Rusty Golden. Photo: Kris Rae

Rusty Golden, award-winning songwriter and musician and son of The Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden, passed away on Monday (July 1) at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He was 65.

Born William “Rusty” Golden on Jan. 3, 1959, in Brewton, Alabama, he is the eldest son of William Lee and Frogene Normand.

Music was ever-present in the Golden home, and young Rusty started sharing in the family passion at a young age. By the time he was 12, he was proficiently playing drums. A year later, at just 13, Rusty started playing drums for The Rambos featuring celebrated songwriter Dottie Rambo. He also showed a talent for songwriting at an early age, first putting his grandmother’s poems to music.

After attending an Elton John concert, a teenage Rusty was entranced by the piano. By age 17, he was good enough to play keys on the road with Larry Gatlin, and eventually started playing on studio sessions in Nashville. By age 20, Rusty was recording at Quadraphonic Studios for ABC Records.

He helped form The Boys Band, whose debut album for Elektra/Asylum Records included the single “Runner.” Another single, “Please Don’t Stop Me Baby,” landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group disbanded in ’84, the same year Rusty received a Gold plaque for his songwriting contributions on The Oaks’ Bobbie Sue album.

Encouraged by his success, Rusty and brother Chris Golden joined with Marc Speer to start the group Golden Speer in ’85. Although their album was never released, their label changed directions the next year, leading Rusty and Chris to record under the name The Goldens. The duo moved to Capitol/SBK Records and released the album Rush for Gold in 1990, containing three charting singles “Take Me Back to The Country,” “Keep The Faith” and “Long Gone.”

After undergoing a quadruple bypass, Rusty devoted his songwriting back to his gospel roots. This transition was rewarded with several No. 1 southern gospel hits and two Song of the Year awards for “What Salvation’s Done for Me” by The Booth Brothers and “I Want to Thank You” by Karen Peck & New River.

In 2020, Rusty joined brother Chris and dad William Lee to work on their family band, William Lee Golden and The Goldens. They recorded and released 34 songs from 2020 to 2021 and added brother Craig, nieces Elizabeth and Rebekah and nephew Elijah into the mix, making the group a three-generation family band.

Rusty was regarded as a charismatic entertainer in addition to an accomplished songwriter and musician. Last year he was awarded Keyboard Player of the Year by the Josie Music Awards.

Rusty Golden is preceded in death by his mother Frogene Normand, grandparents Luke and Rutha Mae Golden, and Elliot and Estelle Normand. He is survived by his father William Lee Golden (Simone), and brothers Craig Golden, Chris Golden (Marie) and Solomon Golden, along with many nieces, nephews and other extended family members.

Funeral/memorial details are pending and will be made available at williamleegoldenandthegoldens.com and their Facebook page.

Joe Scaife

Noted Nashville studio engineer and record producer Joe Scaife has passed away at age 68.

He was behind two of country music’s catchiest and biggest hits, “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus (1992) and “Redneck Woman” by Gretchen Wilson (2004). In addition, he produced Montgomery Gentry, Ty Herndon and K.T. Oslin. Scaife was also a songwriter, a percussionist and a backing vocalist.

Joe Scaife was raised in Nashville. His father was Cecil Scaife (1927-2009), a record executive at Sun, Columbia and his own labels. He also co-founded the Gospel Music Association. Joe attended Belmont University, then embarked on a career as an audio engineer.

At age 19, he worked on the sound engineering of the Opry’s last Ryman Auditorium performance and its debut at the Opry House the following night in 1974. He learned his trade by working at his father’s recording studio on Music Row. Early audio engineering clients included Dr. Hook, The Oak Ridge Boys and Vince Gill.

During the 1980s, Joe Scaife hit his stride as a recording-studio engineer. He worked on albums by John Anderson, Tom Jones, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, Alabama, Glen Campbell, Lionel Richie, Emmylou Harris and Sawyer Brown, among others.

He formed a partnership with audio engineer Jim Cotton (1947-2003). They became mainstays at the Music Mill recording studio, usually working under producer Harold Shedd. After they engineered a number of Shedd’s productions, he promoted them to “associate producer” status on ‘80s Ladies, the landmark debut album by K.T. Oslin. They eventually graduated to become full producers on Oslin’s later successes, such as “Come Next Monday,” “Mary and Willie” and “New Way Home.”

In 1992, Scaife and Cotton produced Some Gave All, the debut album by Billy Ray Cyrus. It contained “Achy Breaky Heart” which won Scaife, Cotton and Cyrus a CMA Award for Single of the Year. They also produced “Could’ve Been Me,” “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore,” “In the Heart of a Woman” and the singer’s other early hits.

During the 1990s, Joe Scaife also continued to work as a recording-studio engineer, working on albums by superstars such as Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Anne Murray, Crystal Gayle, Sammy Kershaw, Shania Twain and Toby Keith. But as the decade progressed, he became increasingly called upon to produce.

Scaife produced several hits by Montgomery Gentry, including 1999’s “Hillbilly Shoes,” “Lonely and Gone” and “Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm,” plus 2001’s “She Couldn’t Change Me” and “Cold One Comin’ On.” Montgomery Gentry was named the CMA’s Vocal Duo of the Year in 2000. During this era, Scaife also produced records by Ty Herndon, Jeff Foxworthy and Van Zant, among others.

In 2004, he was behind the board for the breakthrough albums by newcomer Gretchen Wilson. They contained “Redneck Woman,” “Here for the Party,” “When I Think About Cheatin,’” “Homewrecker” and “All Jacked Up.” These hits earned her CMA Awards as in the Horizon (2004) and Female Vocalist (2005) categories. “Redneck Woman” also won Wilson a Grammy Award.

Joe Scaife and his wife Danielle established four song publishing companies. One of their hit songs was 2017’s “She Got the Best of Me” sung by Luke Combs. Another was the 2017 Walker Hayes top 10 success “You Broke Up With Me.”

Shortly after Joe Scaife attended Belmont University, his father and his mother, Sherytha, encouraged the establishment of the school’s music-business program. That program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The program has become The Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont. It now has a Cecil Scaife Endowed Scholarship to provide financial assistance to students there. Joe and his sisters LaRawn, LaQuita and LaQuela created the scholarship and The Cecil Scaife Visionary Award as an annual event to benefit the scholarship fund. Honorees have included Amy Grant, Wynonna, Ray Stevens and Brenda Lee.

Joe Scaife passed away on June 12. No cause of death has been announced. He is survived by his wife, Danielle Godwin Scaife; children, Jaela Scaife Harris (Prather) and Joe Tristan Payne Scaife; sister LaRawn Scaife Rhea (Richard) and many other family members and friends.

A private burial was held in Perry County on June 15, and a Celebration of Joe’s life will be held on Music Row at a later date. Those who wish to send a memorial in Joe Scaife’s honor can donate to The Cecil Scaife Music Business Endowment at Belmont University (P.O. Box 128079, Nashville, TN 37212).

John Schweers

Hit songwriter John Schweers has died at age 78.

One of the finest country writers of his generation, Schweers was responsible for such iconic songs as Charley Pride’s “Amazing Love,” Ronnie Milsap’s “Daydreams About Night Things,” Dave & Sugar’s “Golden Tears” and Trace Adkins’ “I Left Something Turned on at Home.”

The songwriter was a native of San Antonio who began playing guitar and writing songs while in high school. During his college years, he performed in a rock group that toured throughout southwest Texas. After graduation, he moved to California to hone his songwriting skills as he played in various bands.

He began to make contacts in Nashville. His first recorded song appears to have been 1970’s “Alabama Bull of the Woods” by Del Reeves. The songwriter’s first charted tune was “Poor Folks Stick Together,” recorded by Stoney Edwards in 1971. Tom T. Hall took note of John Schweers’ talents, mentored him and encouraged him to move to Music City.

Schweers arrived in 1972 at age 26 with $45 in his pocket. Soon after his arrival on Music Row, he was signed as a staff songwriter by Pi-Gem Music, co-owned by Charley Pride. During the next dozen years, Pride recorded more than 20 John Schweers songs. The company’s Tom Collins offered suggestions to help make the fledgling writer’s songs more commercial. Just as Collins and Hall had aided him, Schweers discovered a teenage Dean Dillon and brought him to his publisher.

The first No. 1 hit penned by John Schweers was Pride’s “Don’t Fight the Feelings of Love” in 1973. Pride’s follow-up single was “Amazing Love,” which also topped the country hit parade. In 1975, Nick Nixon charted with the Schweers song “She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory.” Pride recorded it two years later and turned it into another No. 1 hit.

As Collins evolved into record production, Schweers gained the ears of Barbara Mandrell, Sylvia, Ronnie Milsap and other stars. Milsap hit No. 1 with Schweers’ “Daydreams About Night Things” in 1975. The superstar repeated the chart-topping feat with the Schweers songs “What Goes On When the Sun Goes Down” (1976) and “Let My Love Be Your Pillow” (1977). Milsap recorded 15 John Schweers compositions.

The songwriter’s other No. 1 hit during the 1970s was “Golden Tears” by Dave & Sugar in 1979. During the decade, his songs were also recorded by Eddy Arnold, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, David Wills, Johnny Russell, Mel Street, Susan Raye, Jim Ed Brown and Jeanne Pruett, among others. 16 of his songs made the country popularity charts in the ‘70s.

In 1978, the Triple I record label issued Nashville’s Master Songwriters Sing Their Hits. On it, Schweers performed his versions of “Daydreams About Night Things,” “She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory” and “Early Fall,” all of which he wrote solo. The album featured him alongside Harlan Howard, Danny Dill and Allen Reynolds, each of whom also contributed three songs.

Success continued in the 1980s. During this decade, Schweers wrote such top 10 hits as Steve Wariner’s “Your Memory” (1981), Janie Fricke’s “Do Me With Love” (1982) and Mandrell’s “No One Mends a Broken Heart Like You” (1986). The songwriter’s 10 charing singles in the decade included recordings by R.C. Bannon, Butch.Baker, David Frizzell & Shelly West (1986’s “It’s a Be Together Night”), Louise Mandrell and Tom T. Hall. Others who recorded Schweers songs during the 1980s included The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, The Kendalls, Don Williams, The Osmond Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, Jeannie C. Riley and Charlie Louvin.

John Schweers continued to create hits in the 1990s. Two of his biggest were “Born Country,” sung by Alabama in 1992 and “I Left Something Turned on at Home,” sung by Trace Adkins in 1997. His songs were also recorded in the ‘90s by George Jones, Mel McDaniel, Roy Clark, Daron Norwood & Travis Tritt (1993’s “Phantom of the Opry”), Larry Stewart, Neal McCoy and Johnny Rodriguez.

Since 2000, John Schweers songs have been sung by Mark Wiils, George Strait, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Marty Raybon, Con Hunley, Don Everly, Brother Slade, Buck Owens and Joe Nichols, among others. In addition, his songs from 25-50 years ago continue to receive airplay. The songwriter picked up BMI or ASCAP awards in three different decades. Few in country music have demonstrated songwriting success over such an extended period of time.

He has been a six-time nominee for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, but has not yet been elected. His accomplishments are all the more remarkable in that he mainly wrote his songs alone. Of his 12 top 10 hits, only three were co-written (with Byron Hill, Charles Quillen or Billy Lawson). In a songwriting community overwhelmingly comprised of co-writers, Schweers stood out.

John Schweers passed away in the early morning hours of May 28.

He will be honored on Thursday (June 6) at Brentwood Baptist Church. A Celebration of Life event will begin with visitation from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The service will be from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Visitation will resume following the service. The family plans to have a private burial prior to Thursday’s Celebration of Life.

Noted Nashville record producer Bud Logan has died at age 83.

Logan is best known for producing 23 top 10 hits for Grand Ole Opry star John Conlee between 1978 and 1988, including such signature songs as “Rose Colored Glasses” and “Friday Night Blues.” He also produced “I Tell It Like It Used to Be” and “Hell and High Water,” which launched the career of Opry star T. Graham Brown.

Born Ira Robert Logan, he was a Tennessee native who first came to prominence as the bass player for The Blue Boys, the backing band of Country Music Hall of Fame member Jim Reeves. After Reeves died in a 1964 plane crash, Logan became the band’s lead singer. The Blue Boys Featuring Bud Logan charted with two RCA singles, 1967’s “My Cup Runneth Over” and 1968’s “I’m Not Ready Yet.”

Logan also recorded as a solo artist, both for RCA (1968-69) and Mercury (1970-71). He formed a successful duo with Wilma Burgess, and the pair had hits with “Wake Me Into Love” and “The Best Day of the Rest of Our Love” in 1974.

He was also a songwriter. Logan’s songs were recorded by Jean Shepard, Billy Large and Charlie Rich, among others. Ernest Tubb released Logan’s “Till My Getup Has Has Gotup and Gone” as a Decca Records single in 1966.

But it was as a record producer that Logan became best known. In addition to the hits of Conlee and Brown, he produced such country artists as Roy Head, Dana McVicker, Johnny Lee, Shane Barnby, B.J. Thomas and Jeff Knight. He was noted as a mentor to many young singers and songwriters in Music City.

Bud Logan passed away in Nashville on May 13. No funeral services have been scheduled. Arrangements are being handled by Forest Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens.