Lee Clayton was an American country rock and outlaw country singer-songwriter who was born as Billy Hugh Shotts in Russellville, Alabama, in 1942. He achieved early professional recognition after moving to Nashville in 1968 and is famous for writing the track “Ladies Love Outlaws” (1972), which became a hit for Waylon Jennings and is credited with helping define the outlaw country genre. His discography includes his eponymous studio recording Lee Clayton (1973), Border Affair (1978), and his most successful work, Naked Child (1979), which featured the single “I Ride Alone”. He also wrote “Silver Stallion” (1978), later recorded by the supergroup The Highwaymen, which reached number 25 on the Billboard charts. Clayton authored two autobiographical books and released several live recordings, including Another Night (1990), which was recorded at the Cruise Cafe in Oslo. He died in White House, Tennessee, in 2023.
