MUSIC-INDUSTRY GREAT BOB MONTGOMERY PASSES
By Robert K. Oermann
Bob Montgomery, one of the key figures in Nashville’s evolution into Music City USA, has died at age 77.
During his six-decade career, he made major contributions as a songwriter, record producer, music publisher and label executive. Bob Montgomery’s song catalog includes such standards as “Misty Blue” and “Love’s Made a Fool of You.” He produced records that boosted the careers of Vern Gosdin, Janie Fricke, Bobby Goldsboro and Joe Diffie. He published such iconic songs as “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” He created hit-making rosters for the record labels United Artists, Epic and Columbia.
Born in West Texas in 1937, he first made his mark as the 1949-1955 duet partner of future Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member Buddy Holly. “Buddy & Bob” became local radio stars in Lubbock, TX and opened the concert there by Elvis Presley. Montgomery subsequently wrote or co-wrote such 1950s Holly evergreens as “Heartbeat,” “Love’s Made a Fool of You” and “Wishing.”
He became a recording engineer in the Clovis, NM studio of producer Norman Petty, working with such artists as Holly, The Crickets, Waylon Jennings, Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, Buddy Knox and Roy Orbison. Montgomery also played rhythm guitar on recordings at the facility.
He moved to Nashville in late 1959 and became a staff songwriter for Acuff-Rose Publishing. His early successes there included Sue Thompson’s 1962 pop hit “Two of a Kind,” as well as songs for The Everly Brothers, Jim Reeves and Bob Luman.
Montgomery formed Talmont Music as his own publishing company in 1963. Among the company’s key copyrights was Montgomery’s “Back in Baby’s Arms.” It was originally sung by Patsy Cline and later revived by Connie Smith, Sissy Spacek, Emmylou Harris and many others. He also struck gold with “Misty Blue.” This Montgomery song has been a hit for Wilma Burgess (1966), Eddy Arnold (1967), Joe Simon (1972), Dorothy Moore (1976) and Billie Jo Spears (1976) and has been recorded by hundreds more.
Montgomery sold Talmont in 1967 and next became the head of the United Artists Records country division. He hit his stride as a record producer by guiding hits for the label’s Del Reeves (1969’s “Good Time Charlie’s”), Johnny Darrell (1968’s “With Pen in Hand”) and Buddy Knox (1968’s “Gypsy Man”), among others. His most notable UA client was Bobby Goldsboro, for whom Montgomery produced the massive 1968 pop and country smash “Honey,” as well as “Watching Scotty Grow,” “The Straight Life,” “Summer (The First Time)” and Goldsboro’s other hits of that era.

In late 1969, Montgomery and Goldsboro formed the publishing company House of Gold. Within five years, it was one of the top song firms on Music Row. Staff writers included future Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members Kenny O’Dell and Larry Henley, plus Steve Pippin, Danny Morrison, Sam Lorber, Bobby Springfield and Van Stephenson.
In addition to “Behind Closed Doors” (Charlie Rich) and “The Wind Beneath My Wings” (Gary Morris, Bette Midler), the company’s hits included John Conlee’s “Rose Colored Glasses,” Tammy Wynette’s “Til I Get it Right,” Alabama’s “Love in the First Degree,” The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Bobbie Sue” and Tanya Tucker’s “Lizzie and the Rainman.” Others who scored big hits with House of Gold songs included Brenda Lee, Dave & Sugar, Eddy Arnold, Cristy Lane, Crystal Gayle, Jack Greene and Bobby Bare.
House of Gold singer-songwriter Razzy Bailey had a long string of hit singles that Montgomery produced. The company also competed in the pop field with songs recorded by Dr. Hook, Sister Sledge, Player, Millie Jackson, Exile, Lobo, Gladys Knight, The Pointer Sisters, Sheena Easton and others.
During the 1970s, House of Gold was ranked second to Tree International as the most successful independent publisher in Nashville. Warner Bros. Music bought the company in 1982 for a reported $3.5 million. Montgomery moved to Tree as its Director of Creative Services.

When Sony bought Tree in 1988, Montgomery became a vice president at CBS Records. He signed Joe Diffie, Doug Stone and Collin Raye to the company’s imprints, Columbia and Epic.
He also continued to produce records. Montgomery’s name is on 1980s discs by B.J. Thomas, Waylon Jennings, Shelby Lynne and Merle Haggard, among others. “Rocky” by Austin Roberts (1975), “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy” by Janie Fricke (1982), “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox” by Joe Diffie (1993) and “Some Memories Just Won’t Die” by Marty Robbins (1982) are among the many hits with Montgomery’s production touch. So are such iconic Vern Gosdin performances as 1988-89’s “Chiseled in Stone,” “Set ‘Em Up Joe” and “Who You Gonna Blame it on This Time.”
With Bob Montgomery’s support, his wife Cathy Montgomery established another publishing company, Noosa Heads Music, in 1992. Its successful songs to date include the Tim McGraw hits “Down on the Farm” (1994) and “Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It” (1996).
The couple moved to Australia in 2005 and lived there for seven years. The Montgomerys returned to Nashville 18 months ago. Bob Montgomery had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He died quietly at home around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 4.
He is the father of pop singer-songwriter Kevin Montgomery, who has recorded for A&M Records and achieved particular success in the U.K.
Bob Montgomery is also survived by his wife and business partner Cathy Montgomery and by daughters Echo Annette Garrett and Dee Dee Dawn Cooley.
Arrangements are being handled by Woodlawn Funeral Home on Thompson Lane. Visitation is scheduled there for Monday evening, 5-8 p.m., and the funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Priscilla Mitchell, best known for her hit duets with Grand Ole Opry star Roy Drusky (1930-2004), has died at the age of 73.
According to Butch Baker of HoriPro, the singer passed away around 2 a.m. on Sept. 24, surrounded by family and friends. Mitchell was the widow of country star Jerry Reed (1937-2008), a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Priscilla Mitchell was born in Marietta, GA on Sept. 18, 1941. She was four years old when she made her debut on Marietta’s WFOM radio singing “Pistol Packin’ Mama.” She married Jerry Hubbard in Georgia in 1959. He took the stage name of Jerry Reed, and both pursued careers as singers and songwriters.
Mitchell got a recording contract with Mercury Records in Nashville. In 1965, she and Drusky scored a No. 1 country hit with the “cheating” song “Yes, Mr. Peters.” It was the biggest hit that both vocalists ever had. Other Drusky/Mitchell charting duets included “Slippin’ Around” (1966) and “I’ll Never Tell on You” (1967). They released three albums as a team, Love’s Eternal Triangle, Together Again and We Belong Together.
Her country solo singles for Mercury included 1967’s “He’s Not for Real,” written by Jerry Reed, and 1968’s “Your Old Handy Man,” written by Dolly Parton. Reed also wrote and arranged her uptempo 1968 single “Natch-illy Ain’t No Good.”
Priscilla Mitchell also recorded pop music. Billed as “Sadina,” she released singles such as 1965’s “I Want That Boy” on Mercury’s Smash Records subsidiary. Husband Jerry Reed began having big hits in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, he crossed over to the pop charts and became a movie star. During the same time period, Priscilla Mitchell Hubbard became a highly successful backup vocalist in Nashville recording studios.
Their daughters, Seidina and Lottie also became singers. Seidina was her father’s duet partner on 1977’s “You Know What,” and Lottie performed on one of his TV specials. Priscilla Mitchell appeared in her husband’s 1985 movie What Comes Around and later toured with him as a backing vocalist and keyboard player.
Her funeral service was at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home on Saturday, Sept. 26. Priscilla Ann Hubbard is survived by her daughters Lottie Zavala (Robert) and Seidina Hubbard, by sister Sandra Tomlin, by grandchildren Lainey Stewart and Jerry Rorick, by niece Ryn Sledge and by nephew Raegan Echols. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Willowbrook Hospice, 381 Riverside Dr., Suite 440, Franklin, TN 37064.

During his 1980s tenure as Director of A&R for MCA Records in Nashville, Don Lanier found the songs that helped turn George Strait and Reba McEntire into country superstars. He was also a hit songwriter, himself. Lanier died on Wednesday, July 23, at age 78.
Raised in West Texas, he became friends with future producer/executive Jimmy Bowen when both were in junior high school. Lanier was nicknamed “Dirt” at this time, and the moniker remained with him.
With Lanier on lead guitar and Bowen on bass, they became key members of the band The Rhythm Orchids. In 1957, they backed Bowen and bandleader Buddy Knox on their co-written hits “I’m Stickin’ With You” and the Knox No. 1 smash “Party Doll.” Other Lanier/Bowen/Knox songs included “Hula Love” and “Rock Your Little Baby to Sleep.”
Both Bowen and Knox recorded for Roulette Records. So did Lanier, who created teen singles for that company, as well as for Dot, Gee and Apt in 1957-62.
Bowen subsequently moved to Los Angeles and became a record producer. In 1964, he brought Lanier to L.A. to become a contractor for his recording sessions. After arranging musicians for Bowen’s sessions as Dean Martin’s producer, Lanier became in-demand as a musician contractor throughout the West Coast recording scene.
Lanier also continued to write songs. His “Here We Go Again” became a hit for Ray Charles in 1967 and for Nancy Sinatra in 1969. His songs have also been recorded by Hank Snow, Glen Campbell, Bobby Vee and Norah Jones, among others.
Among Lanier’s songwriting collaborators were Tommy Overstreet, Tom Thacker, Joe Bob Barnhill and Red Steagall. He also continued to play lead guitar, contributing to records by Lee Hazelwood, Phil Everly, Bill Haley, Dean Martin and more.
Bowen brought Lanier to Nashville when he took over MCA Records in 1984. Lanier became renowned and respected in Music City for his “ears,” that is, his ability to hear future hit songs. In addition to Strait and McEntire, he found tunes for Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn and many of the other MCA artists of the 1980s.
Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home is handling arrangements. A memorial celebration was held there on Sunday, July 27 at 1 p.m., with the funeral service at 2 p.m. The funeral home is located at 660 Thompson Lane.