Jay Knowles

Jay Knowles is an American songwriter whose work has been recorded by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Jack Ingram, David Nail, Lee Ann Womack, and Lainey Wilson. He co-wrote Strait's "She'll Leave You with a Smile", which reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2002,^[1] and Jackson's "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore", which was nominated for Best Country Song at the 55th Grammy Awards.^[2] His credits also include Jack Ingram's "Love You",^[3] David Nail's Top 20 hit "Kiss You Tonight",^[4] and Lainey Wilson's "Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'".^[5] His work has been profiled in major outlets including The New Yorker, which cited him as a voice in Nashville's contemporary songwriting community.^[6]

Jay Knowles
Born	Texas, U.S.
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Songwriter
Years active	1990s–present

Career

Knowles' first chart entry as a songwriter was "Self Made Man" (2000) for Montgomery Gentry, co-written with Wynn Varble.^[7] In 2002, he co-wrote Strait's No. 1 hit "She'll Leave You with a Smile" with Odie Blackmon, helping Strait set a record for most No. 1 country singles by a solo artist.^[8] The single earned Knowles a BMI Country Award and a BMI Million-Air Award.^[9][10]

In 2006, Jack Ingram released Knowles' co-write "Love You", written with Trent Summar, which entered the Billboard country charts.^[11] In 2014, David Nail's single "Kiss You Tonight", co-written by Knowles with David Cook and Summar, reached No. 17 on Billboard Country Airplay and was selected as a "Critic's Pick" by Taste of Country.^[12][13]

With Adam Wright, Knowles co-wrote "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" (2012), which earned a nomination for Best Country Song at the 55th Grammy Awards.^[14] The pair also contributed "Taillights Blue" to Jackson's 2010 album Freight Train, highlighted in coverage by The Boot.^[15]

Knowles' songs continued to appear on major label projects into the 2010s and 2020s. He co-wrote "The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone" with Wright, the title track of Lee Ann Womack's 2017 album,^[16] and the title cut of Lainey Wilson's 2021 debut Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'.^[17] Outside country, he co-wrote "(I Do) Like We Do" with Jim McCormick for Harry Connick Jr.'s 2015 album That Would Be Me.^[18]

In addition to commercial recordings, Knowles has been active in the Nashville songwriting community. He has appeared in songwriter rounds at the Bluebird Café and led critique sessions for the NSAI.^[19][20]

Awards and recognition

• Grammy Award nomination, Best Country Song (55th Grammys) for "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" (with Adam Wright).^[21]
• BMI Country Award for "She'll Leave You with a Smile" (2003).^[22]
• BMI Million-Air Award for "She'll Leave You with a Smile" (2004).^[23]

Frequent collaborators

Knowles has co-written extensively with Adam Wright, Wynn Varble, Jim McCormick, Trent Summar, and Odie Blackmon.

Selected songwriting credits

• "She'll Leave You with a Smile" — George Strait (with Odie Blackmon).^[24]
• "Self Made Man" — Montgomery Gentry (with Wynn Varble).^[25]
• "Love You" — Jack Ingram (with Trent Summar).^[26]
• "Kiss You Tonight" — David Nail (with David Cook, Trent Summar).^[27]
• "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" — Alan Jackson (with Adam Wright).^[28]
• "Taillights Blue" — Alan Jackson (with Adam Wright), on Freight Train (2010).^[29]
• "The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone" — Lee Ann Womack (with Adam Wright), title track (2017).^[30]
• "(I Do) Like We Do" — Harry Connick Jr. (with Jim McCormick), on That Would Be Me (2015).^[31]
• "Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'" — Lainey Wilson, title track (2021).^[32]

Solo recordings

• Jay Knowles Breaks His Own Record (independent). Includes the duet version of "(I Do) Like We Do".^[33]