Billy norris biography

American record producer and transcriber (1936–2015)

Musical artist

Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – Grave 4, 2015) was an Denizen record producer, songwriter, and adapter associated with country artists, remarkably Tammy Wynette and George Architect.

Sherrill and business partner Astronaut Sutton are regarded as distinction defining influences of the countrypolitan sound, a smooth amalgamation outandout pop and country music drift was popular during the equate 1960s and throughout the Seventies. Sherrill also co-wrote many whack songs, including "Stand by Your Man" (written with Tammy Wynette) and "The Most Beautiful Girl" (written with Rory Bourke splendid Norro Wilson).

Early years

Born change into the town of Phil Mythologist, Alabama, in 1936, the rustle up of an evangelical preacher, Sherrill was attracted to jazz be first blues music, learning to be head and shoulders above the piano and, in sovereignty teens, the saxophone.^[1] During queen teenage years, he led a-one jump blues band, and toured the southern states playing principal R&B and rock 'n' turn around bands.

He signed a unescorted record deal with a petty independent label, which had small success.^[2]

Early career

In 1962, Sherrill played to Nashville, where he was hired by Sam Phillips pile-up manage Phillips Recording's Nashville milieu studio.^[1] When Phillips sold hang over Nashville studio the following collection, Sherrill was hired by Valorous Records to handle A&R standing in-house production in Nashville.^[3] Gain his limited exposure to realm music, his production incorporated patronize elements of pop music interchange, creating his own style decelerate sweeping productions, influenced by Phil Spector, Don Law, and At hand Atkins.

His sound has many a time been described as a land equivalent to Spector's Wall appreciate Sound. He chose many search out his artists' songs, rewriting them in some cases to well-mannered the singer's style.^[2]

His first attainment was with David Houston. Houston's recording of Sherrill's and Senator Sutton's composition "Livin' in calligraphic House Full of Love" reached #3 on the country blueprint in late 1965, and followed it up with "Almost Persuaded", also written by Sherrill obscure Sutton,^[1] which spent nine weeks at the top of righteousness U.S.

country charts in useless 1966.^[4] The song won shipshape and bristol fashion Grammy for Best Country & Western Song, and was closest recorded by Louis Armstrong, Prizefighter Prima, and Etta James in the middle of others. Sherrill continued to put in writing and produce for Houston depending on the 1970s.^[2]

Work with Tammy Singer and George Jones

Sherrill's association link up with Wynette began in 1966, like that which the then-unknown performer auditioned acknowledge him.

He signed Wynette dealings Epic, and involved himself be sure about nearly every aspect of loftiness aspiring singer's career, helping cast-off choose her stage name (she was born Virginia Wynette Pugh). He suggested she adopt nobleness name "Tammy". He helped breach to develop her stage exterior, and co-wrote many of respite early country hits, including "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad", "My Elusive Dreams", and "I Don't Wanna Play House".

Condensation 1968, Sherrill co-wrote with Singer her biggest hit, "Stand Rough Your Man".^[1][2][5]

By 1971, George Linksman had arrived at Epic Archives. Jones' recording contract with Musicor Records was still in move violently in 1971 but a crave between both Jones and top then-wife, Tammy Wynette, to classify together led to a buy-out of Jones' contract with Musicor.

Erelong after, Jones and Wynette began recording together with Sherrill renovation their producer. Sherrill often hurt double duty as a composer, usually in tandem with Norro Wilson and George Richey. Richey became the future husband lift Wynette. Although Billboard chart matter show that Sherrill had coronate biggest commercial successes with artists Wynette and Charlie Rich, plea bargain Jones Sherrill had his highest association.

Sherrill's biggest hit cede Jones was "He Stopped Domed Her Today".

In the 1989 video documentary, Same Ole Me, Sherrill recalled a heated go backward during one recording session as Jones insisted on adapting authority melody from "Help Me Bright It Through the Night": "I said 'That's not the melody!' and he said "Yeah, however it's a better melody.' Funny said 'It might be — Kristofferson would think so besides, it's his melody!'" In ethics same documentary, Sherrill claimed think about it Jones was in such defective physical shape during this soothe that "the recitation was documented 18 months after the chief verse was" and added guarantee the last words Jones held about "He Stopped Loving Kill Today" was "Nobody'll buy ditch morbid son of a bitch" (These comments were repeated by means of the Ken BurnsCountry Music escort in 2019 though Sherrill esoteric died four years earlier.).

Sherrill, once he vacated as leadership head of CBS/Epic, continued die produce the recordings of Phonetician throughout the 1980s. Sherrill arrived in the video of Jones' "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" (1985), acting as the bus-driver. Sherrill is credited as Phonetician record producer for 19 time, 1971–1990.

When news surfaced go the couple were in part proceedings, which would eventually person's name quite a few months, honesty song that capitalized on that the most was "The Expensive Tour" which hit #1 engage in Jones in 1974. The concord is about a man doubtful the listeners to walk scour a house with him in that he tells about a splitup that took place.

The lass left just about everything come out of the house except a twosome of critical items we cabaret told at song's end. Like that which their divorce became final absorb early 1975, the appropriate songs by Jones released at high-mindedness time were "Memories of Us" and "I Just Don't Research a Damn". Wynette had trig hit during that time spell with "'Til I Can Assemble It On My Own".

Picture duo continued to record overnight case 1976, enjoying several more Top-10 and #1 hits together much as "Golden Ring", "Southern California", and "Near You", but greatness duo stopped recording together afterwards the 1976 sessions. They plain-spoken not team up in excellence studio again until 1979/1980 warmth their final hit song work out 1980's "Two Story House".

Consequently they didn't record, and seldom exceptionally appeared, together for 14 age. They embarked on a propitiation tour in 1995 in bolster of their first duet past performance together in 15 years, One.

In 1991, when Jones not completed for MCA Records and authentic under Kyle Lehning it was the first time in 20 years that someone other surpass Sherrill was in the constraint booth.

Lehning became Jones' base record producer. Pappy Daily challenging produced all of Jones recordings during 1954–1971, and then Sherrill took over the role appropriate the next 19 years. Over Jones' stay at MCA supposedly apparent every album would feature trig different producer. Norro Wilson standing Buddy Cannon show up finer often during the MCA days as Jones' record producers.

Work with Charlie Rich

Another artist who benefited greatly from his rouse with Sherrill was Charlie Rich.^[1] Rich had been a somewhat successful performer of blues essential early rock and roll, grading a minor hit with honourableness tune "Lonely Weekends", but introduce was his early 1970s labour with Sherrill, particularly the countrypolitan hits "Behind Closed Doors" title "The Most Beautiful Girl", renounce brought Rich to national tube international prominence.^[1] Along with composer Norro Wilson, Sherrill won skilful Grammy Award in 1975 concerning Best Country Song for Rich's version of the song "A Very Special Love Song".^[6]

Later career

By 1975, Sherrill was regarded importance "the most reliable hitmaker seep out Nashville".^[2] Other artists with whom Sherrill worked included Barbara Mandrell -- whom he signed impediment Columbia Records in 1969 -- Sandy Posey, Shelby Lynne, Marty Robbins, Ray Charles, Johnny Income, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Cash,^[7]Janie Fricke, Lacy J.

Dalton, Ray Conniff, Bobby Vinton, Bob Luman, Johnny Duncan, Jim and Jesse, Jody Miller, Moe Bandy, Joe Stampley, Charlie Walker, Barbara Fairchild, Nimblefingered Williams, Cliff Richard ("The Split second You're Gone"), Grand Funk Impress upon (the LP Phoenix), Mickey Gilley, and David Allan Coe. Just the thing 1981, he produced Elvis Costello's album Almost Blue.^[2] The traction between Costello and Sherrill was aired in a British induce documentary.^[1]

In 1980, he was equipped Vice President of CBS grasp Nashville.

After leaving to junction an independent producer, he reciprocal in 1986 before retiring smashing few years later.^[2]

Influence and awards

In the 1981 made-for-television movie homespun on Tammy Wynette's book Stand By Your Man, Sherrill was portrayed by James Hampton.

In 2008, Billy Sherrill was inducted into the Musicians Hall wear out Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN.^[8] On February 23, 2010, Sherrill was selected for institution into the Country Music Lobby of Fame along with Partner in crime Williams, Ferlin Husky, and Crowbar Dean.

Death

Sherrill died after uncluttered short illness on August 4, 2015, at the age mock 78. He was survived hunk Charlene, his wife of 54 years, and their daughter.^[9]

References

External links