Emmylou, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell, More Offer Voices To John D. Loudermilk Tribute Album

The songs of legendary songwriter John D. Loudermilk will be spotlighted on a new upcoming album, A Tribute to John D. Loudermilk. The Vector Recordings project, due out September 15, contains more than two dozen Loudermilk tunes including “Tobacco Road,” “Abilene,” and “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” performed by Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and more. 

The album was recorded live on March 24, 2016 during an evening at the Franklin Theater hosted by songwriter Peter Cooper. Although ill at the time, Loudermilk was on hand to see the outpouring of love and respect during the tribute show, and sadly passed away in September at the age of 82. The concert was also filmed for a PBS special, which will be released at a later date. John Jorgenson produced the tribute album and was musical director for the concert, and Dixie Gamble co-produced the album and is overseeing production of the PBS special. 

Throughout his career, Loudermilk had songs recorded by the Allman Brothers, Edgar Winter, Jefferson Airplane, the Animals, Johnny Winter, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Petula Clark, Perry Como, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison, the Box Tops, Rick Nelson, Barbara Mandrell, George Jones, Bobbie Gentry, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Doc Watson, Anne Murray, Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Solomon Burke, Nina Simone, Norah Jones, Jay Z, Kanye West, and many more.