<P> Howard completed only nine years of formal education, though he was an avid reader . When he was 12 years of age Harlan began writing songs, "an enthusiasm fueled by an appetite for books and an ear for a telling phrase ." </P> <P> After serving as a paratrooper with the United States Army, he went to Los Angeles, California, hoping to sell his music . </P> <P> Howard did manual labor while writing songs and pushing his finished material . Eventually he sold some of his compositions and, after a few minor successes, his song, "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down", recorded by Charlie Walker, went to No. 2 on the country music charts in late 1958 . A year later Ray Price had a major country hit with "Heartaches By The Number". Simultaneously, a pop version of the song performed by Guy Mitchell went to No. 1 on the pop chart . Buoyed by these two major hits, Howard moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1960 . Bringing along a large portfolio of compositions, he signed a contract with Acuff - Rose Music . Howard's songs were so immediately successful that, in 1961 alone, he had fifteen of his compositions on the country music charts, earning him ten BMI awards . Among his biggest hits was "I Fall to Pieces", co-written with Hank Cochran and recorded by Patsy Cline . Cline also recorded his "He Called Me Baby", which was later a No. 1 C&W hit for Charlie Rich as "She Called Me Baby". </P> <P> Though not often thought of as a writer of rhythm and blues songs, Howard wrote Joe Simon's #1 R&B chart hit "The Chokin' Kind", a million - selling record in 1969 . </P>

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