Jerry Fuller, Songwriter Behind “Travelin’ Man”, Dead at 85

From an early age, Jerry Fuller, showcased a love for music as he participated in local talent shows with his older brother, Bill. But when he got older, Fuller decided to explore a career in the music industry. By the 1960s, the songwriter was working in Los Angeles. While nurturing a career that saw him writing songs like “Young Girl” and “Travelin’ Man”, Fuller’s wife recently announced her husband passed away at 85 years old. 

Breaking the news of Fuller’s passing to the New York Times, the songwriter’s wife explained how the star suffered from lung cancer. Leaving behind a rich legacy in music, Fuller once discussed those artists who helped inspire him during the early years of his career. Speaking with NAMM, he said, “My idol at that time was between Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley. So I wrote a tune, and we recorded it, called ‘I Found a New Love.’ And it was almost note for note ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’”

The ACM Awards Remember Jerry Fuller

With Fuller’s passing making headlines, many around the music industry took a moment to remember the songwriter. The ACM Awards posted on Twitter, “The Academy remembers Jerry Fuller, an accomplished songwriter, producer and ACM Award nominee for Single Record of the Year in 1992 for Collin Raye’s “Love, Me.” Artists who recorded some of Fuller’s 1,100 songs include Cher, Barbara Mandrell, Percy Sledge, Steve Wariner, and many more. Our condolences to his family and friends.”

While working in music for nearly 60 years, “Travelin’ Man” became a top song written by Fuller. In the documentary The Wrecking Crew, Fuller explained how easy it was to create the lyrics. “It’s a fairly simple song. I took a world atlas and I looked up, what do they call a girl in Germany? A fraulein. What do they call a senorita in Mexico? I didn’t know wahine for Hawaii, so I said Polynesian baby. And I made a song out of it. A girl in every port was the idea.”

Given his mastery of words, Fuller spent his career working alongside greats like Ray Price, John Anderson, and the legendary Reba McEntire.

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