Roger Murrah
Encyclopedia
Roger Murrah is a songwriter and music publisher who has written hits for artists including Waylon Jennings
, Alan Jackson
, Al Jarreau
, and Alabama
.
After working in the late 1960s as a staff writer, he opened his own studio in Huntsville
, Alabama
. He then moved to Nashville
, Tennessee
and in 1972 made his first appearance on the national charts with "It's Raining in Seattle" by Wynn Stewart
.
In 1990, Murrah started his own publishing company, Murrah Music and in 1992 was named Billboard
s Independent Publisher of the Year. Murrah signees include: Mark Alan Springer, Neal Coty, Rachel Proctor, Luke Bryan, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Steve Azar, Phillip White, Rachel Thibodeau, Michael Mobley, Jimmy Melton and Jon Henderson.
Murrah's songs have been recorded by artists including: Al Jarreau, Alan Jackson, Tanya Tucker, The Oak Ridge Boys, Wynonna, Mel Tillis, Take 6, Alabama, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, and Waylon Jennings.
Murrah was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995
Murrah has served five terms as chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF), and two consecutive terms as president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). ref name=thrive /)
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
, Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau
Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
, and Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
.
After working in the late 1960s as a staff writer, he opened his own studio in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. He then moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and in 1972 made his first appearance on the national charts with "It's Raining in Seattle" by Wynn Stewart
Wynn Stewart
Winford Lindsey Stewart , better known as Wynn Stewart, was an American country music performer. He was one of the progenitors of the Bakersfield sound...
.
In 1990, Murrah started his own publishing company, Murrah Music and in 1992 was named Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Independent Publisher of the Year. Murrah signees include: Mark Alan Springer, Neal Coty, Rachel Proctor, Luke Bryan, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Steve Azar, Phillip White, Rachel Thibodeau, Michael Mobley, Jimmy Melton and Jon Henderson.
Murrah's songs have been recorded by artists including: Al Jarreau, Alan Jackson, Tanya Tucker, The Oak Ridge Boys, Wynonna, Mel Tillis, Take 6, Alabama, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, and Waylon Jennings.
Murrah was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995
Murrah has served five terms as chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF), and two consecutive terms as president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). ref name=thrive /)
Number one hits
- "Southern Rains" — Mel Tillis 1981
- "Life's Highway" — Steve Wariner 1986
- "Hearts Aren't Made to Break" — Lee Greenwood 1986
- "It Takes a Little Rain" — Oak Ridge Boys 1987
- "This Crazy Love" — Oak Ridge Boys 1987
- "High CottonHigh Cotton (song)"High Cotton" is a country song by Alabama from their 1989 album Southern Star. The song was one of four singles on the album to reach number one on the Hot Country Singles chart.- Lyrics :...
" — Alabama 1989 - "Southern StarSouthern Star (song)"Southern Star" is the name of a country song Alabama from their 1989 album Southern Star. The song hit number one in the United States on the Hot Country Singles charts.-Lyrics:...
" — Alabama 1990 - "Don't Rock the JukeboxDon't Rock the Jukebox (song)"Don't Rock the Jukebox" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in April 1991 as the lead single from the album of the same name, Don't Rock the Jukebox. It was his second consecutive Number One single on the U.S...
" — Alan Jackson 1991 - "I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)I'm in a Hurry is a song written by Roger Murrah and Randy VanWarmer and recorded by the American country music band Alabama. It was released as the second single in September 1992 from their album American Pride...
" — Alabama 1992 - "If I Could Make a LivingIf I Could Make a Living (song)"If I Could Make a Living" is the title of a country music song written by Alan Jackson, Keith Stegall, and Roger Murrah. It was recorded by Clay Walker as the title track to his 1994 studio album of the same name. Released in late 1994 as Walker's fifth chart entry, the song became his fourth...
" — Clay Walker 1994
Awards
- 1988 BMI Songwriter of the Year
- 1980's BMI Songwriter of the Decade name=alhof>Bio, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
- BMI Millionaire Airplay Award (for over one million radio performances of Al JarreauAl JarreauAlwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
’s “We’re in This Love Together.” - 3rd BMI Millionaire Airplay Award (for over three million radio performances of Al JarreauAl JarreauAlwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...
’s “We’re in This Love Together.” - CMA Song Of The Year Nomination (1991) Alan JacksonAlan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
’s “Don't Rock the JukeboxDon't Rock The Jukebox-Track listing:# "Don't Rock the Jukebox" – 2:52# "That's All I Need to Know" – 3:47# "Dallas" – 2:45# "Midnight in Montgomery" – 3:46...
.” - CMA Song Of The Year Nomination (1992) Alan JacksonAlan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
’s “Don't Rock the JukeboxDon't Rock The Jukebox-Track listing:# "Don't Rock the Jukebox" – 2:52# "That's All I Need to Know" – 3:47# "Dallas" – 2:45# "Midnight in Montgomery" – 3:46...
.” - BMI 2nd Millionaire Airplay Award (for over two million radio performances of Alan JacksonAlan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
’s “Don't Rock the JukeboxDon't Rock The Jukebox-Track listing:# "Don't Rock the Jukebox" – 2:52# "That's All I Need to Know" – 3:47# "Dallas" – 2:45# "Midnight in Montgomery" – 3:46...
.” - BMI Millionaire Airplay Award (for over one million radio performances of Wynonna’s “Only LoveOnly Love (Wynonna Judd song)"Only Love" is the title of a song written by Roger Murrah and Marcus Hummon, and recorded by American country music artist Wynonna Judd. It was released in 1993 as the second single from the album Tell Me Why. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart...
.” - BMI 2nd Millionaire Airplay Award (for over two million radio performances of AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
’s “High CottonHigh CottonHigh Cotton is a collection of short fiction by Joe R. Lansdale, initially published in 2000. In his introduction, Lansdale cites it as the "Best of Lansdale", and has called this work a companion piece to the 2004 collection Bumper Crop....
.” - BMI Millionaire Airplay Award (for over one million radio performances of AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
’s “Southern StarSouthern Star (song)"Southern Star" is the name of a country song Alabama from their 1989 album Southern Star. The song hit number one in the United States on the Hot Country Singles charts.-Lyrics:...
.” - BMI 2nd Millionaire Airplay Award (for over two million radio performances of AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
’s “I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why)I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)I'm in a Hurry is a song written by Roger Murrah and Randy VanWarmer and recorded by the American country music band Alabama. It was released as the second single in September 1992 from their album American Pride...
.” - BMI 2nd Millionaire Airplay Award (for over two million radio performances of Tanya TuckerTanya TuckerTanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
’s “It's a Little Too LateIt's a Little Too Late (Tanya Tucker song)"It's a Little Too Late" is a single by American country music singer Tanya Tucker. The second single from her 1992 album Can't Run from Yourself, it peaked at #2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
.” - BMI Millionaire Airplay Award (for over one million radio performances of The Oak Ridge BoysThe Oak Ridge BoysThe Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...
’s “This Crazy LoveThis Crazy Love"This Crazy Love" is a 1987 single written by Roger Murrah and James Dean Hicks and recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys. "This Crazy Love" was The Oak Ridge Boys' fifteenth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart...
.” - BMI Millionaire Airplay Award (for over one million radio performances of Travis TrittTravis TrittJames Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
’s “Where Corn Don't GrowWhere Corn Don't Grow"Where Corn Don't Grow" is a song written by Roger Murrah and Mark Alan Springer. It was first recorded by Waylon Jennings on his 1990 album The Eagle, peaking at #67 on the country singles charts that year. Six years later, Travis Tritt covered it on his 1996 album The Restless Kind...
.”
External links
- Murrah Music website
- Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
- In The Spotlight Feature Interview 2010
- Interview, HitQuarters June 2009
- American Songwriter February 19, 2009
- Alabama Music Hall of Fame
- American Chronicle Feature 2006
- Bluegrass Journal February 18, 2010
- BMI Music World Feature Interview, June 2006