Richard James Joseph Dobson II was an American singer-songwriter and author born on March 19, 1942, in Tyler, Texas. He moved to Nashville in 1971 and became a key figure in the outlaw country movement, sharing a residence with Rodney Crowell and "Skinny" Dennis Sanchez. Dobson's first studio album, In Texas Last December, was released in 1977. He achieved significant recognition for his songwriting, particularly for the track “Baby Ride Easy”, which was recorded by artists such as Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds. He also co-wrote “Old Friends” with Guy and Susanna Clark. His career was documented in the 1976 film Heartworn Highways. Dobson continued to record throughout his life, releasing albums such as Blue Collar Blues in 1993 and One Bar Town in 1995. He published his memoirs, The Gulf Coast Boys, in 1990 before relocating to Switzerland in 1999. Dobson died of cancer on December 16, 2017, in Diessenhofen. His final album, I Hear Singing, was released posthumously in 2018.
