Johnny Ancil Wilson Sr., known professionally as Johnny Wilson or by his alias "Peanuts" Wilson, was born on November 28, 1935, in Riversville, West Virginia, and raised in Odessa, Texas. In 1956, he became a member of Roy Orbison's group, The Teen Kings. Wilson attempted a solo career, releasing two singles, one in 1957 and another in 1963, but neither achieved commercial success. Despite this, he later found his niche as a country music songwriter, collaborating with publishers like Combine Music and songwriters such as Jim Robinson, Roland Pike, and Gene Dobbins.

Wilson's songwriting credits include "Easy as Pie," "Honky Tonk Memories," "I'm Gonna Leave You Tomorrow," "It's Too Late to Love Me Now," "Love the World Away," "Make Believe It's Your First Time," and "Rock on Baby." His work earned him a nomination for a GRAMMY Award for Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special for the album "Urban Cowboy."

Johnny Wilson passed away on September 24, 1980, leaving behind a legacy as a talented songwriter in the country music genre.