Today is the first time I’m hearing this song. I fell in love with it instantly. I’ve been to Arkansas a few times to visit family members. It’s a beautiful state with beautiful people.
Beloved country songwriter and music creator advocate Wayland Holyfield has passed away at the age of 82. He was an ASCAP member for 43 years. Holyfield left an indelible mark on country music with his clever, deeply-felt songs. Throughout a decades-long career that took off soon after he left Arkansas for Nashville in the early 1970s, Holyfield wrote over 40 Top 10 hits and 14 #1s. His songs were recorded by dozens of the greatest artists in Nashville and beyond - including George Strait, Don Williams, Anne Murray, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Julio Iglesias, Crystal Gayle, Conway Twitty, Barbara Mandrell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Charley Pride, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Anderson, Waylon Jennings, The Judds and George Jones, among many others. His songwriting credits include country classics like "Could I Have This Dance?," "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend," “Till the Rivers All Run Dry,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had,” “Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer,” “She Never Knew Me,” “Put Your Dreams Away,” “Your Love Shines Through,” You’re Going Out of My Mind,” “Stop the Rain,” “Down in Tennessee,” “When You Get to the Heart,” “Wish I Had a Heart of Stone,” “She Reminded Me of You,” “Don’t Count the Rainy Days,” “The Blues in Black and White,” “Only Here for a Little While,” and “Meanwhile.” His song "Arkansas, You Run Deep in Me" was named the Arkansas State Song. ASCAP President Paul Williams commented: "With heavy hearts the ASCAP family mourns the passing of songwriter Wayland Holyfield who wrote among the most enduring country hits of his generation. Wayland served on the ASCAP Board of Directors for 24 years, during which time he was one of the most effective and fierce advocates for songwriters. We will miss his intelligence, his remarkable wit, and most of all his friendship." Holyfield was a lifelong advocate for the rights of songwriters. In addition to his two dozen years on the ASCAP Board (and four years on the ASCAP Board of Review), Holyfield was a past president of the NSAI, as well as past chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Board. During his time on the ASCAP Board Wayland testified on behalf of songwriters and composers before both the Senate and House Judiciary Committees in Washington, DC. Some of his many accolades include induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, an ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year award, the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Presidential Award, a CMA Triple Play Award and two Top Country Hits Awards from Music City News. Holyfield is survived by his wife Nancy and their three grown children, Greg, Mark and Lee.
I remember when AETN would sign off with this song. When we found out we were moving to Alaska, we made a copy to take with us. That was in 1995. Been back 25 years now, and never moving again.
61 years in Arkansas. It's home and good people. As a disabled elderly citizen I wouldn't live anywhere else. My family's ancestry goes back pre civil war in Arkansas and this song is a treasure.
I was born and raised in Arkansas my home state WOO PIG SOO, I still come home and visit family. I have a lot of memories in Arkansas. I love this song.
If you want to see flocks of ducks and geese as far as you can see, you can visit several places in Arkansas between November and January. Traveling on highway 165 from England-Stuttgart-DeWitt is a good place to start.
Go overseas on deployment for months . Come home to Arkansas with this playing and i promise you will have tears in your eyes and will go to your knees and kiss the ground
I was born & raised in Kentucky. In 1979 I married & moved to Arkansas. 44yrs later I wanted to retire go back to KY. No! I Arkansas is my home. Arkansas runs deep in me. ❤
Amen😎😎😎🤗🤗🤗🤗🙌 have fami!y...cousins in NE ARKANDAS jonesboro...Craig head co.....and also Hot Springs ..we well love Arkansas...nature..warmth..good folks southern folks whom don't forget their simple roots
I grew up in Texarkana, and I have worked for the University of Arkansas since 2002, I will be retiring in March 2024. We had a couple of visiting professors from the University of Scotland in Glasgow who had traveled all the way over here to study the ancient bluffs along the Buffalo river. This was in 2016. It was my assignment to transport (drive) them where they needed to go, these 2 gentlemen completely fell in love with Arkansas and her charms, one of them said he would retire here if his wife would let him, I stayed in touch with him, and he now lives just outside of Harrison Ark. Just thought I'd share that with y'all.
Born here in 1960. I’ve moved away a few times, but always came back. Arkansas is in my blood. I love my home state. It’s not perfect, but it’s always been and will always be- home!❤️
Arkansas is my home. I was born here. For years I lived everywhere else, but I am home now and I love my state. This song has always brought me to tears and inspired my desire to come home.
