Induction Year: 2025
Birth Name: Don Kirby Cook
Birth Date: 05-25-1949
Place of Birth: San Antonio, Texas
Don Cook was born in San Antonio, TX. He was writing songs by age 12, recording his first demo by age 14 and playing various Houston coffeehouses throughout his teenage years.
Three days after his graduation from the University of Texas, Don arrived in Nashville. He soon met publisher Don Gant, who signed him to a deal at Acuff-Rose Publishing.
When Gant moved to Tree Publishing, Don followed. In his first year at Tree he had 11 cuts, including “Cryin’ Again” by The Oak Ridge Boys and “Lady Lay Down” by John Conlee — Don’s first #1 as a songwriter.
Other hits followed in the ’80s, including “Julia” by Conway Twitty, “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again” by T. Graham Brown, “Small Town Girl” by Steve Wariner and “Somebody’s Gonna Love You” by Lee Greenwood.
In the early ’90s, Don co-wrote “Brand New Man,” the first single for Brooks & Dunn, and began to produce the duo, a collaboration that yielded the co-written #1 hits “My Next Broken Heart,” “Only In America” and “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone,” among others.
"Brand New Man"
(written with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn)
| Brooks & Dunn | 1991 | #1 Country |
| Brooks & Dunn w/ Luke Combs | 2019 | #30 Country |
"Cryin' Again"
(written with Rafe Van Hoy)
| The Oak Ridge Boys | 1978 | #3 Country |
"I Wish I Was Still In Your Dreams"
(written with John Barlow Jarvis)
| Conway Twitty | 1989 | #4 Country |
"I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again"
(written with Curly Putman, Rafe Van Hoy)
| Kenny Rogers | 1978 |
| John Conlee | 1979 |
| T.G. Sheppard | 1979 |
| Debby Boone | 1980 |
| Millie Jackson | 1980 |
| Dottie West | 1981 |
| Julie Andrews | 1982 |
| David Frizzell | 1982 |
| T. Graham Brown | 1986 |
"I've Been Wrong Before"
(written with Deborah Allen, Rafe Van Hoy)
| Deborah Allen | 1984 | #2 Country |
| Elvis Costello | 1995 |
"It's Getting Better All The Time"
(written with Ronnie Bowman)
| Brooks & Dunn | 2005 | #1 Country, #56 Pop |
| Ronnie Bowman | 2005 |
"Julia"
(written with John Barlow Jarvis)
| Conway Twitty | 1987 | #2 Country |
"Lady Lay Down"
(written with Rafe Van Hoy)
| John Conlee | 1979 | #1 Country |
| Tom Jones | 1981 | #26 Country |
| Paul Anka | 1981 |
"My Next Broken Heart"
(written with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn)
| Brooks & Dunn | 1991 | #1 Country |
| Brooks & Dunn w/ Jon Pardi | 2019 |
"On A Good Night"
(written with Larry Boone, Paul Nelson)
| Wade Hayes | 1996 | #2 Country |
"One Voice"
(written with David Malloy)
| Billy Gilman | 2000 | #20 Country, #29 Adult Contemporary |
"Only In America"
(written with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Rogers)
| Brooks & Dunn | 2001 | #1 Country, #33 Pop |
| Cledus T. Judd | 2002 |
"Small Town Girl"
(written with John Barlow Jarvis)
| Steve Wariner | 1987 | #1 Country |
"Somebody's Gonna Love You"
(written with Rafe Van Hoy)
| Lee Greenwood | 1983 | #1 Country |
"That Ain't No Way To Go"
(written with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn)
| Brooks & Dunn | 1994 | #1 Country |
"There's A New Kid In Town"
(written with Curly Putman, Keith Whitley)
| Michael Johnson | 1985 |
| George Strait | 1986 |
| The Oak Ridge Boys | 1986 |
| Alan Jackson w/ Keith Whitley | 1993 |
| Kathy Mattea | 1993 |
| Trisha Yearwood | 1994 |
| Billy Gilman | 2000 |
| Blake Shelton w/ Kelly Clarkson | 2013 | #44 Pop |
| The Isaacs | 2002 |
| Kenny Rogers w/ Winfield's Locket | 2015 |
| Chris Young w/ Alan Jackson | 2016 |
"We'll Burn That Bridge"
(written with Ronnie Dunn)
| Brooks & Dunn | 1993 | #2 Country |
"Whiskey Under The Bridge"
(written with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn)
| Brooks & Dunn | 1995 | #5 Country |
"Who's Lonely Now"
(written with Kix Brooks)
| Highway 101 | 1990 | #1 Country |
"You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone"
(written with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn)
| Brooks & Dunn | 1995 | #1 Country |
| Brooks & Dunn w/ Ashley McBryde | 2019 |
Induction Year: 2025
