At 17 years old he wrote his first song "Without Him". Elvis Presley was at the first public performance and asked to record it for a new album "How Great Thou Art". Over 100 artists recorded the.song within a year of it's publication.
Recorded with Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Joel, Duane Allman, Little Richard, The Who, Steve Winwood, and Mick Fleetwood.