Jack Wesley Routh

Jack Wesley Routh songs have been recorded by such artist as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Karen Brooks, J.C. Crowley, Randy Sharp, Marty Stuart, Kathy Mattea to name a few.
Born in Kingman, Kansas, Jack learned to play the guitar at age 13 and soon began performing throughout the Midwest, recording his first record with the band “Robin’s Hoods” in Amarillo, Texas in 1965. At 23 he traveled to Nashville where he met Johnny Cash, who signed him to a songwriting contract. That meeting with Cash eventually led to Jack producing with Jack Clement and playing guitar on Cash’s records earning Jack two Nashville “Superpicker” awards and an opening slot on the Johnny Cash Road Show throughout the United States and Europe. While working out of Nashville, Jack played guitar and traveled on the road with the Carter Family. Jack also became a solo recording artist for RCA records with Chet Atkins as the producer.
Jack moved on to California where he soon met sing-songwriter Randy Sharp through Karen Brooks and Brian Ahern and also rekindled an old friendship with singer-songwriter J.C. Crowley. The collaboration with each of these writers has proved to be successful in song as well as friendship.
In the year 2000, Johnny Cash recorded the song “ Field Of Diamonds ” that he and Jack wrote while visiting in Jamaica. The song was included on the American III record, “Solitary Man”, a 43rd Annual Grammy Nominated Album for Best Contemporary Folk Album with June Carter Cash and Sheryl Crow singing harmony.
In 2005, Emmylou Harris recorded “The Connection” a song Jack wrote with Randy Sharp, for “The Very Best Of Emmylou Harris” - Heartaches and Highways Album. Emmylou won a Grammy for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance” for the 48th Grammy Awards Year 2005.
Emmylou Harris’ 2008 album “ All I Intended To Be “ includes Jack’s “Shores of White Sand” and also a song written with J.C Crowley, “ Beyond The Great Divide”.