, BMI (Broadcast Music Inc), ASCAP (American Society Of Songwriters, Authors and Publishers), PRS (Performing Rights Society), PPS (Professional Photographic Services), RTE (Radio Telefis Eireann) TV3, and various Public Relations organisations. Other pictures have been supplied by the songwriters, performers, or music business executives interviewed or mentioned throughout this website, while certain pictures are commercial stock footage of businesses and office environments generally, rather than specific images of the ISA, its personnel, facilities or members.
In any event, all images are and remain the property of the individual owners unless indicated to the contrary.
Home •
Interviews •
Writing A Song
|
