Country singer Tom T. Hall dies; wrote ‘Harper Valley PTA’

(AP) — Singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall, who composed “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, has died. He was 85. His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician's death Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Hall was known as “The Storyteller” for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics. He composed hundreds of songs and had several No. 1 hits as a singer. Born in Kentucky, Hall wrote his first song by age 9. Throughout the ’70s, Hall became one of Nashville’s biggest singer-songwriters. His hits included “I Love,” “Country Is,” “I Care,” “I Like Beer,” and “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and The Poet.)”