ˈæbət wʌz səksˈɛsfəl æz ɐ sˈɔŋɹaɪɾɚ ænd ɹᵻsˈiːvd sˈɔŋɹaɪɾɪŋ kɹˈɛdɪts fɔːɹ sˈɔŋz ɹᵻkˈoːɹdᵻd baɪ ˈɑːɹɾɪsts sˈʌtʃ ɐz ˈɛmɪlˌuː hˈæɹɪs ænd fɹˈɛdi fˈɛndɚ.
Abbott was successful as a songwriter and received songwriting credits for songs recorded by artists such as Emmylou Harris and Freddy Fender.