Red Lane, born Hollis Rudolph DeLaughter on February 9, 1939, in Zona, Louisiana (now part of Bogalusa), was a renowned American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He passed away on July 1, 2015, in Nashville, Tennessee. Lane was a self-taught musician who began playing guitar at the age of nine, inspired by his father. After completing high school in northern Indiana, he joined the Air Force, where he served as an aircraft mechanic in Hawaii due to his color blindness, which prevented him from becoming a pilot. During his service, he performed on a live radio show and adopted the stage name "Red Lane" to avoid issues with military superiors.

Lane's songwriting career began in the early 1960s, influenced by Willie Nelson. He moved to Nashville with the help of Justin Tubb and music publisher Buddy Killen, and he signed with Tree International. Over his career, Lane wrote or co-wrote 60 songs that reached the U.S. top 100 country charts. His work was recorded by a diverse array of artists, including Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and Solomon Burke, as well as country legends like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Tammy Wynette.

In the late 1960s, Lane led Dottie West's band and co-wrote over 50 songs with her, including the hit "Country Girl." He recorded with RCA Records in the early 1970s and later toured as a guitarist with Merle Haggard, who recorded 29 of Lane's songs. Lane's contributions to country music were recognized in 1993 when he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Known for his love of airplanes, Lane lived in a converted DC-8 jet outside Nashville for over two decades.