MORE PRODUCER GUESTS
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Tom Hambridge Brent Maher Paul Worley Dann Huff Frank Liddell
Corey Crowder Carl Jackson Doug Johnson Shane McAnally
Jay Demarcus Victoria Shaw Chad Carlson
Scott Hendricks Mark Bright Forest Glen Whitehead Michael Knox
TOM HAMBRIDGE
Congratulations to Tom on his 2026 Grammy for “BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM” w Buddy Guy
2016 Interview
Believe it or not, since my last interview with Tom Hambridge in 2014, Tom has produced 17 more albums, received 27 award nominations, six of which he won, played drums and/or sang on 19 other artist’s albums, made numerous TV appearances, toured extensively and now, he’s about to release his 7th solo album The Nola Sessions…
In 2016 alone, Hambridge added another 93 cuts to his songwriting discography which already boasts the likes of Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Susan Tedeschi, George Thorogood, Joe Bonamassa, Quinn Sullivan, Keb’ Mo’, Eric Burdon, Delbert McClinton, Johnny Winter, Colin Linden, ZZ Top, BB King, Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, Kenny Neal, Shemekia Copeland, Van Zant, T. Graham Brown, The Outlaws, Jack Ingram, Taylor Hicks, Rascal Flatts, Joe Nichols, Chris Young, Gretchen Wilson, Danny Gokey, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Roy Parnell, Pat Green, Hank Williams Jr., Montgomery Gentry, Rodney Atkins, Ronnie Dunn and the list goes on … and on, including Keith Anderson’s song “Every Time I Hear Your Name,” co-written by Hambridge and Jeffrey Steele, which won a 2007 ASCAP Country Music Song Award. Hambridge is a writing machine who not only has 500 cuts in multiple genres but over 50 producer, songwriter and musician awards including two Grammys, five Grammy nominations and a boatload of Blues Music & Blues Blast Awards.
The unique thing about Tom’s career is that he gets to produce, co-write and tour globally with both, legends like Buddy Guy and James Cotton and some of the Hottest new young artists, on the planet, like Quinn Sullivan. Hell, Mick Jagger even asked Tom to play drums for him, at the White House. But don’t think that Hambridge was un-known before he arrived in Nashville. After graduating from Berklee, between 1988 and 1999 he won six Boston Music Awards and was bandleader for Martha & The Vandellas, Bo Diddley, Little Anthony, Chuck Berry and he played drums with the band Boston.
Today, a review of Tom’s Grammy awards and nominations speaks volumes about his journey. His first Grammy nomination came in 1998 for Best Contemporary Blues Album when he produced Susan Tedeschi’s album Just Won’t Burn. Then, in 2004 Hambridge received his second Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album: Johnny Winter – I’m A Bluesman and in 2009 his 3rd Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album: Buddy Guy – Skin Deep, which featured Eric Clapton, Susan & Derek Trucks Tom wrote 10 of the 12 songs including three with Gary Nicholson, including the title track. In 2011 Hambridge produced Buddy Guy’s – Living Proof which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album featuring all 12 songs written by Tom, 4 songs he co-wrote with Gary Nicholson and four co-writes with Richard Fleming and in 2013 Tom also produced Buddy Guy’s double album Rhythm & Blues, which was Buddy’s biggest charting album ever, as the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Chart. The album includes guest star performances by Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Gary Clark Jr., Beth Hart and The Muscle Shoals Horns and Steven Tyler, Joe Perry & Brad Whitford of Aerosmith and featured 18 Tom Hambridge original songs.
In 2014 Hambridge received another Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album: James Cotton – Cotton Mouth Man. Tom wrote 12 songs on this album which included appearances by Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Delbert McClinton, Warren Hayes, Keb’ Mo’, Chuck Leavell and Colin Linden and last year Tom produced Buddy Guy’s – Born To Play Guitar won the Grammy for Best Blues Album, which included 13 Tom Hambridge songs including the song “Flesh & Bone” featuring Van Morrison.
So far this year, Hambridge will been touring with Buddy Guy, he’s scheduled to produce a new album on Nashville artist and American Idol runner up Casey James. He’ll be doing some tour dates with his own band The Rattlesnakes, he’s currently working on a new documentary about Quinn Sullivan’s life…and it’s only February.
BRENT MAHER
Six-time Grammy winner Brent Maher has 498 credits to his name as a producer, engineer, mixer, composer, guitarist, percussionist, background vocalist and hand-clapper.
His mantle of Grammys are from work with The Judds (“Mama He’s Crazy,” “Grandpa,” “Give A Little Love,” “Love Can Build A Bridge”); Kathy Mattea (Good News), and Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price (“The Last of The Breed”). With three decades of experience and over 150 major cuts, Maher has received 30-plus awards from ASCAP and NSAI, plus numerous CMA, ACM, SOCAN and CCMA Awards.
Behind the glass, he has guided the studio work of Roy Orbison, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Chuck Berry, Ray Price, Sammy Davis Jr., Gladys Knight, Louis Prima, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker, The Four Tops, Jimmy Buffet, Sly and The Family Stone, Dottie West, Kenny Rogers, Jo Dee Messina, Shelby Lynne, Kathy Mattea, Nickle Creek, Carl Perkins, Olivia Newton John, Dave Loggins, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Benny Hester and of course his discovery-The Judds. Not to forget Ike & Tina‘s “Proud Mary,” The 5th Dimension’s “Age of Aquarius,” Duke Ellington‘s last album before his death, and Elvis‘s last No. 1, “Way Down.” Now that’s what I call historical.
Brent’s vision for the Judds’ acoustic County sound catapulted them to the stratosphere and after a record deal with RCA/Curb. He co-wrote many of their hits including “Why Not Me” with Harlan Howard and Sonny Throckmorton, “Girls’ Night Out” with Jeff Bullock, “Rockin’ With The Rhythm of The Rain” with Don Schlitz, “I Know Where I’m Going” and “Turn It Loose” with Craig Bickhardt and Schlitz and many more. Maher produced all ten of The Judds’ multi-platinum albums.
During that time, he also produced award winning records and No. 1 singles on Kathy Mattea, Carl Perkins, Michael Johnson‘s Country hits, Kenny Rogers (“Buy Me A Rose”) and Shelby Lynne‘s big band project Temptation.
On the international scene, Maher produced Canadian Country artist Johnny Reid making him one of the top-selling artists in Canada in 2009-2011). Maher also developed and produced the Grammy nominated self-titled debut from Bering Strait.
Over the last twenty years, Brent has operated Moraine Music Group which is home to numerous No. 1s by artists he didn’t produce. Singles that include “There’s Your Trouble,” “Suds In the Bucket,” “Small Town USA,” “Bring On The Rain” and many more.
At 18 Brent joined the Air Force and was stationed near Nashville as an aircraft mechanic until he was 22. He played guitar and trumpet, so he put together a cover band for extra money on the weekend. “I knew that music was what I was supposed to be doing,” he says. “But I also knew that our band was not going to be ground-breaking. I listened to records incessantly and while listening to a great Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions album, I noticed the back of the jacket said ‘recording engineer.’ At that moment, I thought ‘that’s it! That’s what I’m going to do.’ I took a bunch of correspondent courses through the Air Force in sound, acoustics and electronics and the week before I left the Air Force, I went looking for an engineering gig, but soon found out I was terribly under qualified.
“I tore out about two pages of recording studios out of the phonebook and got turned down by every one. All of the engineers working in the studios at that time had a background mixing TV and radio shows. The last door I walked through was Fred Foster‘s studio, Foster Recording, on 7th Ave. Little did I know that it was one of the premiere studios in Nashville. That’s where I met Bill Porter and Tommy Strong, two of the town’s most respected and acclaimed engineers. They were looking for someone to train as a backup engineer. As fate would have it, I walked through that door with my Sunday-best suit on at the right time and they gave me an opportunity that changed my life.”
A few years later, Porter purchased United Recording in Las Vegas and asked Brent to join him. By then, Brent was an engineer with hits under his belt. The first was “Everlasting Love,” by Robert Knight, which was a connection that would change his course again in the years to come.
Maher’s first major producing gig was with Bobby Darin.
“Bobby booked the studio for me to mix an album that he recorded in Los Angeles. He was happy with the mixes, but there was one track that didn’t come together. We decided to record it with a group of musicians I had been working with and he absolutely loved it. Then we put his voice on it. A few months later he said, ‘I’m going to start a record company (Direction Records) and I’d like to be partners.’ I was beside myself. We became very, very dear friends. About a year into it, he had another heart episode and pasted away far too young.”
“During that time at United Recording, Ike and Tina Turner came in to record a few sides to complete their record. We hit it off and they did a whole album with me about a year later.”
“On the second project, we recorded ‘Proud Mary,’ which became my first Gold record. Engineering the project was an amazing and inspiring experience on many levels. I hadn’t touched my guitar in years, but I went home one night and I was channeling Ike and I started writing this funky thing and my wife encouraged me to play it for Ike and Tina. The next day after we were done working on their project, I stayed late and demoed the song. It took all the courage I had, but I played it for Ike. I didn’t say I was pitching it, I didn’t say it was me. Ike seemed to be grooving and he said, ‘That’s really funky…Did you write this? Can I play it for Tina?’ They recorded it and I co-produced it with Ike. They recorded ‘Work on Me’ and ‘Love Sweet Love,’ which were also his first cuts, as a writer.”
“Working with Tina was one of the highlights of my career and Ike showed me how to not overwork things and let the groove rule. He was such a great guitar player.
“Oddly enough, a few months later, United Recording burned down. Porter left the studio business to run live sound for Elvis and I was out of a job.
“I felt I should check out what was going on back in Nashville. My first client ever as a recording engineer was Buzz Cason. He was the co-writer and producer of my first hit, ‘Everlasting Love.’ When I called Buzz, before I said a word, he said, ‘I can’t believe my secretary found you this fast.’ I commented that she never called. And Buzz said, ‘what are you doing on the phone?’ and I said, ‘I called you.’ We were both dumb-founded. Fate had played its hand once again.
“Buzz said, ‘Do you remember the B-side to ‘Everlasting Love,’ ‘Love On A Mountaintop?’ It’s No. 1 in the UK. They want to release an album and we don’t have one. I need you to engineer it. I said [laughing to myself], ‘That shouldn’t be a problem.’
Maher moved back to Nashville to help build Creative Workshop Recording Studio. In the late 70′s at Creative, Maher engineered Olivia Newton John‘s first album in the U.S. along with projects by Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Jimmy Buffett, Dottie West, Michael Johnson, Dave Loggins, Larry Gatlin and many others. “I reconnected with Fred Foster (Monument Records) and engineered some amazing artists on his label including Roy Orbison, Boots Randolph and Grady Martin. I engineered ‘Dream Lover’ by Tanya Tucker and Glen Campbell, which was written by my old friend Bobby Darin. Also, The Faces recorded a few songs at Creative. These were Ron Wood‘s last recordings with The Faces before he joined The Rolling Stones.
Beyond his musical career, Maher has given lectures on engineering and production for various schools and universities, he has a large collection of vintage Gretsch guitars and was one of the founding members of Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers. In 2011 he created “Cowboy Golf” and now designs golf courses on ranches, which led to founding the Boots and Bandana Golf Association based in Franklin, Tennessee, at The Pines Golf Course. The events benefit charities that include MusiCares, The Facial Pain Research Foundation, and others.
PAUL WORLEY
In a modest one-room office, on Music Square East, Paul Worley with nothing more than a cell phone, a coffee-maker, a desk, a couch and a guitar is finally doing the ‘only’ thing he wants to do … ‘ARTIST DEVELOPMENT’ … ‘Crème de la Crème’.
He has no staff … no full-time personal assistant, no full-time production assistant, no interns, no partners, no studios to run, no publishing staff and no label staff, to enhance his productivity (as he puts it). As a matter of fact, Worley laughingly admits that, he doesn’t get nearly the amount done in one day, that he used to … And he’s loving every second of his new-found freedom. Everything Worley doesn’t do, he out-sources … as required … to ‘the highest’ levels of the industry … the relationships that Paul so proudly cherished, throughout his legendary and already ‘Historical’ career.
When you’ve worn all the hats as successfully as Paul, one would think that, picking one would be difficult, but not so. Paul’s a family man. He and his wife Karen, a violinist whom he met on a Martina McBride session, have two children … 15 and 12 (who are about to get a new puppy) … along with, Paul’s older children from a previous marriage … now 40 & 37 and three grandchildren. As a matter of fact, Paul’s eldest son Nick has a studio at The House of Blues in Berry Hill. So when you think about it … what could possibly be more full-filling for Worley than, being able to provide a real ‘Yellow Brick Road’ for bright, driven, young talent and watching them fulfill their dreams?
From his 20 yr (13 album) relationship with Martina McBride, through The Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Big & Rich, Pam Tillis, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Collin Raye, Sara Evans, Blake Shelton, Highway 101, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Cindy Thompson, John Anderson, Gary Morris, Marie Osmond, Neil Diamond, Eddy Raven, Lisa Brokop, Desert Rose, Emmylou Harris, Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson, right back to Gospel artist Cynthia Clawson, Ryders In The Sky, Burl Ives and Tennessee Ernie Ford, Worley’s production discography garnered 5 Grammys, countless CMA & ACM Awards and an healthy number of ‘Producer of the Year’ Awards.
His first number one single was Eddie Raven’s “I Got Mexico” and as his production discography grew, Paul partnered up with famed drummer Eddie Bayers and built The Money Pit (studio) in 1984. Some of the artists who recorded at the Money Pit were Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Big and Rich, Pam Tillis, Bruce Hornsby and Kid Rock. The studio sold in 2004, then later, in association with Skyline, Worley and his partners built studio # 2, Shabby Row. But historically, The Money Pit is where Worley first met Clarke Schleicher (pronounced Sly-sher), who has been at the desk with Paul for the past 30 years.
Then Worley went on to become a Vice President at Sony BMG from 1989 -1997 … An experience that only a select few producers, can bring to the table.
Worley: I got a call to go work at Tree Publishing Company with songwriters like Harlan Howard and Curly Putman, Don Cooke and Kix Brooks before he started making albums. CBS bought Tree and Sony bought CBS and I was there during that transition. After a few years at Tree, Sony wanted to make a change in their executive structure and I was right there making hit records for everybody else, so they took me in over there.
Five years later, Paul went back inside and became Chief Creative Officer at Warner Bros. Records in 2002 … His second major label position (a competitor of Sony) … a unique perspective which even fewer producers, can bring to ‘Artist Development’.
Shortly after in 2004 hit songwriter/artist career manager Wally Wilson and two other partners, teamed-up with Worley and founded Skyline Records and Skyline Music Publishing, whose catalog today boasts the works of Hugh Prestwood, Jimmy Yeary, The Henningsens, Jon Stone, Kelleigh Bannen, Tay Barton, Lisa Brokop, Adam Browder, Don Cook, Michael Davey, George Ducas, Jeremy Easley, Jen Foster, James Harrison, Sara Haze, Randy Houser, Tammy Hyler, Brandon Kinney, Jacob Lyda, Kelsey Mathews, Kim Mclean, Hudson Moore, Paul Nelson, Terry Radigan, Chick Rains, Kevin Welch, Emma White, Skylar Wilson…plus countless BMI and ASCAP Awards.
But let us not forget that beneath all of the afore-mentioned … Worley is a musician, whose career really started to take hold back, when he became a part of Jim Ed Norman‘s rhythm section. Jim Ed moved to Nashville from LA, to head-up Warner Bros. and he took a chance on some new young guys – Eddie Bayers, Dennis Burnsides, Michael Rhodes, Sonny Garrish, Marshall Morgan, Rafe Van Hoy, Steve Gibson and others , so it wasn’t long before Paul got ‘the producer bug’, from logging all those hours, in the studio. What’s rare is all of the perspectives that Worley acquired ‘first-hand’, amidst over a $ Billion in record sales.
Worley is also a ‘Nashville Son’. He sang in the youth choir in church, taught himself how to play guitar, played in bands throughout university and graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in Philosophy. Get the picture?
Today, Worley is one of the hottest talent scouts in the biz. And the complexities of discovering, developing and producing new talent are where Worley’s passion lies. Paul set out to be a ‘Star’ and he became one … ‘off-stage’. And his stable of ‘future stars’, couldn’t be in better hands. No doubt …
DANN HUFF
Looking at even a partial discography of Dann Huff’s session work makes one realize that every iconic producer from Quincy Jones and David Foster to Phil Ramone, Mutt Lang and beyond hired Huff to play on some of the most significant records of our time … Which probably accounts in-part, for Dann’s move into production. That’s some serious teachers. But the fact is … only musicians of Huff’s caliber get called to do sessions for Barbra Streisand, Kenny Loggins, Reba McEntire, Celine Dion, DC Talk, Shania Twain, Michael Bolton, Luther Vandross, Peter Cetera, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Amy Grant, Fine Young Cannibals, Barry Manilow, The Temptations, Chaka Khan, O’Jays, Smokey Robinson, Clint Black, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Natalie Cole, Gladis Knight, Neville Brothers, Dusty Springfield, Rick Springfield, Olivia Newton-John, Toby Keith, Joe Cocker, Bryan Ferry, Peter Wolf, Martina McBride, Chicago, Wynonna, Glen Campbell, Paula Abdul, Tammy Wynette, Mariah Carey, Merle Haggard, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs and Billy Joel.
And that was only the beginning of Dann’s phenomenal career … After returning to Nashville, thanks to a friendly nudge from Mutt Lang to pursue producing, the Nashville community opened their arms too. Huff’s production discography definitely shows the love. Keith, Urban, Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Lonestar, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Wynonna, Deana Carter, Pat Green, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmy Wayne, Bon Jovi, Shedaisy, Kenny Rogers, Leann Rimes, Martina McBride, Bryan White, Chely Wright, Rebecca St. James, Collin Raye, Trace Adkin, Julianne Hough, Steel Magnolia, Hunter Hayes, Brantley Gilbert, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, Sarah Darling, Mickey G, Johnny Gates and The Invite, Kenny Rogers, The Nashville TV Show, Reba’s TV show, Big & Rich, Billy Currington, Maddie and Tae, Jennifer Nettles, Thompson Square, Seth Alley, Danielle Bradbery, and The Band Perry are only the beginning … and the artists just keep-on-comin’.
Some of Huff’s more recent clients include Steven Tyler, Thomas Rhett, in co-production with Jesse Frazier on Valory Music, Brett Young on Big Machine, Runaway June on Broken Bow, Kane Brown on Sony, Rachel Wamnack from Muscle Shoals, Tucker Befford and MIDLAND on Big Machine, in co-production with Shane MacAnally and Josh Osbourn.
But in a world where producers and engineers come & go quite frequently, one of the things that Dann cherishes the most is his 30 yr relationship with engineer Justin Niebank.
A partial list of Dann’s accolades includes …
Billboard ‘Producer of the Decade’
2016 CMA ‘Musician of the Year’
2014 ACM Producer of the Year
2010 ACM Producer of the Year
2006 ACM Producer of the Year
2006 MUSIC ROW AWARDS Producer of the Year
2005 Grammy Recipient for Best Album
2004 CMA Musician of the Year
2001 CMA Musician of the Year
After reluctantly reviewing some of his awards, I just about fell off my chair laughing when Dann asked, if he could expect a Rolex at some point? My guess would be yes … but it’s far too early yet.
One thing is for sure … Dann Huff will always be the pride of his Father, his Family and Nashville … the place where he was born.
FRANK LIDDELL
If I were to speculate as to why Frank Liddell is one of the most sought-after producers on Music Row, I would have to say he has great ears, great instincts, he knows when to get out of the way and his records don’t sound like anybody else’s. But don’t think for one minute his learning curve was easy. Liddell wasn’t an engineer, a musician, a songwriter or an artist. He joked about being out to dinner with Dann Huff and not understanding a word he says half the time…and Huff thought he was joking. Liddell says having a publishing background and having a musician’s background are worlds apart.
Liddell moved from Houston to Nashville in the early ’90s, where his first two career stops were Bluewater Music and Decca, where he pitched songs, scouted talent, and helped creatively direct careers but, it was during his stint at Decca, that he started doing what producer’s do.
“I started doing demos years ago with a guy named Bill Holiday, a guitar player who had a studio. And the first time I showed up, he had a track sheet and at the top it said my name as a Producer. I said, ‘What does a producer do?’ I was a songplugger. And he said, ‘You’re gonna help me figure this thing out.’ I had so much fun.”
In 1997, Liddell launched Carnival Music’s publishing arm with partner Travis Hill, an embodiment of his fully formed music-first philosophy.
“This is a talent-driven town, not marketing driven,” Liddell says. “The marketing doesn’t inspire the talent; the talent inspires the marketing.”
Today Carnival has a boat-load of publishing awards, a record label division, The Carnival Recording Co. and 14 staff writers including Adam Wright, Aubrie Sellers, Brent Cobb, Dani Flowers, David Nail, Derik Hultquist, Hailey Whitters, Mando Saenz, Scooter Carusoe, Stoney LaRue, Troy Jones, Dustin Christenson, Aham Smith and Gretchen Peters, a handful of whom, are in artist development. Since its inception, Carnival has published the first No. 1 singles of eight songwriters’ careers.
Recently Liddell won his fourth Album of the Year trophy at the 2017 ACM Awards for Miranda Lambert’s The Weight of These Wings and 2014 ACM Producer of the Year, following his three other wins, for his work on Four the Record in 2012, Revolution in 2010 and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in 2008.
The Weight of These Wings is two discs (24 songs) and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No. 3 on the all-genre US Billboard 200 chart in 2016 and is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Other releases Liddell has worked on include Lee Ann Womack’s The Way I’m Livin’, The Very Best of Kellie Pickler, David Nail’s Fighter and I’m a Fire, Stoney LaRue’s Aviator, and Eli Young Band’s 10,000 Towns in 2014, Aubrie Seller’s New City Blues album in 2016 and Charlie Worsham’s 2017 album Beginning of Things.
Corey Crowder
Another Georgia boy, producer/songwriter Corey Crowder is killin’ it on both fronts, which comes as no surprise considering the journey that led him to producing his first major label artist, Chris Young, in 2014. All three singles from Young’s album I’m Comin’ Over went to No. 1, two of which Crowder wrote with Young and Josh Hoge, including the title track. Next came Young’s Christmas record released in Oct. 2016, followed by his recently-released album Losing Sleep, which debuted at No. 1 on the country albums rankings and Top 5 over all genres. The single “Losing Sleep” released in May, has sold over 130,000 copies to date. Crowder’s production discography now includes Eric Paslay, Seth Ennis (Sony), Cassadee Pope (BMLG), A Thousand Horses (BMLG), Jamie Lynn Spears, Cale Dodds (Warner Bros.), Canadian Jess Moskaluke, Tim Hicks, Lit and James Otto.
“We’re right in the heat of the Cale Dodds record and the Cassadee Pope record and I’m super-excited about that stuff,” Crowder says. “Cassadee is fun because she comes from the rock world too, so Cass and I get to blend this new school country thing with our love for the rock scene.”
Now couple that with Crowder’s songwriting accolades, including two No. 1 hits with Young, multiple ASCAP awards and a significant run of cuts with Jon Pardi, Justin Moore, Cole Swindell, Michael Ray, Chris Janson, Jerrod Niemann, Ennis, Kane Brown, Dodds, The Cadillac Three and Kenny Rogers, multiple Canadian chart-topping singles with Moskaluke and Hicks and continued success with film/TV placements on shows like ABC’s Nashville and CMT’s Gainesville, for which he wrote the theme song.
And it all began with a guitar that Crowder’s father bought him at a pawn shop.
But even after a couple of years worth of lessons at the pawn shop, guitar was barely a hobby, until Crowder started playing in church around 15, which is when he also started singing in high school, and later doing originals at George College open mic nights, while recording his songs on his Guitar Center beginner recording kit, in his bedroom and putting his music on MySpace. Though Crowder wasn’t interested in being on the show, they used his music in almost every show for the next five seasons, which was when Crowder realized he could make a living with music.
Because his songs were on TV, people were actually interested in seeing him so he started booking himself on tour (sometimes by himself and sometimes with a band) and every time he would have another 10 or 12 song placements on the reality show, he’d put them out as records, which eventually led to his first record deal in Nashville on a Christian label, Tooth n Nail Records, and his first publishing deal with EMI. When that didn’t work out for Crowder, he found himself back at home playing in bars, a little discouraged. But shortly thereafter, a rep from Sony Nashville was scouting talent at the UGA Music Business School and found Crowder through a mutual friend and took him to Nashville to play for Sony, who signed him at 26 to his second record deal ‘on the spot’, in 2009, which subsequently led to a pub deal with Universal. This brought Crowder back to Nashville, but this time, writing with Nashville’s best writers, because he had a deal. As Corey tells it, “I skipped the entry-level portion of it.”
Crowder eventually left Sony, and some of those hit writers stopped writing with him but, a lot of them had become friends and they and Crowder kept writing … and his writing career took off and his producing career blossomed. Crowder had produced his own records before coming to Nashville, but now he was in the studio producing demos “the Nashville way” and it wasn’t long before people started raving about his productions, which led to his first production credits with Spears and Moskaluke.
He got his first songwriter cut while he was with Universal. The Cadillac Three singled “Tennessee Mojo” in Europe, where they have a huge audience. Then, after three and a half years with Universal, Crowder wrote for Liz Rose for four years until just recently signing a new deal with Tree Vibez Music, which was founded by Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, in 2015.
CARL JACKSON
Carl Jackson has been acknowleged in so many ways for his remarkable talents that, it has already become impossible to encaptulate his ‘Legendary’ body of work, without leaving out some pretty significant moments. His most recent being … Glen Campbell’s Historical sixty-fourth and final studio album ADIOS, scheduled for release on June 9, 2017. And how apropos … Glen was 36 in 1972’, when he hired Carl … Carl was 18. And I’m sure that one of Glen’s proudest accomlishments was mentoring a talented young boy, into a living legend.
Glen watched on as Carl concentrated heavily on his vocal and songwriting chops, as well as his musicianship, developing his every talent from playing the banjo to producing. A short ‘but significant’ list of artists featured in Carl’s enormous discography includes; Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Glen Campbell, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Dwight Yoakam, Garth Brooks, Janie Fricke, Sweethearts Of The Rodeo, Marsha Thornton, John Anderson, Mac Davis, Pam Tillis, Radney Foster, Joe Diffie, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Holly Dunn, Lorrie Morgan, Martina McBride, Marty Stuart, Ken Mellons, Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams Jr., Rodney Crowell, Mike Reid, James Bonemy, Mindy McReady, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Whitley, George Jones, Rhonda Vincent, Patty Loveless, Ricky Van Shelton, Shawn King, Ashley Monroe, Alecia Nugent, Mark Newton, Bradley Walker, Travis Tritt, Merle Haggard, Jon Randall, Blake Shelton, Roger Miller, Wild Rose, Diamond Rio, Daron Norwood, Mike Snider, The Seldom Scene, Charly McLain, Nancy Sinatra, The Chuck Wagon Gang, Bobbie Cryner, The Lewis Family, Keith Stegall, Tony Rice, Red Steagal, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Whites, lllrd Tyme Out, The Rarely Herd, Continental Divide, The McCarters, Val Storey, The Country Gentlemen, Mark Newton, Johnny Paycheck, Mel Tillis, Jim & Jesse, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Jerry Salley, Ricky Lynn Gregg, Mountain Heart, Terri Clark, The Oak Ridge Boys, Marty Raybon, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tricia Yearwood, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Keb’ Mo’, Joey + Rory and the Father of Bluegrass himself Mr. Bill Monroe, just to name a few of the more than 650 albums that Carl has touched, in some way … Nine of which were his own including his most recent “Grace Notes”, two albums for Capitol Records, (“Carl Jackson: Banjo Player” and “Old Friends”) and three for Sugar Hill, (“Banjo Man: A Tribute To Earl Scruggs”, “Song Of The South”, and “Banjo Hits”).
Glen had a ring-side seat as Carl emerged as one of Nashville’s most prolific songwriters, crafting over 400 songs that have been recorded, with sales in excess of 50 Million, by such artists as, Trisha Yearwood “Lonesome Dove”, Pam Tillis “Put Yourself In My Place”, Diamond Rio “Close To The Edge”, Patty Loveless “You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are”, Steve Wariner “The Same Mistake Again”, Vince Gill “Real Lady’s Man”, Wild Rose “Breaking New Ground”, Daron Norwood “My Girl Friday”, Rhonda Vincent “I’m Not Over You”, Mike Snider, The Seldom Scene, Charly McLain, Nancy Sinatra, The Chuck Wagon Gang, Bobbie Cryner, The Lewis Family, Keith Stegall, Tony Rice, Red Steagal, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Ricky Skaggs, The Whites, lllrd Tyme Out, The Rarely Herd, Alecia Nugent, Continental Divide, The McCarters, The Country Gentlemen, Mark Newton, Johnny Paycheck, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Mel Tillis, Bradley Walker, Jim & Jesse, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Jon Randall, Ricky Lynn Gregg, Mountain Heart, Terri Clark, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Marty Raybon, Joe Diffie, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and of course, Glen Campbell’s “Letter to Home”, Carl’s first top 10 country cut.
He proudly witnessed Carl receive his first Grammy in 1992, exactly 20 yrs after they met, for his album with John Starling entitled “SPRING TRAINING”, a Dove Award for Southern Gospel Song of the Year, “Where Shadows Never Fall”, recorded by Glen. And, the beautiful ballad, “No Future In The Past”, sung by Male vocalist of the Year Vince Gill, which was named the #1 Country Song of the Year for 1993 by Radio & Records magazine.
And then came Carl’s second Grammy … the 2003 Country Album of the Year, “Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’ – Songs of The Louvin Brothers” along with “How’s The World Treating You”, an incredible duet from the album, featuring James Taylor and Alison Krauss, which also won the 2003 Grammy for Vocal Collaboration of the Year, for which Jackson received a Grammy Certificate. Then, there was Carl’s 5 IBMA Awards, 3 ASCAP Awards, and an International TV Programming Award.
Carl: Glen and I were close and have remained so all through the years. There were shows all over the world, there was a lot of golf, and although mostly on the road, dinners were not limited to Sunday. Heck, I even introduced Glen to Kim… it was never strictly business… it was family.
During their 45 year relationship, Campbell saw Jackson’s song Little Mountain Church House, win the 1990 International Bluegrass Music Association ‘Song of the Year’ and get recorded by over 100 artists. According to a poll conducted by Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, Carl wrote 8 of the top Bluegrass songs of all time.
Carl is a Mississippi Musicians Hall of Famer and in 2008 he became an SPBGMA Preservation Hall of Greats inductee. CJ has won SPBGMA Songwriter of the Year twice and in 2011, the state of Mississippi honored Carl with an official Country Music Trail Marker in his hometown of Louisville, Mississippi. The beautiful marker, which highlights Jackson’s career, stands within a stone’s throw of the historic Strand Theatre where Carl performs his annual “Home for Christmas” concert every December; the very building where he used to watch movies as a kid.
Then, in 2012 Carl became the recipient of THE GOVERNOR’S AWARD for excellence in music.
And I’ll bet Carl and Glen kicked-back many-a-time and watched a ball game or two, while harmonizing jazz notes, on the songs Carl penned for the California Angels “California 9 to 5”, “Dreams” and “Something To Shout About” and the Ole Miss Rebels “Neath The Oaks In The Grove”. Now that’s funny …
Carl: I’ve used the expression “labor of love” many times for projects that I have produced, but this time those words apply even more. Glen Campbell gave me a job when I was eighteen years old. Glen Campbell featured me on every show he did all over the world from 1972 until 1984. Glen Campbell recorded my song “Letter To Home” and made it my first Top Ten country record. Glen Campbell gave me the most beautiful goddaughter anyone could ever hope for. That’s just a very short list… it goes on and on and on. Being entrusted with the production of this final studio album of the man I consider the greatest singer EVER is an honor I will treasure the rest of my life. Glen Campbell is family and I love him dearly.
And family he became. Glen and his wife Kim asked Carl to be their daughter Ashley’s Godfather.
Carl: That beautiful, talented, young lady is VERY instrumental in my life and my happiness.
ADIOS features twelve cover songs that Glen has wanted to record for some time, and includes guest appearances by Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and Glen’s children Ashley, Shannon and Cal.
Carl: Due to Glen’s condition (Alzheimer’s), there were definitely some challenges beyond the norm. However, the kinship and love in the room was magic and I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish together. Glen was remarkable, as always.
Most recently, Carl has been on a long-overdue and timely hyidas since he finished Othophonic Joy and Glen’s farewell album ADIOS. I say timely because, Carl’s Father (Lee) has not been well, for some time … and although Carl told me his Dad is improving, he’s not completely out of the woods yet, so please keep Mr. Jackson in your prayers. It was Lee in the mid-sixties, who took Carl back stage, to meet and play for Jim & Jesse McReynolds, near his hometown of Louisville, Mississippi, which resulted in, Carl landing his first professional gig with the bluegrass greats, at 14 years of age.
I’m sure Glen would agree that … The richness of Carl Jackson’s musical contributions, mirrors the richness of Carl Jackson’s life … And visa-versa.
DOUG JOHNSON
Although many prefer not to work ‘inside’, Doug Johnson is one of a small handful of legendary producers, who prefer to be at the pulse, where A&R, artist development and writer development collide. And for good reason … at the heart of it all, is a songwriter, with well over 100 cuts, including 10 top 10s and 10 number ones. Interestingly enough, Doug Johnson has the distinction of being the only ‘Hit’ songwriter in Nashville, to ‘ever’ maintain three successful careers, ‘simultaneously’.
In the past 25 years, as President of Giant and VP of A&R at Epic and Curb, Johnson has signed, produced, written with, nurtured, launched and overseen the careers of, countless stars, from Patty Loveless, Collin Raye, Doug Stone, Joe Diffie, Ty Herndon, Sons of the Desert, Clay Walker, The Wilkinsons, Blake Shelton, Joe Nichols, Neal McCoy, Tim McGraw, Leann Rimes, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Trace Adkins, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna, Rodney Atkins, Lee Brice, Clay Walker and Heidi Newfield, to Kelsea Ballerini. And you only have to be in his presence for about 1 minute, to realize that, Black River’s growing pains are officially over.
Listening to Doug talk about the joy and the significance, of having the opportunity to sit in a room and write with Kelsea Ballerini and Gordon Kerr while they go through that vital process of discovery, speaks volumes to, his passion and the keys to his success … And he has plenty to say.
“There’s never been a time, where hit records made and who an artist is, needs to be more genuine because singles lasting as long as they do on new artists, can last 40 weeks. Lee Brice’s song Love Like Crazy lasted fifty six weeks. It’s good for me as a writer but, for a record company, cost of promotion but, also trying to put a name with the face like, who is Lee Brice, you know that brand. But I guess we all know what it means. I think that, the fact that for us, Kelsea Ballarini is totally Kelsea Ballerini. She has not tried to be Kelsea Ballerini. And luckily for us, Forrest Whitehead and Jason Massey who co-produced it, basically went in and made a record that, the three of them love. And thankfully we weren’t dumb enough to find anything wrong with that. They made the record they love, personally, that she loves.
Sam hunt is genuine. There’s an amazing group of songwriters around him that have great material, and a great record but he’s genuine. Chris Stapleton is genuine. None of the above are anything alike but, you know what you’re getting pretty quick.”
Lee Brice’s massive hit Love Like Crazy written by Doug Johnson and Tim James broke the record established by Eddie Arnold, for the longest chart run in the history, of the Hot Country Songs charts.
“Radio is not the enemy. I’ve always said that radio can’t play what we don’t send them. I think it’s a matter of just great music. The biggest artist in the world, Adele … it’s just great music. She’s a great singer and it’s hitting a nerve. She said in an article that, she thinks it’s the fact that, she’s a little overweight, and she might be a little ordinary. I’m not sure exactly her words but, the essence was that, she thinks it helps her success because, she’s just another one of the people out in the world, with a few pounds extra. If they are moved, I think the hair on the back of their neck and their arms matter more.
I think it’s good to have a look. Jack Nicholson has a look as an actor. And we, as A&R people and producers and people in our format … it’s always tempting to listen with our eyes sometimes or, to let that be part of the equation and the truth is … in the world of media, record labels are going to spend a million plus dollars to give a new artist a real chance. So you want everything to be as good as it can be.
Another challenge to me … the track guys in town. Which are some brilliant talent but, if we’re not careful because so much of the sounds are similar, we’re going to end up with a lot of male artists sounding similar.
SHANE McANALLY
Shane McAnally started writing songs in Texas when he was 8, he began performing in clubs for the first time when he was 12, appeared on Star Search at 15 and later spent a whole summer performing in Branson, before returning to Texas, where he became a regular, on the Opry circuit … and he never slowed down. So it’s no wonder that, when the ‘very savvy’ 19 yr old singer/songwriter/musician arrived in Nashville in ‘93, it only took him 2 years to get signed to both, a record deal and a pub deal. During his 5 yr stint with Curb, Shane toured with Reba, Kenny Chesney and Alabama, living his childhood dream on the big stage but, as fate would have it, not at radio. The best of the three singles released on McAnally peaked at No. 31 on Billboard and he exited the label, which ‘in hind-sight’ was the beginning of a miraculous transition, that eventually propelled him from being ‘the artist’, to becoming one of this year’s nominees for Music Row ‘Producer of the Year’ and a 2016 nominee for ACM ‘Songwriter of the Year’.
After Curb, Shane had a private show with Joe Galante at RCA but, while recording a few sides and doing a showcase, he had already made up his mind to move to LA, which turned out to be a pretty rough 7 yr stretch as a bartender, while continuing to write and play a lot of music by himself. But Nashville wasn’t finished with McAnally. In 2008, Shane finally got his first major cut with Leann Womack’s, ‘Last Call’, thanks to co-writer Erin Enderlin, and it was back to Music City. In 2009 his co-write with Jamie Teachenor, ‘What Is Country’ was cut by Luke Bryan and then, in 2010 … the flood gates opened. Reba cut ‘All the Woman I am’, a co-write with Kent Blazy and Marv Green, ‘Cry’, a co-write with Brandy Clark and ‘The Day She Got Divorced’, another co-write with Brandy and Mark D. Sanders. That same year, LeAnn Rimes recorded ‘Crazy Women’ another co-write with Clark and Jessi Jo Dillon and Shane got his first # 1 ‘HIT’ with Kenny Chesney, a co-write with J.T. Harding. Not bad for a guy without a publishing deal. But that was only half of what was brewing.
Along the way, McAnally’s obsession with songwriting led to what became the final phase of his transition into producing. It all began when Shane organized the first of many songwriter retreats, at a cabin on Center Hill Lake with Brandy Clark, Josh Osborne, Old Dominion’s Mathew Ramsey & Trevor Rosen and Matt Jenkins. At the time, they’d all been kickin’ around for about 10 years with little success but something clicked. And as they began writing and recording their demos, Shane found himself, at their request, producing their demos.
In a recent interview, McAnally said: We would all set up there and literally, would write with no agenda because, none of us had anything going on, We would all just write songs we loved and a lot of those songs got recorded. There was something special about everyone in that crew.”
They called themselves ‘The Hit Shitters’, and it was ‘that’ combination of talent, that proved to lay the foundation, for Smack Songs. McAnally’s new publishing, production and artist development company which he and his partners Michael Baum and Robin Palmer launched in 2011. Staff writers include original ‘Hit Shitters’ Shane, Mathew, Trevor and Josh Osborne … plus … Josh Jenkins, Mathew McGinn, Jo Smith and Walker Hayes.
Brandy Clark eventually bought the cabin, the retreats continued and ‘Shane n Clark’ still go there, while putting the finishing touches on the musical score of songs for MOONSHINE, the HEE HAW adapted musical, by Robert Horn which debuted in Dallas at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theater, to ‘Rave Reviews’ in September 2015 and is now headed for Broadway,
Shane’s producing credits now boast two Kacy Musgraves albums on Mercury/UMG, Same Trailer Park in 2013 and Pageant Material in 2015, co-produced with Luke Laird, Sam Hunt’s album Montevallo, which he co-produced with Zach Crowell, on MCA/UMG, in 2014, Old Dominion on Sony, in 2015 and he’s currently finishing up Jake Owen’s new album, which he co-produced with Ross Copperman, another current nominee for Music Row’s coveted ‘Producer of the Year’ Award, along with Shane, Byron Gallimore, Jay Joyce and Frank Liddell.
To-date, McAnally has had over 150 major cuts, 15 of which went to No. 1, he’s already won CMA and Grammy awards and last year was named Billboard magazine’s No. 1 hot country songwriter, No. 4 hot country producer and No. 7 hot country publisher for his company Smack Songs. So far, every album Shane has produced or co-produced has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Album … Transition complete.
JAY DEMARCUS
It looks like Jay DeMarcus’s musical journey has ‘finally’ come full-circle. The truth is … Jay didn’t come to Nashville to do 200 dates a year with Rascal Flatts, he came here to produce and write songs. The remarkable part is … he’s managed to do it all. And the proof is in the puddin’ …
In addition to producing Reba McIntire’s next album and Rascal Flatts current album REWIND, while preparing for their 2016: Rhythm & Roots Tour with special guests Jana Kramer (Spring Dates) and Kelsea Ballerini & Chris Lane (Summer/Fall Dates), DeMarcus has also produced the band CHICAGO, ALABAMA, 3 albums for Michael English, Jo Dee Messina, James Otto, Laura Bell Bundy, Kix Brooks, Jason Crabb, Austin Bridge, Ronnie Dunn, Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe, for Scott Borchetta on Big Machine, Rascal Flatts and Lucy Hale on WE LOVE DISNEY along-side David Foster and The NASHVILLE Cast Christmas Record. And that’s just a partial list.
Jay is also a killer self-taught multi-instrument musician, who seldom turns down session work, when opportunities to play with artists like Brian McKnight, Leann Rimes, Lady Antebellum and Lionel Richie come his way. His body of work has also garnered multiple Grammy and GMA Dove awards and nominations, an impressive list of songwriter credits, and what appears to be, a promising acting career. Jay was born in Columbus, Ohio in ’71, to musical parents.
“Yeah, they met playing music. Both my mom and my dad grew up playing music with their families. All I knew growing up was, my dad was gone nights playing music and he was really good at it and my mom was Country Music Queen of Ohio in 1969.”
Jay started playing drums when he could walk, wrote his first song at age 11, learned how to play bass, keyboards, guitar and mandolin and sang his ass off in bands, while attending Lee College in Cleveland, Tennessee before arriving in Nashville in ‘92, only to land a record deal on Benson, with Christian group East To West. But the rest is like a blur to DeMarcus, whose fame with Rascal Flatts has been etched in stone, on both the Nashville and Hollywood Walks of Fame.
Then, on May 15, 2004, DeMarcus married CMT Personality Allison Alderson, currently acting as host of “Reel Eats” and “CMT Southbound,” who while hosting “CMT Hot 20” met DeMarcus on the music video set for the Rascal Flatts song, These Days. Their first child, Madeline Leigh, was born in December 2010 and Jay and Allison welcomed a son, Dylan Jay, in July 2012.
“I wanted to write and produce and it’s so funny, I’ve had two artist record deals without really trying. I never really wanted to be an artist. I was so much more fascinated with the behind-the-scenes stuff.”
Looking at what appears to be, a long over-due focus on producing, all I can say is, DeMarcus is finally gettin’ to-do, what he came here to-do … “God lifts us up where we belong,” Congratulations Jay.
Victoria Shaw
Now that Victoria Shaw has done it all, she’s just getting started. Sixty-five million records to her name, Shaw’s highly developed, instinctive approach to music—and her warm sense of humor—make it all look easy.
She’s written and produced numerous hits, recorded her own albums, and runs her own publishing company in the heart of Music Row. Shaw won the ACM Award for Song of the Year award for co-writing John Michael Montgomery’s “I Love The Way You Love Me,” and the CMA Award for producing Single of the Year Lady Antebellum’s “I Run To You.”
Shaw’s first three No. 1s as a songwriter came in 1992, with the hit by Montgomery, as well as Doug Stone’s “Too Busy Being In Love,” and Garth Brooks’ “The River.” In 1994, Shaw signed an artist deal with Warner/Reprise Records, releasing her debut album In Full View which garnered three singles. She was nominated for ACM Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. She also scored another No. 1 by Brooks, “She’s Every Woman.”
In 1998, Trisha Yearwood recorded Shaw’s “Where Your Road Leads” as a duet with Brooks. It was the title track to Yearwood’s album and was released as a single.
Shaw’s diverse body of work has won more than 20 ASCAP and SESAC Awards, (including Publisher of the Year), two Emmy Awards, and resulted in cuts by artists as diverse as Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera, Keb Mo, Olivia Newton-John, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Reba, Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael McDonald and Eric Church.
In 2007-08 Shaw co-produced Lady Antebellum’s self-titled platinum debut album which earned them CMA Awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Single of The Year, “I Run To You.”
As an artist she has recorded five albums, five videos, and toured extensively in Europe, but it is likely that her most memorable gig is performing in Central Park with Brooks in front of his 750,000 people.
Shaw was born in Manhattan, New York, but her family moved to Los Angeles when she was five. Before Victoria was born, her mother recorded for Capitol Records and Verve Records under the name Carole Bennett. Shaw’s father, Ray Shaw, was also a singer and performer working on Broadway and in touring companies.
Growing up in Southern California, Victoria was inspired by Country rock and pop songwriters such as The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and James Taylor. She began writing songs at an early age and by the time she was 13, Shaw had started a band called SOLICE and was performing at L.A. weddings and high school dances. At 18, she moved back to New York by herself, playing in piano bars at night and managing the High Rise Sound studio during the day.
Talking to Chad Carlson at his poolside Cabana home studio about the 2 Grammys he received for Taylor Swift’s FEARLESS album led to, his never-ending passion for female voices which is well-reflected in his impressive body of work. Carlson’s Engineering and Production discography includes 4 albums with Taylor, 2 with Trisha Yearwood, Allison Kraus, Chase Rice, Love & Theft, Brandy Clark, Sugarland, Blues Traveler, Jewel, Lady Antebellum/Stevie Nicks, Love & Theft, Randy Houser, Janis Ian, Thompson Square, Jana Kramer, Maddie & Tae, Matraca Berg, Rachel Proctor, Cole Swindell, Mickey Guyton, Katie Armiger and Point Of Grace, which gives you an idea of how busy Chad has been, since he arrived in Nashville in 2002.
Chad hails from Orlando, Florida where his mother was a choir director, his (deacon) father played trombone and Chad mastered the french horn in high school, which led to a scholarship at Southern Adventist University and a seat in the Chattanooga Symphony, while playing guitar in rock bands, on the side, before attending and graduating from the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Phoenix, AZ
Admittedly, Chad didn’t have his sights set on Nashville and certainly not on country music. His influences musically were artists like Prince, The Police and Madonna, so LA and New York seemed like the logical place to be. But country music had evolved and Chad’s wife Amanda wanted to be near her parents, in Chattanooga so, he agreed that, if she could land the interior design job she wanted, he’d give Nashville a shot.
His first intern job at Sound Stage Studios, after graduating from the conservatory in Phoenix, led to becoming Garth Fundis’s chief engineer at Sound Emporium, who to this day, Chad proudly calls his mentor. But every bird must leave the nest and as Chad’s engineering and production skills became more in-demand, he opened his own Hippo Sound Studio, where his prosperity and his propensity for producing truly emerged over the next 6-7 years, before finally moving into his new Cabana Studio facility.
Being a Grammy-winning engineer has also given Carlson the opportunity to work with some of the best producers in the business including Nathan Chapman, Russ Titelman, Norbert Putnam, Josh Leo, Stan Lynch, Mickey Jack Cones, Derek George, Dann Huff, Fred Mollin, Ross Copperman, Julian King, Sam Ellis, Chris Lindsey, T Bone Burnett, and Victoria Shaw, who also signed Carlson to his current co-pub deal, along with well-respected publisher Leslie DiPiero/Tom Leis Publishing, in 2012. Recently, Chad has written songs for David Cook, The Scott Brothers from the TV show Property Brothers and Jana Kramer’s track number 1, Boomerang from the album THIRTY ONE, which he wrote with Maddie & Tae.
There’s a new breed of producers on Music Row and Chad is definitely one of them but, being an engineer, a symphony level musician, a songwriter, having a background in arranging and composition, with one’s own studio and two Grammys, already in-hand, has postured Carlson perfectly, for today’s new breed of artists and tight-budgeted projects.
SCOTT HENDRICKS (10th ANNIVERSARY SHOW)
With a daunting work ethic, an eye for talent, an ear for great songs and a thirst for opportunities to take risks, Nashville’s own Scott Hendricks, has already put his thumb-print on a significant portion, of ‘Country Music History’
Hendricks has produced well over 100 albums, giving birth to 102 Top 10 singles, 63 of which peaked at No.1 collectively spending 2 years, at the top of the charts. His production credits span almost 4 decades of artists from Restless Heart, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill, John Michael Montgomery, Trace Adkins, to Dan + Shay, Jana Kramer, Michael Ray and super-star Blake Shelton.
To-date, the industry has recognized his achievements with six ACM Awards and two CMA Awards as the producer of such hits as Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear,” Alan Jackson’s “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” and Blake Shelton’s collaboration with Trace Adkins, “Hillbilly Bone” which won an ACM Award for Best Collaboration in 2011, and an Emmy, for his production of Hank Williams Jr.’s “Monday Night Football” theme, as well. And … music fans everywhere discovered Scott’s pedigree, when he joined Blake as a mentor for 3 episodes in Season 8 of NBC’s The Voice.
Since his arrival at Warner Music Nashville in 2007, and his new appointment to EVP of A&R, Hendricks has also overseen the discovery and introduction of Hunter Hayes, Brett Eldridge, Jana Kramer and Michael Ray along with right-arm A&R ace Cris Lacy, while producing Shelton’s Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton, All About Tonight, Red River Blue, Bringing Back the Sunshine, If I’m Honest and Cheers, It’s Christmas, Dan + Shay’s Where It All Began, Obsessed and Hunter Hayes’ debut and Storyline albums.
Prior to Warner, Hendricks helped found EMI’s Nashville division for Virgin Records in 1998, where he signed Chris Cagle, prior to which, he was President/CEO of Capitol Records Nashville, from ‘95 to 98, on the heels of Jimmy Bowen’s rein, where Scott oversaw the careers of Garth Brooks and Deana Carter, and was responsible for signing Trace Adkins, Roy D Mercer and Keith Urban, following the launch of Scott’s publishing company Big Tractor in 1991, whose writers penned “I Saw God Today” for George Strait and “Amazed” for Lonestar.
Thirteen years earlier, Hendricks’ journey began in 1978. After graduating from Oklahoma State, with a degree in Architectural Acoustics, Scott’s first gig was, designing and selling gear to recording studios, for Nashville Sound Systems. He also landed a part-time job teaching engineering classes at Belmont University, which lasted seven years. During a sales call at Glaser Sound Studios, the engineer invited Scott to hang out at sessions any time he wanted. Hendricks became an unpaid gopher at Glaser Sound—where he watched many historic sessions with Jimmy Bowen at the helm.
After nine months the Glaser Brothers hired Hendricks as a full-time engineer and he was officially “in,” but that, was just for starters. From Glaser Sound Hendricks moved to Bullet Recording Studios, where he was chief engineer. Hendricks and another Okie, Tim DuBois, (who arrived in Nashville with Scott) hooked up to co-produce Restless Heart, a new band eventually signed to RCA Records. Together with Hendricks and DuBois, Restless Heart racked up 13 top ten singles, including six No. 1 singles.
That success made Hendricks a go-to engineer as well as an up and coming producer. Soon after, Wayne Watson asked Scott to produce/engineer his next project, which became a No. 1 album in Contemporary Christian Music. Hendricks also mixed and/or engineered albums by Alabama, Anne Murray, Lorrie Morgan and Tanya Tucker, among others. He recorded Lee Greenwood’s “Holdin’ A Good Hand”, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Recording. He also took the sonic reins on seven Hank Williams Jr. albums, including the award-winning Born To Boogie. During that partnership, he combined Hank Williams’ vocals from a 1951 acetate recording with new tracks to create “There’s A Tear In My Beer,” a honky-tonk number with a foot in two different generations. And … it won a Grammy and awards from both the CMAs and the ACMs that year.
Scott has had numerous pivotal moments in his career but, one of his most memorable, was around 1985, after Restless Heart had hit, when Jim Ed Norman called him one day and said; I’ve got this guy who’s moving to Nashville, he’s a legend named Barry Beckett. He’s from Muscle Shoals rhythm section and he needs an engineer, would you be up to mixing something for him?
Hendricks: By the time I met Barry, I had mixed 25-35 number one singles and so I thought I knew what I was doing, Barry brings out this tape of something I don’t even remember what it was. I said I’ll mix it tonight, why don’t you come in in the morning and we’ll go from there. So I mix it as good as I can get it. Man I’ve got this nailed. He comes in the next morning and I set him up to listen without me in there.
He finally came out of the control room with a serious look on his face. He said you ready? I said yup, so we roll up to the board and he reaches up and he grabs all the faders and pulls them down. And I’m sitting there thinking… what did he just do? I was just stunned. I mean, he goes we’re going to start here. We’re going to start with the high hat. And he raises the high hat fader. I was just thinking, are you kidding me?
Long story short, by the time we got through, I had been schooled. My tail was between my legs, I could not believe how much better this mix was that Barry just did with me. It was so obvious, it wasn’t like we could argue this. I thought I was something and I had just been taken to school on mixing. Barry taught me so, so, so much about a lot of things. He was my mentor, my biggest mentor hands down, ever.
MARK BRIGHT
Knowing that, over the past three and a half decades since Mark Bright began his remarkable journey in Nashville, his legendary accomplishments as a producer, corporate executive, publisher and hit songwriter, have been well-documented, one can’t help but think about, the huge array of people who have been blessed by, their association with Mark.”
A partial list of artists alone would include Blackhawk, Reba McEntire, Sara Evans, Jo Dee Messina, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Peter Cetera, Sting, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Two Story Road, Lucy Hale, Edens Edge, Mountain Heart, Hanna Montana, Billy Ray Cyrus, Luke Bryan, Whitney Duncan, Danny Gokey, Shakira and Carrie Underwood, who along with Mark is over the moon with excitement about her current album STORYTELLER, their most recent # 1 Church Bells and her 4 CMA nominations which include ‘Album of The Year’, ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’, ‘Music Event of the Year’ and Carries first-ever nomination for ‘Entertainer of the Year’.
Mark accredits his successes to mentors like Joe Galante and Tim Dubois but what makes Mark unique is his willingness to share that which they taught him. And teach him well they did. Bright’s meteoric rise from the tape room to the Vice-Presidency of Screen Gems/EMI Music and his two year stint as president & CEO of Word Entertainment, provided Mark with a world of knowledge that only a handful of producers have been privy to.
But Mark’s expertise doesn’t end there. It’s been said that, to be successful in business, one must know how to cut deals and he’s obviously mastered that skill, as well. In 1999 Bright co-formed Teracel Music as a joint venture with Sony/ATV, signed Brett James, who landed over 40 cuts in the first year and sold it in 2005 for, the highest multiple ever paid, for a joint venture, at the time, before launching My Good Girl Music, which was later renamed Chatterbox, in another joint venture with Sony/ATV and EMI. Bright currently writes for Delbert’s Boy Music.
When asked what he’s into these days, Mark’s answer was, he’s working beside his new wife Jennifer, whom he married April 1st of this year. Also, he is celebrating his 23rd number one single “Church Bells” with Carrie Underwood and the one constant that has propelled the music industry, from day-one … the discovery and development of new talent.
FORREST GLEN WHITEHEAD
If ever there was a success story that needed to be told, Forest Glen Whitehead is it. Not only does he have the distinction of being, the youngest major producer in Nashville, he just happens to be producing the youngest super-star on the block … Kelsea Ballerini.
From the time Whitehead set foot on Nashville soil in 2009 (at 19), his incredibly intuitive approach to ‘chasing the dream’, miraculously considering the odds, got him signed to Black River Publishing by Celia Froehlig in just two years in. But make no mistake … it was his chops that ultimately led to cuts with Terry Clark, Brantley Gilbert, Dylan Scott and … 6 songs on Ballerini’s debut studio album THE FIRST TIME.
The album’s first 3 singles “Love Me Like You Mean It” (writers: Ballerini, Whitehead, Josh Kerr and Lance Carpenter), “Dibs” (Ballerini, Kerr, Ryan Griffin and Jason Duke) and “Peter Pan” (Ballerini, Whitehead and Jesse Lee) all soared to # 1 making Kelsea, the first new female artist to send her first three releases to the top of the charts since Wynonna Judd in 1992 and the first female to top both the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts simultaneously.
With similar influences, the magic emerged when Kelsea and Forest started co-writing and found the unmistakeable wound in her first single, “Love Me Like You Mean It”. Kelsea then got her record deal and after several producers had been considered, she insisted to the label that Forest produce and he got the gig.
What’s even more telling about Whitehead was his decision to bring in co-producer Jason Massey (Ole Songwriter), to achieve his vision for Ballerini’s sound, which earned her the 2016 ACM New Female Vocalist of the year Award and 2016 CMA nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. What’s equally telling was Black River’s willingness, to trust Ballerini n Whitehead’s instincts.
Forest cut his teeth studying drums at 10 yrs but when his grandmother bought him his first guitar at age 12 (which he still has) he learned to play by-ear and quickly began writing songs. Fast forward … His session credits on THE FIRST TIME include; banjo, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, piano, slide guitar and background vocals. Forest also played guitar on Carrie Underwood’s song “Smoke Break” and Brandy Clark’s latest release “Big Day In A Small Town”, both produced by Jay Joyce.
Then came recording …
Forest: I downloaded a free program on an old PC computer that I had when I was in high school. I think the program was called Audacity. It was just a simple program where you could layer tracks. Before that, whenever I had the cassette decks, I would actually have two separate stereos overdubbing, and with a Radio Shack mic, press play on one tape that I already recorded, press record on the other and overdub while the other one’s playing. You got all this noise and hissing and everything else, but it was just so interesting to me. When I got the Audacity program, that’s when I first started learning how to layer different instruments, while doubling parts and putting guitars on the left and right side and learning what sonically made a record sound great.
Rewind … The summer before he graduated from high school, Forest worked at a bait-n-tackle shop in North Shreveport Louisiana, which allowed him to save enough to buy a travel trailer. And what better place to bunk-in than the KOA Campground, right next to Mother Opryland at Opry Mills, while he got his feet wet.
Forest: I tried to have some income doing musical things and I was in a blues band for a little bit and I did demos for other songwriters, but my main job that actually paid the bills was working in a pawn shop. I also worked at McDougal’s Chicken in Hillsboro Village. I did writer’s nights at the Commodore, Douglas Corner, The Blue Bird, The Listening Room, any open mic night I could find and I made a lot of connections that way. There was a big process coming to Nashville and learning song structure, melody, and learning imagery, things that make country music great and country songwriting great. I absorbed that. I studied songwriters. I would find out all the cuts that, Craig Wiseman or Jeffrey Steele and just study them. I was such a fan of songwriters for a long time that I was just obsessed about learning their credits and what set their songs apart.
MICHAEL KNOX (Christmas Show 2016)
Michael Knox is someone I refer to as ‘Industry Royalty’, by virtue of birth-right, just like Hank Jr. and Pam Tillis. But when Michael showed me, the rare photograph of his Rockabilly Hall of Famer Father, the legendary Buddy Knox with his buddy Elvis, in his Senior Vice-President, Shalacy Griffin’s office at Music Knox Management, over at peermusic Nashville, I couldn’t help but think about how proud, the ‘first artist’ to ever write his own #1 hit song (Party Doll-1957) would be, of his son’s accomplishments.
The first time I met Michael, he told me that he grew up sitting on the dashboard of his Dad’s Winnebago, ‘on the road’, listening to Roy Orbison, Elvis, The Everly Brothers and his dad on the radio. And don’t think for one minute that, young Michael didn’t have full intensions of following in his Father’s footsteps … if he could only sing.
When Michael arrived in Music City in 1991 and opened Nashville’s first song plugging company HIT PLUGGERS, it wasn’t long before industry giants like Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, George Strait and Reba realized that Knox had great ears and great instincts, as Music Row watched him place an astounding 300 songs in eight years. That quickly propelled him to Warner/Chappell Music, were Knox was VP responsible for Artist/Writer Development and Song Placement, and where he left his stamp on more than 150 million records, proving himself to be, one of Nashville’s most creative business minds and trusted developers of talent. (1992 – 2002)
Now, with 19 number ones, over 30 Million singles and 14 million albums sold, Knox’s stellar production credits include – Jason Aldean, Michael Tyler, Thomas Rhett, Josh Thompson, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Kelly Clarkson, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Bush Hawg, Ludacris, Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Chris Carmack, Will Chase, Chip Esten, Hank Williams Jr., Chuck Wicks, Frankie Ballard, Miranda Lambert, Randy Owen, Charlie Daniels, Rachel Farley, Brantley Gilbert, Lost Trailers, Crossin Dixon, Lila McCann, the Road Hammers, Danni Leigh, JD Myers, the hit TV series Nashville and the ‘Late-Great’ Buddy Knox … who was the first artist Michael ever produced.
In Michael’s 25 Years in Country Music (which he just celebrated), he has served on the GRAMMY® Special Committees, ACM and CMA Boards and, his works have been honored with over 50 Grammy, ACM, CMA, ACA, Billboard, Teen Choice, Mediabase, Touchtune, I-Heart Radio and Producer Awards and Nominations, ranging from ‘Albums of the Year’ to ‘Song of the Year’, not to mention the awards that so many others have taken home, as result of Michael’s song savvy and production skills.
Today, under his Vice-Presidency and creative leadership, peermusic Nashville has become one of Nashville’s most prestigious independent publishing companies. In 2013 they received ASCAP’s ‘Song of the Year’ Award for Randy Houser’s “How Country Feels” co-written by Neil Thrasher and Vicky McGehee and they just received SESAC’s ‘Song of The Year’ Award, for Deirks Bentley’s, ‘Somewhere On a Beach’, co-written by Jaron Boyer and singer/songwriter Michael Tyler (REVIVER Records), who is being managed by Knox.