Trish Williams Warren Passes

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Anna Patricia “Trish” Williams Warren, a longtime employee of producer Jerry Kennedy’s JK Productions, passed away Oct. 23. She was 78.

Warren grew up in Newton Grove, North Carolina, and after graduation, attended the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, graduating with a degree in music. She began her career as a middle school music arts teacher, but after a year, moved to Nashville to begin a career in the country music industry.

She took a job at Al Galico Music Publishing Company and in 1970, moved to Mercury Records, working with producer Jerry Kennedy. When Kennedy formed his own production company, JK Productions, she moved with him, working there until she retired. In 2007, she received the Source Foundation Award, which recognizes the achievements and contributions made by women in the country music industry.

After retirement from the music industry in 1991, Warren moved back to her hometown to marry her seventh-grade sweetheart, Larry Warren, and be closer to family. In retirement, she co-owned and operated Williams Sand & Gravel, which she inherited from her father. She also served Newton Grove Methodist Church and Hopewell Methodist Church for over 30 years, serving variously as pianist, organist, choir director and music director.

Warren is survived by her husband, Larry D. Warren, her sisters, Linda Williams Whitfield, DeLena Williams Bryan (and husband Mark) and Edna Williams McGuirt, all of Newton Grove. She is also survived by five nephews and 12 great nieces and nephews, as well as numerous cousins and friends.

The family received friends on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, at West & Dunn Funeral Home in Newton Grove. A Graveside funeral service was held at Hillcrest Cemetery in Newton Grove on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Memorials in Trish Williams Warren’s name may be made to the Newton Grove Methodist Church’s General Fund (P.O. Box 471, Newton Grove, NC 28366) or to Hopewell Methodist Church (4641 Church Road, Newton Grove, NC 28366) or to a charity of one’s choice.

Industry Veteran Margie Hunt Passes

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Margie Hunt

Industry veteran Margie Hunt passed away on Sunday, Oct. 22.

Hunt moved to Nashville from New Mexico in 1972 to work with Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter at Waylon Jennings Enterprises, located in the Glaser Studio building on 18th. Ave. S. Many industry icons such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, Tony Joe White, Dobie Gray, Guy Clark, Kinky Friedman, Harlan Howard, Billy Swan and Shel Silverstein referred to the building as their second home. It was there that they built the foundation for the “Outlaw Movement” and the Highwaymen recordings.

In the fall of 1976, Bonnie Garner hired Hunt as her secretary in CBS Records/Sony Music’s A&R department. Working at one of the biggest record companies in Nashville, and guided by Garner, Hunt learned how a major recording facility functioned while working with the biggest names on their roster, including Cash, Nelson, Kristofferson, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Earl Scruggs Revue, Charlie Daniels, Sonny James, Merle Haggard and more. Over the course of three decades, Hunt worked directly with over 100 artists including the new wave of talent signed to the label, which consisted of Ricky Skaggs, Doug Stone, Collin Raye, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Loveless, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Montgomery Gentry, Marty Stuart, Ricky Van Shelton, Shenandoah, Exile, Travis Tritt, The Chicks and more.

She worked closely with the newly-signed Ray Charles in 1983. Between 1983-1988, Charles recorded six albums at CBS Records, including Friendship, which featured the hit “Seven Spanish Angels” with Nelson. The track became a country standard, staying on the charts for 27 weeks.

Throughout her tenure at CBS Records/Sony Music, Hunt was promoted five times. In 1994, she created and led the first in-house, full-time Film & Television department. In this position, Hunt was responsible for the utilization and exploitation of more than 60 years of hits and over 50,000 country recordings. At the time, CBS Records was the first label in Music City to actively pursue country catalogs for use in film and television. She placed music in more than 30 major motion pictures and television programs. Hunt was then promoted to Sr. Director, Product Development in 1997, and won two Grammys as a producer and an executive producer.

She later founded Hunt Music Services, and spent time at AWMG Entertainment.

Hunt was inducted into the SOURCE Hall of Fame in 2022, which recognizes the “Women Behind The Music.” During the induction ceremony, she received a video message from Stuart in which the country star stated, “Congratulations on this wonderful honor that you so deserve. I remember you so well from back in the CBS days. The thing that stands out to me about you was you had a heart for music and the people who made it.”

Memorial services for Hunt are pending.

Country Songwriting Great Bill Rice Passes

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Bill Rice

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bill Rice died at age 84 in Florida last Saturday (Oct. 28).

During his career, Rice earned 73 ASCAP awards. Among the No. 1 country hits he co-wrote are “Lonely Too Long” (Patty Loveless, 1996), “Wonder Could I Live There Anymore” (Charley Pride, 1970), “Would You Take Another Chance on Me” (Jerry Lee Lewis, 1972) and “Ain’t She Something Else” (Conway Twitty, 1985). His songs were recorded by Hank Williams Jr., Sonny & Cher, Reba McEntire, Robert Goulet, Loretta Lynn, Glen Campbell, Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Bare, Bobby Blue Bland and Tammy Wynette, among many others.

He was born Wilburn Steven Rice in Arkansas in 1939. He began playing guitar at age 14 and was signed to his first recording contract at 18. The label was Fernwood Records, a Memphis imprint founded by guitarist Scotty Moore. Rice’s first success as a songwriter occurred in 1960, when Elvis Presley recorded “Girl Next Door Went A’walking.”

Relocating to Nashville, he teamed up with songwriter Jerry Foster, and the pair became an outstanding success story. Their early successes included 1968’s “The Day the World Stood Still” and “The Easy Part’s Over,” both sung by Pride.

The following year, Jeannie C. Riley’s recording of their “Back Side of Dallas” earned a Grammy nomination. Mel Tillis hit the top 10 with their “Heaven Everyday” in 1970, and Pride returned to No. 1 with “Wonder Could I Live There Anymore.”

In the 1970s, Bill Rice also pursued a singing career on Capitol, Epic and Polydor. Of his six charted singles 1971-78, only one of them achieved top 40 status, 1971’s “Travelin’ Minstrel Man.” His career as a country songwriter would be wildly more successful.

In 1972, alone, Rice co-wrote Johnny Paycheck’s “Someone to Give My Love To,” Jerry Lee Lewis’s iconic “Think About It Darlin’” and Bob Luman’s “When You Say Love.” The last-named was covered by both Lynn Anderson and Sonny & Cher. Lewis also topped the charts in that year with their “Would You Take Another Chance On Me.”

At the 1972 ASCAP Country Awards, Foster and Rice won an unprecedented 10 awards. They were publicized carrying the trophies in a wheelbarrow.

In 1974, they had 11 songs on the chart at the same time. One of them was Mickey Gilley’s “Here Comes the Hurt Again,” which earned the songwriters a Grammy nomination. Another was “I’ll Think of Something,” a top 10 hit for Hank Jr. Revived by Mark Chesnutt, the classic song hit No. 1 in 1992.

Both Rice and Foster were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994. By then, Bill Rice had formed another songwriting partnership. He and the award-winning Sharon Vaughn created 1982’s “I’m Not That Lonely Yet” for McEntire. Leon Everette introduced this team’s “Til a Tear Becomes a Rose” in 1985. Lorrie Morgan and the late Keith Whitley earned a CMA Vocal Duo Award with the song in 1992.

The two songwriters married one another. Success continued with 1992’s Patty Loveless smash “Lonely Too Long.” At the singer’s Country Music Hall of Fame induction last month, Vince Gill memorably performed the ballad. (The independently successful Vaughn joined her ex husband in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019).

Bill Rice initially worked for Jack Clement and Bill Hall as his publishers on Music Row. When he became a song publisher, himself, Rice helped several up-and-coming writers. These included Roger Murrah, Jim McBride and Rich Alves. Rice also produced records.

The songwriter passed away in Merritt Island, Florida at his home, surrounded by family members. He is survived by granddaughter Melissa Mae (Clint) Hanes and several grandchildren, stepchildren and extended family members.

Arrangements are being handled by Ammen Family Cremation & Funeral Care (1001 S. Hickory St., Melbourne, FL 32901). No events are scheduled. The family suggests planting a tree in the memory of Wilburn Steven “Bill” Rice.

‘Peter Cottontail’ Singer, Merv Shiner, Dies At Age 102

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Merv Shiner

Country singer Merv Shiner, who originated the children’s Easter favorite “Here Comes Peter Cottontail,” died last week in Florida at age 102.

His memorial service will take place Saturday (Nov. 4) in Tampa.

Shiner was a cast member of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. He also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and starred on several early country television shows. He recorded for Decca, RCA and MGM, among other labels. Between 1949 and 1969, he placed four singles on the country popularity charts.

Mervin J. Shiner was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1921 and made his professional singing debut on local radio stations. His mother, Jennie Newton Shiner (1887-1953), was an accomplished singer, and she urged him to pursue a show-business career. She also performed with him. Billed as “Mervin Shiner and His Mother,” the duo began broadcasting in Pennsylvania in 1936.

He worked in a Los Angeles defense plant during World War II, then reunited with his mother and landed a spot on Dave Miller’s country TV show in Newark, New Jersey in 1948. He also guested on several early country television programs in New York City. These appearances brought him to the attention of future Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Vaughn Horton (1911-1988), who arranged a recording contract with Decca Records.

Shiner debuted on the country charts in 1949 with “Why Don’t You Haul Off and Love Me,” which became a top 10 hit. The song was also successful for Bob Atcher and for Wayne Raney, who co-wrote it.

Later in 1949, Decca producer Paul Cohen brought Shiner a new song and asked him to learn it. Shiner was reluctant, since he considered himself to be a country singer, not a kiddie music maker. But Cohen was certain that “Peter Cottontail” was a hit.

Shiner’s version of the song debuted on the country hit parade in early 1950 and eventually sold a million. “Peter Cottontail” was also popularized by Gene Autry, Jimmy Wakely, Johnnie Lee Wills, Fran Allison, Rosemary Clooney, Roy Rogers, Hank Snow, Frank Luther and Guy Lombardo. As a result of the hit, Shiner was invited to appear on the Opry, where he was introduced by Hank Williams. By 1953, he was a regular on the World’s Original Jamboree in West Virginia.

He signed with RCA Victor Records. The label issued “Mr. Sandman,” “You’re Free to Go” and several other singles, but none charted.

In 1954, he appeared on Pee Wee King’s television show in Cleveland, Ohio. Shiner was also a guest on Jubilee U.S.A., the landmark network country TV show from Springfield, Missouri hosted by Red Foley.

In 1965, Merv Shiner was featured in the movie Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar alongside Merle Kilgore, Dottie West, Jimmy Dickens, Minnie Pearl, Lefty Frizzell, Kitty Wells, Faron Young, Webb Pierce, Connie Smith and a bevy of other country headliners. Shiner reemerged on the country charts as an MGM artist in the late 1960s. Both “Big Brother” (1967) and “Too Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (1969) were co-written and produced by Jack Clement.

Shiner ran his own song firm in Music City, Ly-Rann Publishing. He co-wrote Jan Howard’s 1969 hit “We Had All the Good Things Going” and his songs were also recorded by Billie Jo Spears, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride and others.

In 1970-71, Merv Shiner was the A&R director at the Nashville office of Certron Records. The label released his version of the Crosby, Stills & Nash pop hit “Teach Your Children,” as well as his albums Life Is Lovin’ What You’re Made For (1970) and Greatest Christmas Kiddie Hits (1970). Certron also marketed the music of Johnny Paycheck, Elton Britt, Bobby Helms and Pozo Seco (featuring future solo star Don Williams).

Shiner recorded for a number of independent labels in the 1970s and 1980s. He retired in 2004. In later years, he sang with his wife Marilyn and played the Martin Guitar he’d had since 1937. In 2021, the Nashville local of the Musicians Union recognized him with a proclamation on his 100th birthday. He was the local’s oldest member, according to Local 257 president Dave Pomeroy.

Mervin Shiner died on Oct. 23. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, by son Michael and by three granddaughters.

Saturday’s memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. at the First Reformed Church of Tampa (8283 W. Hillsborough Ave.). Burial will be in the family plot in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Banjo Master Buck Trent Passes

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Buck Trent. Photo: Jeremy Westby / 2911 Media

One of the greatest banjo stylists in country-music history died yesterday (Oct. 9) at age 85.

Buck Trent is familiar to millions thanks to his regular appearances on such national TV programs as The Porter Wagoner Show, Hee Haw and The Marty Stuart Show. The master showman was revered by generations of country instrumentalists and was the inventor of the electric banjo. He was also noted as a humorist, songwriter and singer.

Trent died in Branson, Missouri on Monday morning. His ebullient personality and infectious on-stage energy were matched by unparalleled musicianship. The latter was displayed on dozens of records. He made 15 solo albums and was also heard on albums by Wagoner, Nancy Sinatra, Mac Wiseman, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, Norma Jean, Johnnie & Jack, Roy Clark and many others.

Those are his distinctively rhythmic acoustic-guitar licks opening Dolly Parton’s iconic “Jolene.” He also played on the singer’s original version of “I Will Always Love You” and on Parton’s albums Coat of Many Colors (1973), My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973) and Rainbow (1987), among others.

Born Charles Wilburn Trent in Spartanburg, South Carolina, he began playing Hawaiian guitar when he was seven years old. He also played Dobro, mandolin, electric bass, guitar and most notably, five-string banjo. He started performing on radio at age 10. When he was 17, he was featured on the TV show of Cousin Wilbur (Westbrooks) in Asheville, North Carolina.

He moved to California, where he performed on Town Hall Party, Hometown Jamboree and other west coast country shows. He then fronted his own bands in San Angelo, Texas and Atlanta (on WJFB-TV).

Trent moved to Nashville and joined the road show of Opry star Bill Carlisle in 1959. After serving a brief stint with Bill Monroe, he joined Porter Wagoner’s troupe in 1962. This is where he developed his electric-banjo innovation alongside steel-guitar maestro Shot Jackson.

The Porter Wagoner Show was the top nationally syndicated country music show of the 1960s. Wagoner’s state-of-he-art troupe also included comic Speck Rhodes, dancing fiddler Mack Magaha and spectacular “girl singer” Parton. Trent played on all of the hit duets recorded by Wagoner and Parton, as well as on her solo LPs. He urged her to record “Mule Skinner Blues,” which became her first top 10 hit (1970).

Trent remained with the Wagoner troupe through 1973. He spent the next seven years with Roy Clark. They were part of the first country music road show to tour the Soviet Union (1976). He and fellow instrumental great Clark created several dazzling duet performances. They were named the CMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year in 1975 and 1976.

When Clark joined the Hee Haw cast, so did Trent. He remained with the show for 19 years. This higher profile led to a number of solo albums showcasing his instrumental gifts. Trent recorded for the Smash, RCA, Boone, Dot and ABC labels, as well as for his own imprint. Among his best-known collections were Bionic Banjo (1976), Oh Yeah! (1977) and Buck Trent (1986).

In the 1990s, Buck Trent became a headliner in Branson, Missouri. Between 2008 and 2015, he was featured on Stuart’s show. He recorded with the future Country Music Hall of Famer on the 2012 CD Tear the Woodpile Down.

Buck Trent embarked on the 2018 “Kornfield Friends” Hee Haw reunion tour alongside former show regulars Lulu Roman, Misty Rowe and Jana Jae. Trent’s final album, Spartanburg Blues, was released in 2018.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

All-Around Nashville Music Man Mike Henderson Passes

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Pictured: Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson accept the Song of the Year award for “Starting Over” at The 55th Annual CMA Awards. Photo: John Russell/CMA

Songwriter/performer Mike Henderson died suddenly on Friday, Sept. 22 at age 70.

He is perhaps best known as the co-writer of the Chris Stapleton hit “Broken Halos,” which became Stapleton’s first No. 1 success and won the Grammy Award as Country Song of the Year in 2017. It also won a CMA Song of the Year Award, as did 2021’s “Starting Over.”

Mike Henderson was a founder of the much-awarded progressive bluegrass band The SteelDrivers. For nearly 40 years, he has held down a weekly Monday-night residency at The Bluebird Cafe with his blues bands.

Mike Henderson. Photo: Jim McGuire

A native of Independence, Missouri, Henderson mastered guitar, fiddle, mandolin, Dobro and harmonica while playing in folk, bluegrass, rock and blues bands in high school and college at the University of Missouri. The most prominent of these was a blues combo called The Bell Aires. He and his family moved to Nashville in 1985. His aim was to become a utility player in some star’s road band.

In Nashville, he joined the blues-rocking group The Roosters, which evolved into The Kingsnakes. Henderson’s co-written “Powerful Stuff” was recorded by The Fabulous Thunderbirds and became a standout on the soundtrack of the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail in 1988. The Snakes were signed to Curb Records the following year.

As a songwriter, Henderson was signed to EMI on Music Row. His songs were recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Gary Allan, Patty Loveless, the [Dixie] Chicks, Travis Tritt, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Marty Stuart and others.

Mike Henderson & The Bluebloods

He also worked steadily as a session musician, appearing on albums by Emmylou Harris, Kelly Willis, Lucinda Williams, Sting, Waylon Jennings, John Hiatt, Albert King, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., Faith Hill, Guy Clark, Bob Seger, Blake Shelton, Delbert McClinton and Martina McBride, as well as Loveless and the Chicks.

RCA Records signed him as a solo artist in 1993, and he issued the album Country Music Made Me Do It on the label. His “Hillbilly Jitters” RCA single charted briefly in 1994.

He formed the Dead Reckoning collective with Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, Harry Stinson and Tammy Rogers. Henderson released three albums on Dead Reckoning, Edge of Night (1996), First Blood (1997) and Thicker Than Water (1999). The last two were with The Bluebloods, a new incarnation of his blues-rock ensembles.

Mark Knopfler hired him for his touring band in 2001. The rock star praised Henderson’s guitar work and was particularly taken with his blues harmonica stylings.

Henderson and Rogers co-founded The SteelDrivers in 2006. The group issued its debut album in 2008 and was named New Artist of the Year by the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) in 2009. The group’s 2010 album Reckless was nominated for a Grammy. Henderson and Stapleton met in The SteelDrivers and became songwriting collaborators. Their SteelDrivers song “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” was recorded by pop superstar Adele.

Mike Henderson left the band in late 2010, and Stapleton departed in 2011 to launch his highly successful solo career. The two men remained songwriting collaborators. In addition to “Broken Halos” and “Starting Over,” Stapleton has popularized their collaborations “Midnight Train to Memphis,” “Second One to Know” and “Death Row,” among others.

Henderson also continued to record, issuing the 2015 album If You Think It’s Hot in Here. He became a record producer, as well. In addition to recordings by The Bluebloods, Henderson guided a series of rootsy albums for John Oates in recent years. He worked with Dale Watson on the latter’s current album, Starvation Box.

Last year, Mike Henderson had a special thrill when he performed with Stapleton at Wrigley Field. He was a lifelong fan of The Chicago Cubs, so he described the experience as “a dream come true.”

He also continued to perform regularly at The Bluebird. His final performance was last Monday there. Longtime songwriting collaborator Wally Wilson spoke to him Friday morning by phone. That afternoon, Henderson died in his sleep at home. Wilson believed the cause to be a pulmonary embolism.

Mike Henderson is survived by his wife of nearly 45 years, Janet, and by his daughters Lauren and Shannon Henderson. Visitation will be in the sanctuary of Woodmont Christian Church on Wednesday (Sept. 27), 10 a.m. to noon with a memorial service to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MusiCares.

Widely Admired Bass Player Dave Roe Passes

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Dave Roe. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen, courtesy of Easy Eye Sound

Musician Dave Roe died last week at his home in Goodlettsville at age 71.

He is best known as the bass player for Johnny Cash in the iconic Tennessee Three during the 1990s. Roe also played on more than 500 albums as a studio professional.

Proficient on electric bass as well as slap-back, rockabilly stand-up bass, Dave Roe backed a who’s-who of music. Among those he played bass for are Faith Hill, John Mellencamp, Loretta Lynn, CeeLo Green, Chrissie Hynde, Dwight Yoakam, Kris Kristofferson, Yola, Rodney Crowell, Carrie Underwood, Marcus King, Ray LaMontagne, Jim Ed Brown, Dan Auerbach, Taj Mahal, Eddy Arnold, Iris DeMent, Billy Burnette, Sturgill Simpson, Ian Hunter, Merle Haggard, Brian Setzer, Kurt Vile, Tony Joe White, Rosie Flores, Malcolm Holcombe, Brandy Clark, Joe Ely, Richard Lloyd, David Olney, Bruce Robison, Allison Moorer, Jack Clement, Don Schlitz, Duane Eddy, Kathy Mattea, Shawn Camp and Gretchen Peters.

Dave Roe Rorick, his full name, was born in Louisiana and raised in Hawaii. After playing in island rock and funk bands, the musician moved to Nashville in the early 1980s. Within a week of arriving, he went to work in Jerry Reed’s band. He also gigged with Chet Atkins, Mel Tillis, Charlie Louvin, Dottie West, Vince Gill and Vern Gosdin during his early years in Music City.

During the late 1980s, June Carter Cash’s daughter Rosey Carter Nix had a local Nashville nightclub band that included Dave Roe. This is how he came to the attention of Johnny Cash, who hired him in 1992.

Following the years touring with The Man in Black, Dave Roe remained close to the superstar. He also often performed in the superb Don Kelley Band on Lower Broadway. In addition, Roe has gigged at Dee’s Country Lounge, the 12th South Taproom and other local venues.

He participated in the albums produced by Rick Rubin that resumed and revived Cash’s legendary career and earned him a “victory lap” of honors in 1994-2010. Roe also performed in a band with Kenny Vaughan and Pete Abbott called The SloBeats. Guitarist Vaughan is famed as a member of Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives band and Abbott is the drummer in the soul-rock group The Average White Band.

Roe’s last known performance was on the Grand Ole Opry backing Cash’s grandson Thomas Gabriel on Sept. 12. He was a member of The Tennessee Four with Gabriel, Kerry Marks and Paul Leim, and it was the band’s Opry debut.

John Carter Cash memorialized Dave Roe on Facebook. Other who have written fond memorials include Peters, Dave Pomeroy, Guthrie Trapp and Ira Dean.

“He was a real cat, a master musician,” said Trapp in Bass Player magazine. “He really knew how to subdivide that beat and make it a funky, groovy thing.”

It is reported that Dave Roe passed away as a result of a heart attack on Sept. 15. He is survived by his wife Leslie Barr and son Jerry Roe, who is an in-demand Nashville drummer. Funeral arrangements are unknown.

Texas Singer-Songwriter Charlie Robison Dies At 59

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Charlie Robison

Singer-songwriter Charlie Robison passed away on Sunday (Sept. 10). He was 59.

Robison reportedly died at a hospital in San Antonio after suffering cardiac arrest and other complications. His death was confirmed via a Facebook post from his wife, Kristen Robison.

Robison grew up in Texas making music with his brother Bruce. After a knee injury playing football for Southwest Texas State halted his sports career, he began performing in the late 1980s in Austin with several local bands. In 1996, he ventured out solo, releasing his debut album Bandera, named after the town where his family has owned a ranch for generations.

In 1998, Robison signed with Sony Music’s Lucky Dog imprint, and released a couple of albums including 2001’s Step Right Up, which included the top 40 single, “I Want You Bad.” In 2004, his Dualtone album Good Times included “El Cerrito Place,” which was written by Keith Gattis and later recorded by Kenny Chesney. The title track was featured in the credits of the HBO series True Blood in the third episode of the first season. In 2009, Robison released Beautiful Day, and his final project, High Life in 2013, which included a cover of Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” He released nine albums over the course of his career.

In 2018, Robison was forced to step away from making the music he loved and retire, announcing that he had permanently lost the ability to sing following a surgical procedure on his throat.

Robison served as a judge for one year in 2003 on the inaugural season of USA Network’s Nashville Star reality competition, in which contestants lived together while competing for a country music recording contract.

He is survived by his wife and four children and stepchildren. Three of his children were with first wife, Emily Strayer, a founding member of The Chicks. Details for memorial services have not been announced yet.

Remembering ‘Margaritaville’ Mogul Jimmy Buffett

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Jimmy Buffett. Photo: Julie Skarratt

Jimmy Buffett, one of the biggest pop icons Music City ever produced, died Friday night (Sept. 1) at age 76.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member parlayed his good-time, beach-bum persona into a business empire encompassing restaurants, hotels, resorts, bars, casinos, clothing, packaged food, spirits, books, outdoor furniture, home goods and merchandise. Much of it was branded “Margaritaville,” after the 1977 pop and country hit that was his signature song.

Despite its fame and inclusion in the Grammy Hall of Fame, “Margaritaville” was not Buffett’s biggest hit. “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” a 2003 duet with Alan Jackson, topped the country hit parade and remained at No. 1 for eight weeks. He also scored a No. 1 country hit with 2011’s “Knee Deep,” a collaboration with the Zac Brown Band.

But Buffett’s career was not defined by hit records. Rather, it rested on his phenomenally successful concert tours. At his shows, throngs of fans wearing Hawaiian shirts and/or shark-fin hats tossed beach balls and sang along to songs that were never radio favorites. These perennially faithful devotees were dubbed “Parrotheads.”

Born on Christmas Day in 1946, Buffett was raised in Mobile, Alabama. He began playing guitar as a college student at Auburn University and was soon playing folk clubs. In 1969, Buffett moved to Nashville. He became a reporter at Billboard magazine while peddling his songs on Music Row. His big scoop as a journalist was breaking the news that Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were dissolving their bluegrass act. In 1971, he became the first artist to play the new Exit/In nightclub.

 

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After recording two failed albums in Music City in 1970-71, Buffett accepted Jerry Jeff Walker’s invitation to come to Florida. The two became buskers on the streets of Key West, and Buffett decided to stay there. He returned to Nashville to record 1973’s A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean and 1974’s Living and Dying in 3/4 Time. The latter contained “Come Monday,” his first pop hit.

“I was sort of a pioneer,” he observed. “I guess I was one of the few pop acts that came outta here. And I’m not a crossover act [from country music]. I’m my own thing.”

Between 1970 and 1985, Jimmy Buffett recorded 13 albums in Nashville. In 1975, he formed his Coral Reefers Band. Over the years, the group included such Nashvillians as Josh Leo, Mac McAnally, Vince Melamed and Tim Krekel with Marshall Chapman, Bergen White, Buzz Cason, Shane Keister, Kenny Buttrey, Reggie Young, Randy Goodrum and various other Nashvillians along for the ride at various shows. Music Row’s Don Light was Buffett’s first manager.

By the mid 1970s, the entertainer had developed his musical niche purveying island escapism and Caribbean sunshine. Working with Nashville producers Don Gant, Norbert Putnman, Jimmy Bowen and Tony Brown, as well as McAnally, Buffett issued a string of Platinum-selling albums that celebrated Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads, as the title of his Quadruple Platinum boxed set put it.

In 1983, he performed at Nashville’s Fan Fair country festival. The following year, he moved his song-publishing business to Nashville. So the income from “Volcano,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk (and Screw),” “Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitude,” “Fins,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “Coconut Telegraph,” “One Particular Harbor” and the rest of his catalog was managed by Cason’s Southern Writers Group. Buffett’s songs have been recorded by such country stars as Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, Willie Nelson, Clint Black, Lefty Frizzell and Crystal Gayle.

“Nashville is the last place where a good melody and a good lyric are appreciated and can be a commercial success,” he said. “I’ve always maintained close friendships with everyone I’ve been involved with in Nashville
 I have a lot of roots here and made a lot of records here over the years.”

In 1991, he bought a home in Music City. Then, beginning in 1992, Music Row became the home of his record labels, Margaritaville Records and Mailboat Records.

His songs appeared on the soundtracks of the films Rancho Deluxe, FM, Goin’ West, Summer Rental, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Urban Cowboy. He did cameo appearances in a number of movies and had a recurring role as a helicopter pilot on TV’s Hawaii Five-O in 2011-2020.

His books have all made the New York Times best-sellers lists. They have included Tales From Margaritaville (short stories), Where Is Joe Merchant (a novel), A Pirate Looks at Fifty (a memoir) and A Salty Piece of Land (a novel). Buffett also wrote two musicals and two children’s books.

He co-owned two minor-league baseball teams and three retirement communities. He had his own cannabis brand, as well as a video game. He owned luxury real estate in five states. According to Forbes, he was worth more than $1 billion.

In 1993, Jimmy Buffett played the Tennessee Ball at the Bill Clinton inauguration. A lifelong Democrat, he campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016. He was an avid supporter of nature conservation. Buffett was a major donor to the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory, and in 1987 he’d lobbied for the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act.

Back in Nashville, he recorded a 1999 duet version of “Margaritaville” with Alan Jackson, which returned him to the country charts. In 2003, he won his first music-industry honor, a CMA Award for the team’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” The CMA also nominated him for 2004’s “Hey Good Lookin,” a collaboration with Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Toby Keith and Jackson. Buffett’s ties to Music City were underscored in 2004 when he returned to town for his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

That is the same year that he resumed recording in Nashville. His album License to Chill on his Mailboat label, featured collaborations with Clint Black, Nanci Griffith and Bill Withers, as well as Strait, Chesney, Keith and Jackson. The collection hit No.1 on the country charts, and its “Trip Around the Sun” duet with Martina McBride became a top-20 country hit.

“This is where I belong,” he decided. “I don’t think I’ve changed that much, but Nashville sure has
.There’s more room for versatility than there ever was before, more room to fluctuate musically than in any other form of music
.All kinds of people are coming back into this town, from musicians to producers to writers.

“All I’m doing is following my market. I am as old as the people who like me
.Finally, it’s gotten to the point where people don’t ask me what it is that I play anymore. They say I’m uncategorized; and to that I say, ‘Thank you.’

“I don’t care what you call it, it’s still folk. I don’t want to give up my acoustic guitar. We’re folky, but you can call it anything you want to.”

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In 2005, his Songs You Know By Heart greatest-hits collection was certified by the RIAA for sales of seven million copies. In 2006-20, he issued five more studio albums. There is reportedly a sixth, tentatively titled Equal Strain on All Parts, that has yet to be released. He continued to tour and perform, almost to the end of his life. His last appearance was on July 2 at a McAnally show in Rhode Island.

In late August, Jimmy Buffett entered hospice care. He had an aggressive form of skin cancer and died of its complications at his waterfront estate in Sag Harbor on Long Island. According to his website and social media, he was “surrounded by family, friends, music and his dogs.

“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

Jimmy Buffett is survived by his wife Jane, son Cameron Marley, daughters Savannah Jane and Sarah Delaney, two grandchildren and two sisters. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

The family has asked that donations be made in his name to the foundation Singing for Change, to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston, and to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Nashville Music Industry’s Misha K. Hunke Passes

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Misha Hunke

Misha K. Hunke, age 58, of Nashville, Tennessee passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.

Hunke was born on Jan. 29, 1965 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

With Bachelor’s degrees in both broadcasting and marketing from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hunke moved to Nashville in 1987 for an internship at BMI to complete her marketing degree.

She also took music business classes at Belmont College, and was hired at BMI following her internship where she later spent her 35-year career. Hunke was most recently promoted to Vice President, Administration & Publisher Relations. Prior to this promotion, she served as the Assistant Vice President, Distribution & Administration Services, and oversaw the teams’ daily functions and strategic direction, including collaborating with major publisher clients and industry-wide administration professionals regarding digital initiatives, royalties, licensing, data quality and administration. She also spearheaded strategic development projects designed to increase efficiencies, create quality controls and improve customer service to affiliates.

Described as vibrant, funny, light-hearted, compassionate and kind, Hunke was a hard worker and dedicated herself fully to her family, work and church. She was a longstanding youth groups volunteer leader at Christ Community Church, and spent over 15 years teaching and serving as a leader for kids from elementary to high school.

A Gathering of Family and Friends for Misha will be held Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brentwood-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 9010 Church Street East in Brentwood, Tennessee.

A Celebration of Life will follow the gathering on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 at 1 p.m. Burial will follow service at Woodlawn Memorial Park, 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared here for the Hunke family.

Read full obituary here.