Bowling Green resident remembers his friend, country music songwriter Ray Pennington

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) -A Clay County, Kentucky native, who hit all the right notes as a country music songwriter lost his life earlier this week.

“Even though he lived in Tennessee all them years he was always a Kentuckian by heart, that’s what he told me. He loved Kentucky,” said Ken Jones, a longtime friend and former neighbor of Ray’s.

Ray Pennington’s home in Hendersonville, Tennessee caught on fire Wednesday evening, and Ray was not able to make it out in time.

Ray is known for several songs but one you might know of, the Waylon Jennings hit “I’m a Rambling Man.”

“He always talked about that song Waylon Jennings sang for him. He said that was his money-making song, but he wrote a lot more songs that people know of,” added Jones.

Ray is remembered by his family and friends, including a Bowling Green man who made a connection with Ray when they lived down the road from one another in Tennessee,

“He had a farm just right past my house, we lived on the same side of the road. A lot of times some worn-out country music singer, he would go over there just to relax. You could go to Ray’s house anytime and you would be welcomed and he said you could do anything you want to,” added Jones.

Jones said he doesn’t shed a tear often but when heard the news of Ray’s passing, he shed a tear that day.

“They were just good people. You just couldn’t beat them and I shed a tear on that day when I found out about Ray and I hope Charlotte is okay,” added Jones.

Jones said Ray was just simply a great man, and there was not a single bad thing anyone could ever say about Ray.

“He was just a great person. I wish I had a friend like him up here. I got some great friends up here, really good friends. But I mean Ray was just he was just one of the best friends you can ever have as a person,” added Jones.

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