Country Songwriting Great Jim McBride Passes

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Jim McBride

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Jim McBride died Tuesday morning (Jan. 6) at age 78.

McBride was particularly noted for his collaborations with country superstar Alan Jackson. His songs were also recorded by such Country Music Hall of Famers as Conway Twitty, George Jones, Patty Loveless, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, The Browns, Bill Anderson, Reba McEntire, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Charlie Louvin, John Anderson, Toby Keith and Johnny Cash.

He has written or co-written 10 top-10 hits and 18 top-40 singles. His classics include “Bet Your Heart on Me,” “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn,” “Chattahoochie,” “Rose in Paradise” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”

The songwriter was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. His mother was an avid country-music radio listener, so the household was often filled with music. McBride began writing songs at age 18 and started playing guitar at age 21. He worked for the Post Office for 14 years before his music career ignited.

Jim McBride started traveling to Music Row with his songs in the early 1970s. Hee Haw TV stars The Hagers recorded several of his tunes around 1972. None became hits, but some were performed on the nationally-seen Hee Haw telecasts.

His first song to hit the country charts was 1979’s “We Let Love Fade Away,” which was a minor success for Leon Everette. “I’m Gettin’ Into Your Love” charted for Ruby Falls six months later. In 1980, Conway Twitty recorded “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn,” which ascended to No. 3 in early 1981.

Encouraged by co-writer Roger Murrah, Jim McBride moved from Huntsville to Nashville. Everette returned to the songwriter’s catalog for 1981’s “If I Keep on Going Crazy,” which rose to No. 11. McBride rounded out 1981 with his first No. 1 country hit, “Bet Your Heart on Me” sung by Johnny Lee.

In 1983, Alabama included McBride’s “Dixie Boy” on its LP The Closer You Get. The collection sold four million copies and was named the CMA Album of the Year.

In 1984, Keith Whitley recorded “Living Like There’s No Tomorrow,” which John Conlee issued as a charting single three years later. Also in 1984, Louise Mandrell charted with “This Bed’s Not Big Enough.” In 1985, Keith Stegall scored a top-10 hit with their cowritten “California.” The following year, Crystal Gayle recorded “Do I Have to Say Goodbye.”

The songwriter had a banner year in 1987. In addition to the John Conlee single of “Living Like There’s No Tomorrow,” McBride’s co-written “Rose in Paradise” became a No. 1 hit for Waylon Jennings. Mandrell revived Gayle’s “Do I Have to Say Goodbye” and scored a top-30 hit with it. McBride and Guy Clark co-wrote “Heavy Metal (Don’t Mean Rock and Roll to Me),” which Johnny Cash recorded in 1987. George Jones issued a single of “I’m a Survivor” the following year.

As successful as the 1980s were to Jim McBride, they were merely a prelude to the outstanding country hits he created in the 1990s. He and a then-unknown Alan Jackson had become songwriting partners in 1988. In the following decade, the singer had smash hits with their collaborations “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” (1990), “Someday” (1991), “Chattahoochie” (1993), “(Who Says) You Can’t Have it All” (1994), and “A House With No Curtains” (1998). “Chattahoochie” was the CMA’s Song and Single of the Year, ASCAP’s Country Song of the Year, Billboard’s Most Played Country Single of the Year and the ACM’S Single of the Year. The team also co-wrote several tunes for Jackson’s multi-million-selling albums.

McBride’s other successes of the decade came via Aaron Tippin’s version of “I Was Born with a Broken Heart” (1992), Patty Loveless’s “Love Builds Bridges (Pride Builds Walls)” (1993), Diamond Rio’s “Sawmill Road” (1994) and Toby Keith’s “Night Before Christmas” (1995). This run was capped with Wade Hayes singing “What I Meant to Say” as a top-5 smash in 1996. The vocalist returned to McBride’s pen for 1998’s hit “How Do You Sleep at Night.”

After the turn of the century, Jim McBride’s country songwriting career continued to thrive. In 2001, Tammy Cochran had a top-10 smash with “Angels in Waiting.” In 2006, Mark Chesnutt hit the charts with “Hard Secret to Keep.” Beginning in 2007, McBride co-wrote songs with Luke Bryan that appeared on the million-selling singer’s albums. “Rose in Paradise” was revived by Chris Young & Willie Nelson (2009), Kris Kristofferson & Patty Griffin (2011) and The Lonesome River Band (2016). Charley Pride revived “This Bed Ain’t Big Enough” in 2011.

Others who have placed Jim McBride’s songs on the charts include Johnny Rodriguez, Gary Wolf, David Rogers, Lou Hobbs and Darlene Austin. His works have also been recorded by Trace Adkins, Collin Raye, Shelly West, Mark Wills, Travis Tritt, Elizabeth Cook, Pam Tillis, Del Reeves, Lorrie Morgan, Ed Bruce, The Whites, Lacy J. Dalton, Johnny Paycheck, David Ball, Vern Gosdin, Lonestar, Mickey Gilley, Mel McDaniel, Moe Bandy, Billie Jo Spears and Gene Watson, among many others.

Jim McBride was a kind, genial personality who readily collaborated with hitless hopefuls and aspiring tunesmiths as well as top recording artists. In recent years, he served as the president of the board of the Nashville Songwriters Association.

He was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame honored him that same year.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Robert K Oermann
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