Family/Spouse: BRASFIELD, Howard Thomas Sr. Howard (son of BRASFIELD, Rufus Albert and PERRIN, Norah Mae) was born on 2 Jun 1921 in Alabama, USA; died on 14 Apr 1983; was buried in Jasper, Walker County, Alabama, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Tommy Brasfield moved to the Shoals area as a child where he attended school and graduated from Muscle Shoals High School.

By the age of 19, Brasfield was a hit songwriter, having penned the hit "Angel In Your Arms", which the group Hot took to the top of the Pop Charts. Barbara Mandrell recorded the song, taking it to Number 5 in the Country Charts.

At the time of his death in late 1989, Brasfield had written a total of over 20 Top 10 singles and had made the Top 5 in every chart except gospel and jazz.

Brasfield also wrote "There's No Gettin' Over Me" for Ronnie Milsap, which climbed to Number 1 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts and Number 5 on the Pop Charts. The song was the most performed country song in the world in 1982, according to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

His song "Holding Her and Loving You," recorded by Earl Thomas Conley, was a Number 1 Country hit. The song earned "Song of the Year" honors in 1982 from the Nashville Songwriter's Association, International, and was named one of the Top 10 songs of the year by Music City News. Conley later recorded Brasfield's "Once In A Blue Moon", which was also a Number 1 Country hit.

T.G. Sheppard recorded several of Brasfield's songs, including "One Owner Heart," "I'm In Over My Heart," and "Half Past Forever", all Top 5 records. Other Number 1 hits include "Till You're Gone," by Barbara Mandrell, and "She Sure Got Away With My Heart" by John Anderson.

During the mid-80s, Brasfield moved into the field of production, working with country acts such as Canyon for 16th Avenue Records.

Chart Songs as a Songwriter
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Song Title Recording Artist Chart* Year
Holding Her And Loving You Earl Thomas Conley 1 1981
Once In A Blue Moon Earl Thomas Conley 1 1986
There's No Gettin' Over Me Ronnie Milsap 1 1981
Till You're Gone Barbara Mandrell 1 1982
Half Past Forever T.G. Sheppard 2 1987
She Sure Got Away With My Heart John Anderson 3 1984
One Owner Heart T.G. Sheppard 4 1985
Angel In Your Arms Hot 7 1977
Angel In Your Arms Barbara Mandrell 8 1985
In Over My Heart T.G. Sheppard 9 1986
I'm Gonna Hurt Her On The Radio Charlie Pride 13 1988
Be My Baby Jody Miller 15 1972
She's Steppin' Out Con Hunley 17 1981
Hold Me Like You Never Had Me Randy Parton 30 1981
Never Say Never T. Graham Brown 30 1989
High Cost Of Loving Charlie Ross 33 1982
Holding Her & Loving You Clay Walker 68 1998

*Chart position is based on Billboard Magazine Pop, Country, R&B, & A/C Charts. Other music industry charts may have shown higher chart positions.
Name BRASFIELD HOWARD T JR
Title Obituary
Section/pg B/010

Date 17 Dec 1989
Newspaper Tennesean