Question: which  American singer composed songs in Burl Ives Sings Pearly Shells and Other Favorites
Context: Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children's Favorites Christmas at the White House: Burl Ives Sings the Favorite Carols and Hymns of America's Presidents is a 1972 album by Burl Ives.  It purports to be a collection of twelve presidents' favorite Christmas songs.  It has not yet been released on CD. The Versatile Burl Ives!  is a 1961 album by Burl Ives, containing his hit single "A Little Bitty Tear."  The album reached No. 35 on "Billboard's" 1962 Pop Album Chart.  In the same year, "A Little Bitty Tear" climbed to No. 1 on "Billboard's" Adult Contemporary Chart, No. 2 on the Country Singles Chart, and No. 9 on the Pop Singles Chart.  The pop, country, and folk songs on this album were selected to highlight the folk singer's versatility.  Some of his performances, such as his cover of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line," represent a significant departure from his earlier repertoire.  Ives is accompanied by the Anita Kerr Singers and Owen Bradley's orchestra. A classic folk album by Burl Ives (vocal and guitar), The Return of the Wayfaring Stranger (Columbia Records C-186) is an 78-rpm set consisting of four 10-inch discs.  Released in 1949, the album was concurrently presented as a 10-inch LP, assigned the catalog number CL-6058.  On February 28, 1955, Columbia expanded to 12 inches "The Wayfaring Stranger" (monaural catalog number: CL 628; 1964 simulated-stereo catalog number: CS 9041), a Burl Ives album dating back to 1941, originally containing twelve tunes and initially called "Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger".  Included in the 1955 collection were all nine songs from "The Return of the Wayfaring Stranger".  In August 1960, Columbia, using a slightly shortened title, "Return of the Wayfaring Stranger", released a 12-inch LP of 13 different selections recorded by Burl Ives between 1949 and 1951.  The 12-inch versions of "The Wayfaring Stranger" and "Return of the Wayfaring Stranger" were transferred to CD format by Collectables Records on November 14, 2000.  Each disc contains bonus tracks.  Currently, both CDs are in print. Wyatt Merle Kilgore (August 9, 1934 – February 6, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.  He was an artist and writer; the personal manager of Hank Williams Jr. at the time of his death. Scouting Along with Burl Ives is a 1964 album, subtitled "The Official Boy Scout Album".  Ives was commissioned by the Boy Scouts of America to make this album, which is now available on CD at ScoutStuff.org.  Ives is accompanied by a choir of boys and an orchestra directed by Sid Bass.  Greg Adams of "Allmusic" writes, ""Scouting Along With Burl Ives" is essentially a work-for-hire children's album made for the Boy Scouts and is therefore of limited appeal, but the professionalism and enthusiasm Ives and Bass exhibit are admirable."  The album features folk and other songs that might be sung around a campfire.  The album is unique in that it also provided a short bio of Ives and his early affiliation with professional football. Songs of the West (Decca DL 4179, 1961) is one of several albums from the early 1960s that signalled Burl Ives's move away from folk music into country western and pop.  In Ives's discography this album is immediately preceded by "The Versatile Burl Ives! " and followed by "It's Just My Funny Way of Laughin'", two Decca albums containing songs ("A Little Bitty Tear", "Call Mr. In-Between" and "Funny Way of Laughin'") that earned Ives his highest rankings on Billboard's pop, country, and easy-listening charts. Burl Ives Sings... For Fun is a 1956 album by American folk singer Burl Ives. Burl Ives Presents America's Musical Heritage, released in 1963 by the Longines Symphonette Recording Society, is a six-album box set by folk singer Burl Ives.  It is subtitled "114 Best Loved Songs & Ballads for Listening, Singing, and Reading" and includes a 168-page book, titled "The Burl Ives Sing-Along Song Book", which presents the lyrics for all of the songs and historical background about some of the songs. Pearly Shells and Other Favorites is a 1964 album by Burl Ives, produced by Milt Gabler and directed by Owen Bradley.  Featuring songs composed by Harlan Howard, Merle Kilgore, Tillman Franks, Mel Tillis, and Freddie Hart, among others, the album reached No. 65 on Billboard's 1965 Pop Album Chart.  The title song, "Pearly Shells," reached No. 60 on Billboard's 1964 Pop Singles Chart.  Greg Adams of Allmusic writes, "Don't let the shortage of well-known songs keep you away from this delightful and well-crafted album."
Answer: Wyatt Merle Kilgore