Born in 1953 in Gainesville, GA, John Jarrard scored 11 chart-topping country hits as a songwriter for others. The son of a cotton mill worker, Jarrard was introduced to music by the choir that his father used to conduct when he was a youngster. He eventually began writing original songs, but didn't relocate to the country capital of the world, Nashville, until 1977. Shortly thereafter, he began penning his string of hits, including tracks for Alabama (There's No Way, You've Got the Touch), George Strait (Blue Clear Sky), and Tracy Lawrence (Is That a Tear?), among others. But despite his success, Jarrard was stricken with health-related tragedy during his adult life -- due to diabetes, he lost his eyesight in the late '70s and had to have both his legs amputated in 1997. Jarrard passed away due to complications from diabetes on February 1, 2001, in Nashville. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi