Spooner Oldham

Induction Year: 2020

Birth Name: Dewey Lindon Oldham Jr.

Birth Date: 06-14-1943

Place of Birth: Center Star, Alabama

Center Star, Alabama, native Dewey Lindon “Spooner” Oldham started off in Muscle Shoals as a session keyboardist before moving to Memphis in the mid-1960s. It was there that he formed a songwriting partnership with Vernon, Alabama, native Dan Penn, who also had cut his musical teeth in Muscle Shoals.

As a duo, Oldham & Penn created many often-recorded R&B and Pop hits such as “I’m Your Puppet” by James & Bobby Purify, “It Tears Me Up” and “Out Of Left Field” by Percy Sledge, “Cry Like A Baby” by The Box Tops, “Sweet Inspiration” by The Sweet Inspirations, “I Worship The Ground You Walk On” by Jimmy Hughes, “Take Me (Just As I Am)” by Solomon Burke and “Up Tight, Good Man” by Laura Lee.

Outside the duo, Spooner’s catalog includes songs such as “Lonely Women Make Good Lovers” — a Country hit for both Bob Luman and Steve Wariner — and “Another Night Of Love” for Freddy Weller.

In addition to songwriting, Spooner has played keyboards in sessions and on the road for artists such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Dickey Betts and many others. Spooner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the “sideman” category in 2009.
 

"1980 (Keep On Smiling)"

(written with Karen Oldham)

Spooner Oldham1972 
Ronnie Milsap1971 
 

"A Woman Left Lonely"

(written with Dan Penn)

Charlie Rich1971 #72 Country
Janis Joplin1971 
Jody Miller1971 
Patti Page1971 #38 Country
Rita Coolidge1972 
Maggie Bell1974 
Sammi Smith1977 
Irma Thomas1981 
Dan Penn1999 
Kris Kristofferson2013 
 

"Another Night Of Love"

(written with Freddy Weller)

Freddy Weller1971 #5 Country

"Cry Like A Baby"

(written with Dan Penn)

Betty Wright1968 
Jimmy James & The Vagabonds1968 
The Box Tops1968 #2 Pop
The Ventures1968 
Arthur Alexander1969 
Cher1969 
The Four Freshman1969 
Lulu1970 
The Memphis Horns1970 
Petula Clark1971 
Joe Stampley1975 #70 Country
Kim Carnes1980 #44 Pop
Fish Heads & Rice1994 
Long John Baldry1995 
The Hacienda Brothers2006 
Kiki Dee2008 
 

"Everything I Am"

(written with Dan Penn)

The Box Tops1967 
Plastic Penny1968 #6 UK
 

"I Met Her In Church"

(written with Dan Penn)

The Box Tops1968 #37 Pop
Dan Penn1999 
 

"I Worship The Ground You Walk On"

(written with Dan Penn)

Jimmy Hughes1966 #25 R&B
Etta James1967 
Jackie Montre El1968 #34 R&B

"I'm Your Puppet"

(written with Dan Penn)

James & Bobby Purify1966 #5 R&B, #6 Pop
Peter & Gordon1967 
Sam & Dave1967 
Sandy Posey1967 
The Box Tops1967 
Dionne Warwick1969 
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell1969 
Donny Osmond1971 
James & Bobby Purify1976 #12 UK
Mickey Gilley1988 #49 Country
Paul Young & Elton John1993 
Dan Penn1994 
Bobby Womack2000 
Irma Thomas2000 
Randy Newman2000 
John Legend w/ Samuel L. Jackson & Bernie Mac2008 
Cliff Richard & Percy Sledge2011 
The Raconteurs2019 
 

"In The Same Old Way"

(written with Dan Penn)

Bobby Bare1966 #34 Country
Tommy & The Chessmen1966 
Mighty Sam McClain1988 
 

"It Tears Me Up"

(written with Dan Penn)

Percy Sledge1966 #7 R&B, #20 Pop
Jerry Reed1982 
Elvis Costello1986 
Dan Penn1994 
The Box Tops1998 
The Hacienda Brothers2006 
Soul Summit2007 
 

"Let It Happen"

(written with Dan Penn)

James Carr1967 #30 R&B
The Sunset Travelers2002 

"Lonely Women Make Good Lovers"

(written with Freddy Weller)

Bob Luman1972 #4 Country
Freddy Weller1972 
Lynn Anderson1973 
Steve Wariner1984 #4 Country
Spooner Oldham1999 
 

"Out Of Left Field"

(written with Dan Penn)

Percy Sledge1967 #25 R&B, #59 Pop
Al Kooper1976 
Hank Williams, Jr.1993 
Dan Penn1999 
Donnie Fritts2016 
Gregg Allman2017 
 

"She Ain't Gonna Do Right"

(written with Dan Penn)

Wilson Pickett1966 
Clarence Carter1968 
James & Bobby Purify2002 
 

"She Loves Me (Right Out Of My Mind)"

(written with Freddy Weller)

Freddy Weller1972 #11 Country
George Jones1972 

"Sweet Inspiration"

(written with Dan Penn)

Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations1968 
King Curtis1968 
The Sweet Inspirations1968 #5 R&B, #18 Pop
Wilson Pickett1970 
Ike & Tina Turner1971 
Barbra Streisand1972 #15 Adult Contemporary, #37 Pop
Rita Coolidge1978 
The Platters1995 
Dan Penn1999 
Vonda Shepard1999 
Jackie DeShannon2006 
The Derek Trucks Band2009 
 

"Take Me (Just As I Am)"

(written with Dan Penn)

Lonnie Ray1965 
Arthur Conley1966 
Spencer Wiggins1966 
Charles Chalmers1967 
Solomon Burke1967 #11 R&B, #49 Pop
Z.Z. Hill1986 
Latimore2000 
 

"The Roadmaster"

(written with Freddy Weller)

Freddy Weller1972 #17 Country

"Up Tight, Good Man"

(written with Jimmy Johnson, Dan Penn)

Laura Lee1967 #16 R&B, #93 Pop
 

"Up Tight, Good Woman"

(written with Jimmy Johnson, Dan Penn)

Dan Penn1965 
Wilson Pickett1966 
Spencer Wiggins1967 
Solomon Burke1969 #47 R&B
 

"Wish You Didn't Have To Go"

(written with Dan Penn)

James & Bobby Purify1967 #27 R&B, #38 Pop
The Embers1967 

Spooner Oldham

Induction Year: 2020