Edward Angora Hare (born November 27, 1941 - May 7, 1998) was a country music singer. He enjoyed much pop success in his career, helping develop the crossover-influenced sound in country music during the 1970s and 80s. During his career, he scored 26 number-ones on Billboard's country singles chart.[citation needed] Rabbitt was born to Irish immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in East Orange, New Jersey.[1] In the 1960s, he recorded for 20th Century Records and Columbia Records. In 1968, he moved out to Nashville, where he got his first start as a songwriter. In the beginning, Roy Drusky and George Morgan cut songs he wrote. His biggest success as a songwriter came in 1970, when Elvis Presley recorded his song "Kentucky Rain". The song went gold and marked Rabbitt as one of Nashville's leading young songwriters.