David Haley Lauver is a songwriter and freelance writer from Knoxville, Tennessee, who is a columnist for The Bluegrass Standard magazine. Three songs Lauver has co-written topped national Bluegrass charts.  Along with Jerry Salley, Karen Bowles, and Bobby Johnston, Lauver was a co-writer of “The News That Never Changes,” a 2025 Bluegrass Gospel #1 for The King James Boys. “Appalachian Blue,” created by the same writers, was an international hit for recording artist Kristy Cox and received a “Roots Music” Grammy nomination. Lauver also worked with Donna Ulisse and Ali Shumate to write “Jezebel,” a #1 song for Shumate. In 2014, Lauver was selected to the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. He has performed at Nashville’s Tin Pan South Music Festival and North Carolina’s “Merlefest,” where he was a five-time finalist in the Chris Austin national songwriting competition. Lauver’s career has included work as a news reporter, U.S. Senate staffer, university communications director, and executive speechwriter.