Country Singer Ed Bruce Who Co-Wrote 'Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys' Dies at 81 People 1/9/2021 Iconic country star Ed Bruce has died. He was 81. Bruce died of natural causes Friday, PEOPLE confirms. Throughout his decades-long career, he had become widely known as a country music legend with several hit songs, including all-time classic "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," which he co-wrote with his then-wife Patsy Bruce before the pair ultimately divorced in 1987. In 1982, he released "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had," featuring Lynn Anderson and it became country's No. 1 hit. The song charted for 21 weeks.