Singer-Songwriter Ed Bruce Dead at 81
Singer-songwriter Ed Bruce, who wrote Mammas Don t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys and more classic country hits, has died. According to a press release from his representative, Bruce died in Clarksville, Tenn., on Friday (Jan. 8) from natural causes at the age of 81.
Born on Dec. 29, 1939, in Keiser, Ark., Bruce moved to Memphis with his family early in his life, and he considered Tennessee his home state, according to his official biography on his website. He began writing songs in his teens and, and he first began recording on the legendary Memphis-based Sun Records in 1957 while still a senior in high school, releasing a single titled Rock Boppin Baby under the name Edwin Bruce.