• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Events
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • THE SPORTS CREDENTIAL
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Nashville Musician, Publisher & Producer Ron Cornelius Dies

September 8, 2021/by Lorie Hollabaugh

Ron Cornelius with 1959 Gretsch Country Gentleman Guitar. Photo: Courtesy Terry Bell

Ron Cornelius, a Music Row session musician, publisher, and producer, passed away on Aug. 18 following complications from a stroke. He was 76.

Cornelius got his start in music as a teen guitarist in California, cutting his musical teeth while backing a list of artists including Chubby Checker, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jan & Dean, Bobby Rydell, Glen Campbell, Sonny & Cher, Jackie Wilson, Mary Wells, and more. At age 16, he landed a label deal with his own group The Untouchables on Dot Records.

Ron Cornelius. Photo: Courtesy Terry Bell

After years as a backing guitarist, Cornelius formed the group West. In 1967, they signed with Epic Records and cut two albums in Nashville. A single, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” (a Bob Dylan composition), climbed to No. 17 on the national charts. The group went on to record a final LP for Paramount Records before dissolving. Altogether, Cornelius had five major label deals as an artist including one with A&M Records and his release of “Tin Luck” for Polydor Records.

In 1969, Cornelius was part of the production team for Johnny Cash’s album Live at San Quentin. He also served as lead guitarist on albums by Cash, Marty Robbins, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Hoyt Axton, Loudon Wainwright III, and many others. Cornelius also played lead on seven multi-Platinum albums for the legendary Bob Dylan. During this time, Cornelius also helped assemble a band for singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, serving as band leader for six major world tours, four albums, and a movie. He also provided guitar on several film soundtracks including I Walk the Line starring Gregory Peck, Concrete Cowboy, Little Fauss and Big Halsy, and The Big Lebowski.

He moved to Nashville in 1980 and pursued a career as a producer, songwriter, and publisher in addition to his work as a guitarist. Joining forces with Pete Drake, he served as professional manager and producer of Drake Music Group’s Nashville publishing administration service, and later headed and produced for The A.T.V. Music Corporation’s Nashville office. At that time, A.T.V. was the fourth largest publisher in the world, administering the works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as well as a 6,000-song catalog of country greats.

In 1986, Cornelius founded The Cornelius Companies, an independent Nashville-based production and publishing company. Cornelius represented and administered catalogs for Cabin Fever Entertainment, Inc., Charlie Daniels/Miss Hazel Music, and The Lowery Music Group out of Atlanta. In 1995 Gateway Entertainment, Inc., a division of The Cornelius Companies, was created, and Cornelius racked up 11 Top 10s, eight Top 5’s, and two No. 1 singles, all produced by him.

In recent years Cornelius worked on projects for Colt Prather for Epic Records, the band Cooper Berry for Warner Brothers Records, California country singer Summer Schappell, and Miko Marks. Cornelius was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame museum’s 2015-2018 Exhibition of Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City. He loaned the museum his custom made 1959 Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar and other artifacts for the exhibit, and participated in a 2015 panel discussion about his work with Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. He is also the author of the book, The Guitar Behind Dylan and Cohen.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Lorie Hollabaugh
Lorie Hollabaugh
Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected].
Lorie Hollabaugh
Latest posts by Lorie Hollabaugh (see all)
  • Mediabase Reveals 2023 Year-End Chart Stats, Big Loud Lands In First Place - December 8, 2023
  • Cooper Alan Among The Pandora Ten: Artists To Watch In 2024 - December 8, 2023
  • Kidd G Drops Memory-Packed New EP ‘If We Were A Love Song’ - December 8, 2023
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-08-at-12.55.38-PM.png 1310 1498 Lorie Hollabaugh https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png Lorie Hollabaugh2021-09-08 13:04:242021-09-08 13:04:24Nashville Musician, Publisher & Producer Ron Cornelius Dies

RECENT NEWS

  • Brenda Lee Gets Her Flowers For Her Enduring Christmas Classic [Interview] December 8, 2023
  • Louis York To Headline Holiday Benefit Concert At Belmont’s Fisher Center December 8, 2023
  • Mediabase Reveals 2023 Year-End Chart Stats, Big Loud Lands In First Place December 8, 2023
  • Cooper Alan Among The Pandora Ten: Artists To Watch In 2024 December 8, 2023
  • Kidd G Drops Memory-Packed New EP ‘If We Were A Love Song’ December 8, 2023
  • Industry Ink: Ian Munsick, Marty Stuart, Average Joes, TLACC December 8, 2023
  • Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ First To Exceed $1 Billion, Crowns Pollstar’s Year-End Top Tours List December 8, 2023
  • Cody Johnson Tops MusicRow Radio Chart With ‘The Painter’ December 8, 2023
  • CRB Names Inaugural Futuri Digital Pioneer Scholarship Recipient December 8, 2023
  • My Music Row Story: Grand Ole Opry’s Dan Rogers December 8, 2023
  • Cole Swindell & Crew Celebrate Five-Week No. 1 ‘She Had Me At Heads Carolina’ December 7, 2023
  • DISClaimer Single Reviews: Luke Grimes Releases ‘Relaxed, Thoughtful’ New Cover December 7, 2023
  • Aaron Watson To Embark On ‘The Armadillo Dance Hall Tour’ December 7, 2023
  • George Strait Announces Christmas Sweepstakes To Benefit Jenifer Strait Memorial Foundation December 7, 2023
  • CMHOF To Launch New Online ‘Words & Music: Journey Of A Song’ Series December 7, 2023

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2023 Music Row Enterprises, LLC – All rights reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Scroll to top