Harlan Perry Howard (September 8, 1927 – March 3, 2002) was an American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists. Howard was married to country singer Jan Howard. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.