Nashville legend “Cowboy” Jack Clement has sadly passed away aged 82. The producer, songwriter and artist worked with Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones amongst others and was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He died yesterday (Thursday, Aug 8) of liver cancer.

Clement was considered by everyone inside and around country music to be a legend of the genre, having helmed country’s first story-oriented ‘concept album’ - Bobby Bare’s ‘A Bird Named Yesterday,’ released in 1967. As well as arranging the horns for Jonny Cash’s infamous Ring of Fire, Clement wrote ‘Just Someone I Used to Know’ for Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. He also co-produced ‘Angel of Harlem’ and ‘When Love Comes To Town’ for U2.

“If you go to the songwriting industry, the producing industry, the artist industry or the publishing industry, you’re going to run into Cowboy’s design along the way. He was an original at every turn, and he never lost the fun factor, the zaniness,” said Marty Stuart, according to the Tennessean.

"Jack Clement was the first person I met in Nashville, while I was still in uniform in the Army. One of the funniest, most generous people on the planet. He introduced me to Johnny Cash by showing him a letter my mother had written disowning me for resigning my commission to be a songwriter (which included a disparaging reference to my respect for Johnny Cash),” said Kris Kristofferson in tribute of the man.

Clement also holds an unusual record: he’s the only person to produce recordings for members of the Rock and Roll, Country, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Polka halls of fame. Most recently, Clement has hosted a weekly show on Sirius XM.

Kris KristoffersonKris Kristofferson paid tribute to his old friend