K.F. Raizor, author of the website Raizor's Edge and the book We Can't Sing and We Ain't Funny: The World of Homer and Jethro is our guest writer today on That Nashville Sound. She's ever so gracious to provide wonderful tributes to honor those to whom the music we treasure just wouldn't be the same without. Thank you, K.F.
One of the things that has made George Strait such an enduring figure in country music is his ability to find the great songs by the great songwriters. He did that with "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind;" and, later, "All My Ex's Live in Texas."
The songwriter responsible for those songs, Sanger D. "Whitey" Shafer, died earlier this week (1/12) after an illness. His wife, Tracy, was at the funeral for her mother when Shafer passed, according to songwriting friend Corey Frizzell's Instagram post.
After serving in the Army, Sanger D. Shafer worked odd jobs and decided, finally, to move to Nashville, home of his favorite type of music. He met other songwriters, including "Doodle" Owens and Dallas Frazier, and began writing songs. The first major success was when George Jones recorded "Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong" in 1970, soon followed by Johnny Russell recording what has since become a country gospel classic, "The Baptism of Jesse Taylor."
A longtime Lefty Frizzell fan, Shafer struck up a friendship with the legendary singer. Their collaborations included two of the most enduring songs of the 70s: "That's the Way Love Goes" (originally a hit for Johnny Rodriguez), and "I Never Go Around Mirrors," one of Frizzell's final top 40 country hits.
Shafer went through a series of divorces, leading to songs such as "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" and "All My Ex's Live in Texas." George Strait turned both into country gold. Another one of Sanger's heartbreak songs, "I Wonder Do You Think of Me," was a posthumous hit for Keith Whitley in 1989.
In 1989 Shafer was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame. His songs continued to be covered by the greats, the up-and-comers, the local musicians, and anyone who appreciated a great song.
Whitey Shafer was 84.
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