4 ANNOUNCEMENTS Details on the upcoming member meeting Tuesday, Aug. 26, on Zoom, and also in person. Local reports from the president and secretarytreasurer, and other important information.
6 STATE OF THE LOCAL Dave Pomeroy talks about the history of respect for musicians that made Nashville Music City, and fills in membership on Local 257 involvement on a host of issues important to members.
7
BETWEEN THE NOTES Secretary-Treasurer Will Barrow writes his final column before handing the reins over to Rich Eckhardt. 8
NEWS The Musicians Hall of Fame is renovating and expanding its exhibits. 9 HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE The comings and goings of Local 257 members.
GALLERY We recognize member milestones as well as other events and honors.
14 COVER STORY: DANN HUFF Cross a guitar guru with an ace producer, throw in a few simple twists of fate and an unrivaled work ethic, and you would have the inimitable Dann Huff. He sits down with Warren Denney to explore a fascinating career path that includes a rock band, years of session work on loads of hits, a pile of awards, and the long-awaited release of his first solo record, When Words Aren’t Enough
REVIEWS Music from Willie Nelson, John Oates, and Yates McKendree. Plus a live review of Dolly Parton’s new musical.
BEHIND THE SCENES Guitarist Chris Leuzinger writes about the sessions for “Friends in Low Places.”
RECORDING New developments for time card submission at Local 257 will help facilitate the process.
JAZZ & BLUES What’s going on in the Nashville area jazz and blues scene.
FINAL NOTES We bid farewell to Melba Montgomery, R.E. Huffmaster, Jerry Braswell, Charles Jennings, Albert Wayne “Doc” Butler, John Thomas Herbert, Ralph Everitt Black, and Willis Wade.
– A TRUE
GALLERY
DANN HUFF
Newest Nashville Cat Rob Hajacos (far left) and past honorees at the event: (l-r) Brent Mason, Lloyd Green, Dan Dugmore, Billy Sanford, Robby Turner, Bergen White and Bobby Wood
OFFICIAL
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
WEB ADMINISTRATOR AD SALES
Dave Pomeroy
Will Barrow
Kathy Osborne
Leslie Barr
Warren Denney
Roy Montana
Kathy Osborne
Dave Pomeroy
Dave Pomeroy
Leslie Barr
Kathy Osborne
Leslie Barr 615-244-9514
LOCAL 257 OFFICERS PRESIDENT
SECRETARY-TREASURER
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Dave Pomeroy Will Barrow
Jerry Kimbrough
Alison Prestwood
Biff Watson
Laura Ross
Rich Eckhardt
Tom Wild
Jonathan Yudkin
EXECUTIVE BOARD ALTERNATES
HEARING BOARD
Paul Ossola
Casey Brefka
Michele Voan Capps
Tiger Fitzhugh
Teresa Hargrove
Kent Goodson
Sarah Martin McConnell
Dave Moody
Ellen Angelico
TRUSTEES
SERGEANT AT ARMS
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY STEWARD
OFFICE MANAGER
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
SERVICES DIRECTOR
RECORDING/ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Bruce Radek
Biff Watson
Steve Tveit
Melinda Whitley
Savannah Ritchie
Billy Lynn
Paige Conners
William Sansbury
Cassandra Tormes
Alona Meek
DIRECTOR, LIVE/TOURING DEPT. AND MPTF COORDINATOR
MEMBERSHIP
Leslie Barr
Michael Minton
The next Local 257 General Membership Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26. It will be a hybrid meeting at the local and on Zoom. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 6 p.m. There are no bylaw amendments on the agenda, but there will be officer reports, important updates, and more. As noted elsewhere, following the resignation of Secretary-Treasurer Will Barrow, the Executive Board unanimously elected Rich Eckhardt as interim secretary-treasurer. In accordance with Local 257 bylaws, the executive board action is to be followed by a nominating meeting for secretary-treasurer immediately after the next general membership meeting. The new secretary-treasurer will serve the remainder of the regular term, which ends in December 2026.
NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION
AFM LOCAL 257, AFL-CIO
MINUTES OF THE 1ST QUARTER HYBRID ZOOM/LIVE MEMBERSHIP MEETING JUNE 11, 2025 6 P.M.
PRESENT: Regina McCrary, Jeffrey Clemens, Joe Hamm, Tom Shed, Michael August, Nell Levin, Ted Wilson, John Knowles, Geoff Cox, Bruce Dudley, Chris Carmichael, Vince Barranco, Ben Houston
EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESENT: Laura Ross, Jonathan Yudkin, Paul Ossola, Rich Eckhardt, Tom Wild, Biff Watson
Absent: Alison Prestwood, Casey Brefka, Jerry Kimbrough
HEARING BOARD PRESENT: Sarah Martin McConnell, Ellen Angelico, Teresa Hargrove, Kent Goodson
Absent: Dave Moody, Tiger Fitzhugh, Michele Capps
PARLIAMENTARIAN: Bill Wiggins
SERGEANT AT ARMS: Steve Tveit
OFFICERS PRESENT: Dave Pomeroy (DP), Will Barrow (WB)
DP CALLED MEETING TO ORDER: 6:26 p.m.
Minutes from last membership meeting- no minutes displayed or discussed
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
1. Opry: Musicians got raises and significant improvements.
2. Nashville Symphony: We are in the midst of difficult negotiations.
3. Airline issues: A national campaign is needed to enforce laws related to musicians traveling with their instruments.
4. The typing of contracts has been moved in house at Local 257.
5. Unpaid work dues continue to be a challenging financial issue for Local 257. A discussion followed about ways to collect work dues more efficiently.
6. CMA Fest just happened, which will generate considerable payments to musicians. SRLA negotiations with the record labels are upcoming later this year.
REPORT ON MEMBERSHIP, 2ND QUARTER (GENERATED 06/11/2025)
New Members: 26
Reinstated: 111
Total Additions: 137
Suspended: 0
Expelled: 99 Resigned: 6
Deceased: 11
Total Reductions: 116
Active Life Members: 701
Active Regular Members: 1195
Payment Plan members: 38
Total Membership: 1934
Member Deaths YTD: 15
SECRETARY-TREASURER REPORT
1. Wednesday night (and other) events monthly, 7 to 9 p.m.
A. Jazz, World Music and Soul Nights, Great Nashville Songwriters class
B. Songwriter-Musician Workshop
2. Building issues
A. Electric panels and HVAC: All work is completed and paid for.
B. We are working on beautifying the building, including pressure washing the exterior.
C. We now have a keyboard that was recently donated available in the rehearsal hall
3. New and life members
A. We are seeking to improve our outreach to new members, to inform them of benefits of membership, get to know them better and welcome them to our union.
B. We had our first new member meeting May 27, and it was well attended by new members, staff, and our executive board.
C. We will restart annual gatherings for our life members. The first one will be this August, date TBA.
FURTHER DISCUSSION
TV Videotape negotiations completed –scale increases displayed to members.
Highly qualified candidates please apply online by August 15th: nashvillesymphony.org/auditions
For repertoire please visit: nashvillesymphony.org/auditions
NASHVILLE MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION
AFM LOCAL 257, AFL-CIO
EXECUTIVE BOARD ZOOM MEETING MINUTES JULY 21, 2024
PRESENT: Will Barrow (WB), Dave Pomeroy (DP), Rich Eckhardt (RE), Laura Ross (LR), Jerry Kimbrough (JK), Jonathan Yudkin (JY), Paul Ossola (PO), Biff Watson (BW), Tom Wild (TW)
ABSENT: Casey Brefka, Alison Prestwood
DP CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER at 9:10 a.m.
AGENDA ITEMS, UPDATES, AND DISCUSSION:
1. Leadership Music and Chamber of Commerce donations
A. Discussion of whether to continue our annual $500 contribution, its merits and benefits
B. No decision was made and we will evaluate further.
2. Central Labor Council and Tennessee AFLCIO membership
A. Discussion of benefits of membership. The local is not currently a member although we do participate in some of their events.
B. The cost is calculated based on monthly dues per members — only those working under CBAs, and not freelance musicians.
C. No decision was made. More information about the exact cost and number of members working under CBAs will be gathered.
3. The board stressed that more timely and accurate financial reports need to be provided from our accountant to the officers and the board in order to make the right decisions going forward.
4. Our funeral benefit payout has been high for several years due to the number of member deaths. In the first six months of 2025, Local 257 made more beneficiary payments than in the entire year of 2024. We need to find ways to raise money, so as to not necessitate a Funeral Benefit Fund assessment increase in 2026. We will do another For Those We’ve Lost benefit concert in the near future, to help in this effort.
MSC to adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 10:55 a.m.
LOCAL 257 HOLIDAYS
LABOR DAY Monday, Sept. 1
COLUMBUS DAY Monday, Oct. 13
BY DAVE POMEROY
Iam very proud of all the things that we are doing to make the lives of musicians better. Nashville is a unique place and it is important to understand that this did not happen by accident. The culture of respect for creators goes back to the late 1800s, when the Fisk University Jubilee Singers traveled the world to raise funds for their school. The rise of WSM and the Grand Ole Opry led major labels to come and make money from hillbilly music — and hire Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley to run their labels. Atkins and Bradley insisted that work would be done under AFM contracts, and the results speak for themselves. We have an amazing and diverse creative community that covers a lot of ground, both stylistically and business-wise. This is why Nashville is Music City.
Growing our membership
With Tennessee’s right-to-work (for less) laws, union membership isn’t mandatory, but when you join, the value of your work increases, and the many benefits are far greater than cost of membership. I urge you to reach out to some of your friends and colleagues who have not gotten the memo that we are looking out for ALL Nashville musicians. The more of us there are, the more power we have.
Sound Recording Special Payments Fund
The AFM Special Payments Fund made its annual distribution Aug. 1, and this year’s payout is $10.5 million, which is the highest it has been since 2009. We negotiated this revenue stream from the labels many years ago, and the individual payouts reflect the total number of sessions done over the past five years. Here’s the best part – the top 22 musicians on the list are all Local 257 members, and more than 70 percent of the top earners are in Nashville. This speaks volumes about the value of putting
We will never lose the essence of our mission — to promote respect for musicians and the work they do.
your work “on the card,” and protecting your intellectual property rights, so you can get paid more than once for the work you do.
Work for hire
Getting paid more than once for something is a powerful demonstration of intellectual property rights, and the best way to grow your mailbox money is to document your work on an AFM contract. We are constantly explaining to new employers that if a musician is paid for a live show, a recording and/or video of that show is a completely separate event that triggers additional payments and creates intellectual property rights. Another example of employers not understanding how things are supposed to work is when they ask musicians working under a union contract to sign a Work for Hire agreement. What they do not understand is that working under an AFM contract is already a work for hire and that any other document is invalid. Most of these Work for Hire documents ask you to give up your rights to potential revenue streams that the employer has no say or input in. You should politely refuse to sign these kinds of documents, and contact us so we can explain to the employer why it is not appropriate or legal to ask musicians working under an AFM contract to give their rights away.
Parking program changes
Our partnership with Premier/Metropolis parking has been a big success, and saved our members thousands in parking fees. This program is evolving and a new version will be unveiled shortly. It focuses on music venue parking while also providing several downtown options. The number of garages will be slightly reduced, but the discount will go from 60 percent off to 100 percent free parking. This is one of our most popular membership benefits, and we appreciate Metropolis working with us to save musicians money.
American Income Life benefits
I am also pleased to announce that we are renewing our relationship with American Income Life, a union-friendly
insurance company. They are offering all of our members in good standing a $3000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment policy. There will also be access to Legacy Will kits, and a number of other discount programs available. We will be sending more information very soon. You do not have to do anything to be eligible for the AD&D benefit, However — in the interest of full transparency — please be aware that when you return the beneficiary form for the AD&D to specify someone other than your estate, they will contact you about other insurance products they offer. You are under no obligation to buy anything from them. We are excited to renew this relationship, which increases the value of your membership considerably. Feel free to spread the word.
Traveling with instruments
We continue to hear stories of issues for musicians traveling with instruments because of the new scanners that require TSA employees to hand check anything that doesn’t fit in the small plastic bins. This has resulted in harm to instruments as well as problems boarding planes with instruments, despite musicians following all the rules that the AFM was able to define and implement more than a decade ago. I am working with AFM Legislative Director Ben Kessler to reach out to TSA and the airlines, and am also setting up a meeting with the leadership of Nashville’s BNA airport to discuss our concerns. BNA most likely has more people traveling with instruments than any other U.S. airport. We will keep you posted.
Gratitude
I want to thank Will Barrow for his time, energy, and hard work as secretarytreasurer of Local 257, and welcome executive board member Rich Eckhardt to the position. I look forward to the next chapter of our journey together, as our union and Local AFM 257 continue to evolve and find new ways to ensure that we will never lose the essence of our mission — to promote respect for musicians and the work they do. That is who we are and what we do.
Thanks for the opportunity!
Happy summer, everyone. I’ll start by announcing that this will be my final column as secretarytreasurer of our amazing union. At the end of August I am stepping down, in part to pursue my solo career as an artist, pianist and keyboardist, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and educator. I’ve not stopped doing those things while in this position, but will be doing them on a fulltime basis, including more traveling. It’s been a great three years serving as an officer in our union, and I will continue to be very involved, and will be a union guy until I leave this earthly plane.
I’ll continue to curate and host many of our Wednesday night events, and will be serving on the executive board. I’m very excited about the guy who’ll be my successor in the secretary-treasurer position, having just been elected by the executive board. Rich Eckhardt has been a member of Local 257 for more than three and a half decades, and has served for six years on the executive board. A fine guitarist, Rich was a fixture in Toby Keith’s touring band for decades, and has toured and recorded with many other artists. He has a pragmatic intelligence and a get-it-done attitude that will be very helpful in moving our union forward, as we face challenges with our building and finances, and as we seek to grow and engage our membership. He’s also a good guy, who has for many years supervised our Toys for Tots donations at the local during the holidays. Here’s wishing Rich all the best in this position!
We are determined to expand our circle, and grow our membership at Local 257. While it’s always a good time to do that, now seems like a particularly opportune time to do so. There are musicians relocating to Music City from all over the country and world, and many of us are meeting these folks on gigs, sessions and such. It would be awesome if all of us could
tell them a bit about what the union has to offer them, and what we have going on here. We have some great ways for them to meet and connect with other players in town, including our variety of Wednesday events. The union is also a place for them to learn about things like recording contracts, and protecting their recorded creative property. Membership is a way that they can get benefits that can help them now, and in the future, with things like pensions, parking discounts, Union Plus discounts, group health insurance options and utilizing our great rehearsal space.
There are also many musicians we all know that have never been in the union and really should be. There are many who used to be members, but are no longer. Those who fit both of these categories often don’t know what’s going on here in 2025, and how it can help them. If you can communicate the “why you should be in the union” info to some of those people when you meet, work with, or encounter them, that would be a huge help. Along with wanting as many folks as possible to be a part of our musical circle here, growing our membership helps us to meet the significant financial challenges we face, including updating our wonderful old building. Another way we can meet those challenges is to try to get members and nonmembers who have large overdue work dues balances to pay at least some of what they owe. As of this writing, the local is owed over $96,000 in overdue work dues, just by our members, and more than that for those who are not members. These dues, though they are part of the legal contract that the work was done on, are challenging to collect, in our right-to-work-for-less state. Paying work dues for work done and checks cashed is the right thing to do, and allows us to do what we do here. Please encourage folks to pay what they owe.
I will finish my final column by saying that our awesome union is something that
BY WILL BARROW
belongs to all of us. We all have something that we can contribute, and we all benefit by getting involved. Please let us know if you want to discuss ways that you might become more engaged here. You can reach me at willb@nashvillemusicians.org . I look forward to seeing many of you at member meetings, Wednesday events, new and life member receptions, our benefit concerts, around the office and around town. Our Wednesday events are listed and detailed at our Nashville Musicians Association Facebook page. If you follow that page, you’ll get posts when the events are announced. Once on the page click “more” and then “events” to view everything that’s coming up that’s been posted. Thanks for the opportunity to work for you as an officer, and I pledge to continue to do so after August. Thanks to Rich Eckhardt for stepping up, and for all that he will bring to the position. With gratitude and in solidarity, — Will Barrow
Will Barrow and Rich Eckhardt
Musicians Hall of Fame receives $500,000 donation from Mike Curb; Renews Metro lease
“The
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum’s commitment to telling those stories makes it an invaluable part of our creative ecosystem.”
— Mayor Freddie O’Connell
The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum will remain at the Municipal Auditorium through 2045. The lease extension with Metro Nashville Government was signed in May.
“Nashville’s creative history is what makes us Music City, and it’s also what makes us more than Music City. The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum’s commitment to telling those stories makes it an invaluable part of our creative ecosystem,” Mayor Freddie O’Connell said.
Thanks to a $500,000 grant to the Grammy Museum Foundation from philanthropist and longtime record executive Mike Curb, the MHOF has also announced it is in discussions to begin major renovations to the facility, including an expansion of the Grammy Museum Gallery.
“We are incredibly grateful to Mike Curb for his generous commitment to the Grammy Museum Gallery, an exciting interactive installation that gives visitors an inside look at every aspect of the music industry, from performing to production to engineering,” said Linda Chambers, CEO and cofounder of the MHOF.
Chambers talked about the importance of celebrating musicians, who were anonymous contributors to recordings for decades. “In the beginning, musicians were not even on the album covers, their names weren’t listed…It is so important to know the history. If you don’t know where you came from, it is hard to know where you are going to go in the future,” Chambers said.
The museum hopes to include more interactive exhibits that will allow visitors to experience the creative process.
“We will also have a Mike Curb career wall, which will have over 140 jobs you can do in the music industry,” Chambers said.
“Whether they are in Memphis, whether they are in Nashville, whether they are in Los Angeles, the musicians make it possible for records to exist,” Curb said.
Local 257 members may make nominations to the MHOF; new inductees are selected only from members’ submissions. The Musicians Hall of Fame is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Members who present a union card will receive $2 off of the $28 regular ticket price.
ALISON BROWN
Alison Brown was honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at its 17th Annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum Aug. 13 in the museum’s Ford Theater. The program will explore Brown’s career as a musician, producer, songwriter and record label executive, and will be led by Museum Writer-Editor Allison Moorer.
Brown began playing banjo as a teen while growing up in Southern California. She attended Harvard University, earned an MBA from UCLA, and worked in investment banking until she made the decision to return to her musical roots. After an offer from Alison Krauss to play banjo in her band Union Station, Brown gave up her corporate career to play music full time. She released her Grammy-nominated debut album Simple Pleasures in 1990, and became the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Banjo Player of the Year award in 1991. Brown won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2001 for “Leaving Cottondale,” a collaboration with Béla Fleck from her album Fairweather, and was inducted into the American Banjo Hall of Fame in 2019. In 1995, she cofounded Compass Records with her husband, Garry West.
The annual forum began in 2007, and recognizes music industry leaders who continue the legacy of Louise Scruggs, a formidable businesswoman who set new professional standards in artist management.
KENNY CHESNEY
Kenny Chesney published his first book, Heart Life Music in November 2024. The memoir is cowritten by Holly Gleason, and traces his story from his small-town upbringing in East Tennessee through his journey to Nashville and beyond.
“I always said I’d never write a book,” Chesney said. But the mega-successful artist said he wanted to share his unique perspective and experiences.
“Too many things happened almost to be believed, let alone lived. But I realized with the world moving in such fast forward motion, too much of what made Nashville, the music business and our lives great would be lost to the churn of the next click,” Chesney said.
DOLLY PARTON
The iconic Dolly Parton has enjoyed decades of success as an artist, but she is also known for her incredible generosity. In 2025 alone, Parton and her foundation will make several important contributions to charitable causes.
Parton will participate in the Aug. 15 Stand Up to Cancer fundraiser in Nashville, which aims to raise money for cancer research. Earlier this year she donated $4.5 million to the Nashville Public Library’s Begin Bright program, which focuses on improving early childhood literacy and was rolled out this spring.
In May Parton was recognized on the TIME100 Philanthropy List in the Titan category for her decades of work through her Dollywood Foundation. And in November, she’ll receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars’ Governors Awards in Los Angeles.
Parton’s signature charitable effort, The Imagination Library, has gifted over 270 million books to children.
MATTHEW RAMSEY
Matthew Ramsey, lead singer of Old Dominion, presented a $50,000 check to J.T. Moore Middle School in Nashville June 24 to help save the school’s concert band program.
Parents of band students at the school started a fundraising campaign earlier this year after the program lost its funding when the longtime band director retired. Called Band Together, the campaign’s goal was $92,000, which was needed by the end of June, to enable the school to hire a new band director.
Ramsey’s donation plus the money already raised, will enable the school to hire a part-time director — getting them close to their goal, and saving the program.
Ramsey made the donation through the Ramsey Foundation, which he cofounded with his wife Sara. The organization’s mission is enrichment of communities through the arts.
Local 257 swept the 2025 ACM Honors Studio Awards
Local 257 swept the 2025 ACM Honors Studio Awards once again, as both multiyear winners and new honorees were celebrated at the event held Aug. 20 at the Pinnacle in Nashville.
• Producer of the Year – DAVE COBB
• Bass Player of the Year — MARK HILL AND CRAIG YOUNG (TIE)
• Drummer of the Year — AARON STERLING
• Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year — TIM GALLOWAY
• Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year — ALEX WRIGHT
• Specialty Instrument Player of the Year — JENEE FLEENOR
• Electric Guitar Player of the Year — BRENT MASON
Mark Hill
Tim Galloway
Dave Cobb
Dave Cobb
JIMMIE LEE SLOAS
Craig Young
Brent Mason
Aaron Sterling
Jenee Fleenor
Acclaimed fiddler ROB HAJACOS was celebrated as a Nashville Cat June 21 at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
continued on page 12
John Freeman and Rob Hajacos
MILESTONE MEMBER PINS
with Dave
Multi-instrumentalist JON YUDKIN proudly displaying his new life member pin while onstage in front of 30,000 Norteño fans in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
TOMMY EMMANUEL and JOHN KNOWLES, both named by Chet as CGPs (Certified Guitar Players) perform at the 40th annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Days at the Music City Sheraton.
Nashville-based band Cimarron 615 performed at Monthaven Arts & Cultural Center in Hendersonville May 31. (l-r) MIKE WEBB on accordion, RONNIE GUILBEAU on guitar)
Ivory Joe & the Howlers, multiinstrumentalist Joe Turley’s band, rocked the crowd at the Music for Seniors concert on July 15 at Cheekwood. Music for Senior’s monthly daytime concert series is cosponsored by Music Performance Trust Fund, and often features Local 257 members. (l-r) Guitarist MARK DREYER, drummer SMITTY SMITH, and longtime members JOE TURLEY on sax, and bassist RON DE LA VEGA
TNM
LANCE MARTIN poses
Pomeroy with his life member pin and Mike Lull bass at hand.
by Warren Denney
The forces that shape us are often uncomplicated, elemental. Inspiration can be found in a fleeting affirmation, a simple act, a simple sound.
Guitar players are no different, though there is a tendency in Nashville to templatize and dial up a particular sound on demand. Lord knows they come from all corners of the world to drink the water here. Ask some of them who they are, and they might be hard-pressed to answer.
Not so with Dann Huff.
A session player of immense talent, an artist and songwriter, and a producer of lofty order, Huff has looked at himself in many mirrors. He is an architect, a builder, and creator, one whose musical bloodlines run deep. He has been named the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year three times, in 2001, 2004, and 2016, and produced two CMA Singles of the Year, “Die a Happy Man” for Thomas Rhett in 2016 and “Blue Ain’t Your Color” for Keith Urban in 2017.
He has earned the Academy of Country Music’s Producer of the Year five times, in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2021, and 2023. Among the countless artists Huff has worked with are heavyweights Urban, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Wynonna Judd, and Kenny Rogers, to name a few.
Now, he has turned to himself again as a player — the artist — releasing his first solo record When Words Aren’t Enough in May of this year. It is a reveal-
ing piece of work — and a long-awaited gift from an humble guitar player, one who has worked so successfully behind the scenes, whose education began in high school “at the edge of a turntable” in empty choral rooms during study halls.
“The music teacher allowed me and my best friend, [Grammy-winning] Gordon Kennedy, to bring our guitars and amps in, as long as we kept our grades up,” Huff said recently, from his home in Nashville. “My whole world was through the blinders of a guitar. I thought the singers and songs were just the space between guitar solos. I was into Steely Dan when Aja came out, and listened to Larry Carlton as he was emerging as a solo artist, and Steve Lukather of Toto.
“The irony about it is I never listened to country music a day in my life. I had no interest in it. I was around it constantly, but it wasn't part of my trajectory at that time.”
This is a good time to point out Huff is a longtime Nashvillian, born the son of the accomplished arranger, composer, and conductor, Ronn Huff, who was the pops
concert producer for the Nashville Symphony, among many other notable credits. Both father and mother, each keyboard and piano players, contributed to the younger Huff’s natural gift certainly, and to his musical background mightily.
He had gotten an electric guitar by age thirteen, and family friend the tenured guitarist, composer and arranger John Darnall spent an evening with him talking and running through some scales.
“He came over one night, and was basically going through things and mentoring me,” Huff said. “And, that’s what lit the fuse. The guitar was the center of my universe. I would accompany my dad whenever he would work with rhythm sections. That situation. I met people like Reggie Young, Billy Sanford, Dale Sellers, Jimmy Colvard — the list goes on. So, I was bitten. And, they were all so gracious to a kid. They would all just let me sit next to them, watch what they do. I was kind of like a fly on the wall. But that’s when I determined, no later than fourteen, that was going to be my trajectory.”
Huff was getting demo sessions throughout his high school years, and fell in with musicians attending Belmont University — talents such as Mark Wright, who would become an in-demand producer, and ultimately, lead Show Dog-Universal Music, guitarist Warren Peterson, keyboardists Brent King and Phil Nash — who had a small basement studio.
“They would come get me after baseball practice, when I couldn’t drive,” he said. “And, I’d play on stuff. I was bitten early, and the demos were coming.”
Huff put in a year at Belmont, himself, and continued his session work, but a defining moment with producer Kyle Lehning led him to the West Coast. He hit it off with Lehning who was producing England Dan & John Ford Coley at the time. Lehning would become well-known for his work with Randy Travis, but was instrumental in the more narrow success of Dan Seals and John Ford Coley, and with Seals specifically as a solo artist.
“Kyle Lehning is just as soulful of a person as you can get,” Huff said. “I loved those England Dan & John Ford Coley records, and I got a big break playing for him on Dan Seals solo pop stuff. Kyle and I hit it off. He was so gracious and patient, and kind. And, I fit the bill.
“And, he thought, well he was cutting this young unknown country artist named Randy
Travis, and asked me to play on it. I think it was about an hour into the session, and — as only Kyle Lehning can do — he says ‘Hey Danny, why don’t you sit this one out?
… and, as a matter of fact, you’re not very good at country music at all. You better go out to L.A. That’s where you belong.’”
Huff laughs about it. It was honest, and proved to be a big break.
“He was being truthful,” he said. “I mean, he was lighthearted, but he knew where my musicality lay, and he just basically was saying you need to head West, young man. And, Toto’s bass player, David Hungate, had just moved to Nashville, and he said the same thing.”
As always, there’s a breadcrumb trail to success. Huff’s began with an unlikely phone call from the late Ron Haffkine, the producer of Dr. Hook’s hit records, among many other credits.
recently married, but youth often ignores the obstacles. It’s a gift. The Huffs made the move at the end of 1982.
“I told him I wasn’t a very good [music] reader,” Huff said. “He laughed and said it didn’t matter — most guitar players are illiterate anyway. Just married, we were young, maybe 20 or 21. We had nothing to lose. We went out there and things just kind of magically happened. It was the right place, and the right time.
“I put in my 10,000 hours. I was prepared, and there’s a lot of preparation — and, I think equal parts luck … I was probably just dumb enough not to be afraid.”
Huff maintained his rock sensibility, one that was very astute harmonically, and became an A-list guitarist there, playing on records for Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, George Benson, Michael W. Smith, Juice Newton, Amy Grant, Whitesnake, and many, many others. He was living the life he had dreamed.
He became an A-list guitarist in L.A., playing on records for Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and many, many others.
“I don’t know how he had heard about me,” Huff said. “He was doing a record on Lou Rawls, and he was using a great keyboard player, Robbie Buchanan, who had heard some guitar parts of mine he liked. That’s how it worked. He said ‘Who is that?’ And that simple ‘Who is that?’ changed my life.
“Haffkine called and told me I should come out to L.A. He said there’s a place for somebody like me there … that world, it just rang my bell. And, as I immigrated out to the West Coast, Steve Lukather was becoming a rock star. He had been the top session player at the time — late ‘70s and early ‘80s — and [his leaving created] this massive landing strip and opening.”
The move to Los Angeles required a great leap of faith. He and his wife, Sherri, had
“The ‘80s just became a rocket ship ride,” Huff said. “You have to be able to do it. It was one thing beget the next, and it beget the next. L.A. thrived on young talent — young guitar players. And once you play on one major record, it’s just like dominoes and you become, you know, they use the word, the ‘hot kid,’ all that kind of stuff, that nonsense.
“But that’s really what it is — just because Robbie [Buchanan], he was in the vortex of this stuff. And, so working one of my first gigs out there was with [producer] Arif Mardin, you know what I mean? Who gets that luck to play for Arif Mardin? And it just kind of skyrocketed from there. It was funny because a lot of the people I played for, I really kind of knew who they were, but I didn’t.”
Huff had no plan to return to Nashville, though he remained close to his family. He had found his people, and the sessions were stacked. In fact, he needed to find a release valve from the work, and that came in the form of a new band. Huff, his brother David, a drummer, bassist Mike Brignardello, and keyboardist Alan Pasqua founded the hard-rock band Giant.
Huff and his brothers had played together years before in White Heart, a Christian rock unit, and it was a chance for them to reconnect musically. They were signed by A&M and released Last of the Runaways in 1989. They had a couple of hits right away in “I’m a Believer” and “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” The pull of that initial success was strong and Huff returned to Nashville where the band dropped anchor.
“I never intended on coming back,” Huff said. “It really wasn’t on the horizon until I took a detour. It was sort of a lark. Then, it seemed I was going to be playing and going forward with Giant, so we moved back to Nashville.”
Huff recalled his personal revelation with Giant as the band prepared to record its second album, Time to Burn.
“We looked like we were all hair then,” Huff said, laughing. “We were good … we had some luck, but this was the end of the ‘80s. And when the ‘90s came in, we were starting our second record. And I’ll never forget — I saw a Pearl Jam video, and I thought, well, that’s the end of the road for this kind of music.
“And, it was so surreal, and I was in Nashville, I think at the ripe old age of thirty years old. Basically, at that moment, it was a decision. Either we packed up and moved back out west and resumed that life, or we would stay here. But, there’s another piece of the pie. The fortunes of country music were changing, and apparently the currency of the way I played was in demand.
continued on page 18
First album tour at Paradiso in Amsterdam, Netherlands
And, [producer] James Stroud tripled down on that and literally hired me for every record he did.”
Stroud worked with a wide range of artists as head of the Warner Bros. Records branch Giant Records, including Carlene Carter, Tracy Lawrence, Clay Walker, and many others outside the label. He produced multiple charting hits in the early ‘90s as part of an unparalleled run in the city.
“I was a seasoned enough session player, and I knew I was horrible at country music,” Huff said. “And his [Stroud’s] line was, ‘That doesn't matter. You just play how you play. We’ll take care of the country.’
“So, I was paid to fit in, and I learned. Of course, I was interested in all these great
musicians here in Nashville. It was like my second go-around at music education.”
Huff quickly became a first-call player, and would work with a broad range of artists, under the oversight of many producers, from Donna Summer to Tim McGraw, to Rodney Crowell and Alabama. Quite naturally, this second time around could lead him to producing.
“There are great musicians who are not especially suited for session playing,” Huff said.
“It has no bearing on how great they are. They do what they do. In session work, you’re not the artist. So you’re there to serve the artist, the song, and the producer — their word is god. At that point, you’re hired for your opinion. But, let’s say if you come up with a great part and they don’t hear that, then your currency is based on your ability to morph at that point — not to dig in.
worked with probably thirty acts in a year, so that certainly wet my whistle. But, it wasn’t until I ended up working with Mutt Lange and he was doing a lot of his pop records. Then I ended up working on his Shania Twain stuff. “He was the one who sat me down one day and just said, ‘Hey, Dann, I think you’re a producer. Well, of course if Mutt Lange says something like that, you got to listen to him. Only the best.”
“So, I was paid to fit in, and I learned. Of course, I was interested in all these great musicians here in Nashville. It was like my second go-around at music education.”
“It’s all based on a relationship, and that’s everchanging. My interest in the relationship grew … you get these ideas because of what you do day-in and day-out. This might work in this section. And, as you’re asked, you throw in some ideas in a session, and your confidence builds in that area — it places you in the frame of mind of production.”
Huff began the conversation with Stroud, which allowed for the spark.
“James was very gracious and let me work with him on some records,” Huff said. “He
Huff still had a hand in the rock world and took on the gig to produce Megadeth’s Cryptic Writings, released in 1997. But, it was his association with Lange that led to his breakthrough.
“I did the Megadeth record,” Huff said. “And, Faith Hill was with Mutt and Shania one time, and she was changing producers. It was Mutt who suggested she try me as a producer. She knew me as a guitar player on her records but didn’t know I could produce. All it took was for Mutt to say ‘You should give him a try.’ That was all I needed — and a little presto magic, a little hit. All of a sudden, I’m in the game.”
The result was Hill’s Faith, released in 1998 on Warner Bros. Nashville and featured “This Kiss” which made it to No. 1 on the country charts and landed in the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 as a crossover hit. Huff was off and running.
But the “game,” in spite of Huff’s massive and celebrated success as a producer, would not reveal the whole picture. Over the years, friends have encouraged him to record something of his own — to step out from behind the board and make his own artistic statement. Three friends, in particular: Mike Reid, Paul Franklin, and Tom Bukovac. The result is the enthralling instrumental record When Words Aren’t Enough
“I joke that I was encouraged and shamed into it,” Huff said, laughing. “Not that they’re the only three friends who were pushing me, but they would ask me about it, and I always had an excuse because my day job was so demanding. I usually have four to five albums on at the same time, and I’m father and a grandfather, so my time is limited.
“They got to me, and last summer I just sat down one day to see if there was anything there. I put on a groove that I thought was good,
a little drum machine groove, and I just started improvising. Within a couple hours, a song was out. Over the course of the next several weeks, I did that nine more times and had some material. As a producer, I was shaping arrangements, shaping songs. These were melodies — there was something in there, something that I realized. I was turning towards something that I hadn’t done in a long time. Number one, to be just a guitar player. Number two, there was music in my life, in my teens that meant so much to me, and I hadn’t had an outlet to really elaborate on that.”
“This
Songs like “Colorado Creepin” and “Waiting on a Whisper” set the tone quickly, and it is one that puts a listener at ease. There are ten remarkably accessible tracks.
is me giving a moment, deep reflection
The record feels like a conversation — one that might drift in as a breeze through your window, unexpected and cool. Huff’s melodic sensibilities conjure everything from a cry in the wilderness to an intimate whisper between lovers. There is definitely a rock & roll thread running seamlessly through the songs, but there are vibes of blues and jazz that cohesively resonate. You might feel the influence of Jeff Beck, maybe Carlos Santana, or even George Benson along the way. Huff called on two friends to form the backbone of a trio for the project, with the insanely gifted Jerry Roe on drums and quintessential Fender bassist Mark Hill holding it down.
Dann’s Rig
and seeing myself. Yeah, realization. I can leave it at that.”
“They devoured the whole record because they spent a lot of time listening to it,” Huff said. “That changed the trajectory [after we had recorded everything]. My original idea was to take it all back to my studio and polish everything up and show everybody a little something. But, the deeper in, I’m old enough to know when it didn’t feel true. By and large, I left it alone. I punched it and replaced some stuff, but it was there and true. It was a soft voice and I listened to it — everything was leaning to this moment and I proceeded with that.
“I called my friend Kris Wilkinson, the great string arranger, and she picked a couple of songs and we talked about them. I added Gordon Mote on some keyboards, and Eric Darken contributed some percussion.
“I brought Stuart Duncan in for his fiddle and the juxtaposition to guitar on ‘Southern Synchronicity’ and it was perfect. Stuart Duncan. Say no more. Paul Franklin played steel on “Slow Dance to Goodbye,” and I’m telling you he gave his
soul to that song. Everyone did. I couldn’t be more proud of that.”
When Words Aren’t Enough is quietly powerful and personal — a record that meets the music within for no other reason than to serve it.
“This is me coming,” Huff said. “This is me giving a moment, deep reflection and seeing myself. Yeah, realization. I can leave it at that.”
EDITORS NOTE: Readers may come across another solo record credited to Huff which is unauthorized. A third party, without permission, pulled some solos from Huff's earlier work and built a record around them. When Words Aren't Enough is his definitive solo debut effort.
The guitar that has followed me around through most of my session career is that beat up 1964 Strat that was modified by Jim Tyler. The Tyler guitar company made me a clone of that right on the front row that is neck and neck with the original. All of the other guitars I use for different sounds more when I’m
producing records and I need different colors. I don’t have a favorite when it comes to that kind of usage. My main source of expression on this record [2025 release When Words Aren’t Enough] was the Stratocaster.
The same kind of goes for the pedalboard. I use far few pedals these days as opposed to
when I was a session player and I had loads of rack gear and pedal gear at my beck and call. The pedalboard that is shown in the picture basically fills my very small needs of basic distortion delay, reverb, and modulation. I switch out pedals all the time, so again it’s more utilitarian than a must-have.
Willie Nelson Oh What a Beautiful World Legacy Records
Thank you, Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon, for this great collection of songs by Rodney Crowell, and for continuing to make timeless music that we will enjoy for years to come.
Just before his 92nd birthday, the ageless Willie Nelson released his seventy-seventh studio album, Oh What a Beautiful World, which features songs written by Local 257 member Rodney Crowell. The album marks the twentieth produced by Buddy Cannon, and their creative collaboration has resulted in many great records —this one being no exception. Crowell has created an amazing catalog of songs over his career, and Nelson and Cannon picked a great cross section of his tunes to record, with a great band of Nashville’s finest players and singers rising to the occasion.
Musicians on this record include Local 257 members Jim “Moose” Brown on keyboards, Fred Eltringham on drums, Glenn Worf on electric and acoustic bass, James Mitchell on electric guitar, Bobby Terry on acoustic, electric and steel guitar, and Nelson’s longtime harmonica wizard, Mickey Raphael.
The album opens with “What Kind of Love,” which features Nelson’s conversational vocal, telling his significant other how much they mean to him, over a driving yet atmospheric track, with steel guitar, electric guitar, and keyboards trading fills. “The Fly Boy and the Kid” celebrates love, life, and freedom. Behind his tender vocal, Nelson plays a sweet solo and fills on his signature gut string guitar Trigger. The beautiful musical arrangement of “40 Miles from Nowhere” sets the stage for a story of loneliness that sends a chill down the spine of anyone who has shared that feeling. Songs like “I Wouldn’t be Me Without You,” feel like they were waiting for Nelson to offer his signature interpretation, and “Making Memories of Us,” is a pledge of honesty and love, with Brown’s keyboards, Terry’s steel, and Raphael’s harmonica offering a sweet counterpoint to Nelson’s sincere vocal.
The title track is a duet with Crowell, and their voices blend like two old friends. Together the two Texans offer up a positive message at a time when we can all use it. “Open Season on My Heart,” is a sad tale of self-awareness and the many challenges life presents to us that are beyond our control. But Willie’s intimate vocal makes you feel like there is still hope out there somewhere. A hit for Bob Seger back in the day, “Shame on the Moon” is given a laidback treatment that puts Nelson’s compelling
delivery out front. The bluesy shuffle “She’s Back in Town” relaxes things a bit with Worf’s bass and Eltringham’s drums laying down a deep groove, and Nelson’s freewheeling vocal phrasing floating above the band. A wall of strumming acoustic guitars drive “Still Learning to Fly,” and the lyric fits Nelson’s life story perfectly. The album ends with a gentle version of “Stuff That Works,” a powerful song Crowell cowrote with fellow Texas icon Guy Clark. It’s a perfect match for Nelson’s vocal, which has the authenticity and intimacy that is his hallmark, and as always, his sidekick Trigger fills in the gaps between the vocal in all the right places.
Willie Nelson has created an amazing legacy of recorded music, and is still out on the road touring as well. We are blessed to have had him in our lives for all these years, and his impact on our culture is truly immeasurable. Thank you, Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon, for this great collection of songs by Rodney Crowell, and for continuing to make timeless music that we will enjoy for years to come.
— Roy Montana
Yates McKendree Need To Know Qualified Records
Yates McKendree was born and raised in Nashville, and joined Local 257 seven years ago at the age of 17. He sings and plays with a passion and depth far beyond his years, and brings to mind the term “old soul” in a very good way. “Burning Tears” opens the album with an appropriately slow-cooking groove straight out of Memphis, and immediately the authenticity of Yates’ voice and sizzling guitar licks is undeniable. The title track, cowritten with 257 member Gary Nicholson, “Need to Know You Better” is a straightahead riff-based blues shuffle, with a clever lyric and a stunning guitar solo. “Run It into the Ground” kicks it up a notch, and the band includes Griffin Photoglou (drums), Robert Frahm (rhythm guitar), Steve Mackey (bass), and producer/keyboardist Kevin McKendree — who also happens to be Yates’ dad, and has been playing music with him for quite a while. McKendree’s deep, growling voice is the star of the show on “I Don’t Care” which also features saxophonist/arranger Jim Hoke, Steve Herrman, and John Hinchey on sax, trumpet and trombone. The R&B classics “Trick Bag” and “Something You Got” both feel fresh, and McKendree’s soulful solo on the latter tune knocks it out of the park; his singing is full of joy and enthusiasm. The classic “See See Rider” cooks along with a great feel and Yates’ nimble guitar licks dance with Kevin’s organ textures in a classic late ‘60s jazz feel. Mackey and Photoglou keep up with every twist and turn, right up to the unexpected hard stop at the end of the ride. The reinvention continues with “I Can’t Sleep,” a Willie Dixon classic with lots of high register vocal acrobatics that stop just short of showing off.
“Give Me Time” and “Good as Gone” feature Yates and Kevin playing everything themselves, with Yates covering drums, organ, and bass along with guitar, and Kevin playing Fender Rhodes, organ, and bass.
“Ode to Billie Joe” gets a unique soul/jazz treatment with Yates singing and playing soulful B3 and funky bass, and he and Photoglou play double drum kits in stereo, with Frahm on guitar. The album winds up with the late-night blues feel of “I Want to Go Home” and “Tide,” a spacey instrumental with guitars, bass, and washer and dryer percussion all played by Yates, with scorching Carlos Santana-esque lead guitar licks exploding over the percolating groove. A fitting ending to a very interesting project that covers a lot of ground and points to a very intriguing future for Yates McKendree. — Roy Montana
John Oates Oates
John Oates has been on an amazing musical journey since first coming to stardom with Hall & Oates in the 1970s through their long string of hits which led to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame —and beyond — to his impressive solo career. A longtime Nashville resident and Local 257 member, Oates has consistently engaged with many of Music City’s finest players, singers and cowriters to create an important body of work as a solo artist. His latest album, simply titled Oates, is an intriguing collection of 11 original songs and one unexpected cover that explore a wide range of variations on his soul and R&B influences, with a few twists along the way.
The album opens with the classic soul feel of “Enough is Enough,” which sets up the overall tone of the album perfectly. It features guest singers and cowriters Grace and Clyde Lawrence, with coproducer David Kalmusky (Local 418) on guitar, and Local 257 members Greg Morrow (drums), Marc Rogers (bass), Tim Lauer (keys), and Tom Bukovac (guitar), along with Jim Hoke (sax), Emmanuel Echem (trumpet) and Roy Agee (trombone). “Real Thing” feels like Philly soul revisited, with Oates’ guitar and passionate lead vocal and super tight background vocals keeping it real along with Kevin McKendree’s funky electric piano. “A Ways Away” is cowritten by Oates, playing acoustic guitar and synth, and Jedd Hughes, who lays down powerful electric guitar on the track with Steve Mackey’s bass dancing along with the floating vibe.
An excellent project with many layers of creativity and emotion that necessitate repeated listening.
“Let Me Be the One” features an intimate vocal from Oates, who offers to do whatever it takes to make things work for the one he loves, and percussionist Eric Darken adds tasty conga accents. “Pushin’ a Rock,” cowritten with Nathan Chapman, has an appropriately pulsating feel with Oates’ synth, Lauer’s keys and Bukovac’s guitar dancing around Morrow and Rogers’ deep groove, and Oates’ stacked background vocals are super tight. “Get Your Smile On,” personifies the uplifting feel of the whole album. On this track, Oates plays, programs, and sings every single note. “Dreaming About Brazil” takes a trip to the southern hemisphere, and features Wendy Moten on soaring guest vocals and the late great Michael Rhodes on bass, along with Mike Rojas on keys, Shane Theriot (guitar) and Morrow on drums.
Other highlights include “Mending” which features guest vocalist Devon Gilfillian, and “World’s Gone Wrong,” which veers back towards a more Americana sound. The final two tracks are collaborations with multi-instrumentalist Sam Bergeson, who cowrote, played and programmed all of the music except for Oates’ acoustic guitar for “Bajo La Luz De La Luna” and the album’s final track, a reinvented version of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” a tech savvy production that combines Euro-pop textures, and swirling effects to give the version its own vibe.
Oates is a testament to this artist’s commitment to keep his music moving forward while acknowledging and celebrating the various influences and styles that brought him to where he is today. It’s an excellent project with many layers of creativity and emotion that necessitate repeated listening.
— Roy Montana
DOLLY – A True Original
The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts
As if Dolly Parton hasn’t already busted every stereotype in her decades of success in the music, film, and entertainment industry, she can add more job descriptions to her impressive resume – Broadway playwright. A 57-year Local 257 member, Parton has created an autobiographical musical, Dolly – A True Original, cowritten with Maria Schlatter, that tells her life story in a compelling, honest, and entertaining fashion. Combining her best-known songs, and a well scripted narrative, the end result is at different times, dramatic, funny, and uplifting. As a preface to opening a Broadway run in New York City, the show is on a 6-week run at Belmont‘s The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. The first union production in this relatively new venue is a strong step forward in recognizing the quality gained when employing AFM musicians. The excellent pit band was conducted by music director Kimberly Grigsby from Local 802, including Local 257 members Jon Epcar (drums), who also serves as music coordinator, Steve Kummer (keys), Jennifer Kummer (French horn), Josh Scalf (trombone), Gideon Klein (banjo/acoustic
guitar/mandolin), Steve Patrick (trumpet), Robbie Shankle and Jimmy Bowland (reeds), and Local 1 member Grace Hartman (cello). The orchestral segues and arrangements were written by Local 802’s John Clancy. The band sounded wonderful and Grimsley did a great job of navigating the challenge of the singers and the band being separated by a significant distance. The overall balance of audio and dialogue was very good.
The show’s hi-tech staging and tight choreography help to tell Parton’s compelling life journey in an exciting and unpredictable way. Three different actresses portrayed Parton as a child, young adult, and a mature woman, and all did a great job — especially when it came to singing in Parton’s distinctive style. After a highenergy opening with the full cast, the story begins in East Tennessee, where Parton was raised. Her humble beginnings did not stop her from dreaming, and dreaming big. Her family roots remain strong, and her uncle
Larry played a critical role in encouraging her to pursue a career in music. Parton’s relationship with her notoriously nonpublic husband, the late Carl Dean, is explored in a tasteful and enlightening fashion, and her complicated business and musical relationship with Porter Wagoner is treated in a very honest way as well. Her longtime manager and steel guitar player Don Warden is portrayed as the great encourager and supporter that he was.
The show is very well put together and includes several surprising moments, both humorous and dramatic. The whole cast of characters was well chosen, and the nearly three-hour show, (including intermission) was very entertaining on many levels. Parton’s belief in herself and her talent fueled her life choices and complex career moves that continue to this day. Nashville —and the world — is a better place for having Dolly Parton in it, and we are happy for her incredible career and grateful for the example she sets of how to live a great life.
Carrie St. Louis, Katie Rose Clarke, and Quinn Titcomb play Dolly at various stages of life.
Dolly records her iconic song “Jolene” in the studio with Porter Wagoner and Don Warden watching.
This is the track sheet for Garth Brook’s classic “Friends in Low Places,” which we cut on a 6 p.m. session on April 3, 1990. Allen Reynolds producing and Mark Miller engineering. On the tracking session [Shown in photo above] there were just five of us - Milton Sledge, Mike Chapman, Bobby Wood, Mark Casstevens and myself. Rob Hajacos and Bruce Bouton added their fiddle and steel parts later as overdubs.
Garth and Allen wanted this to be rough and rowdy and we had a lot of fun playing it. I remember asking Garth if he was going to add fiddle and steel and if I should leave room for them. He said yes, they would be added, but to just go ahead and play as much as I wanted and they would work it out later. He always liked us to be “less polite” when we did songs like this — play it like a rockin’ bar band and not so much like session guys.
“Friends” was written by Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee. Before Garth became an artist, he sang on demo sessions for songwriters and he sang on their demo of “Friends.” As he says, he never could get it out of his mind and that’s how we ended up recording it years later.
Well-known guitarist John Beland played on the demo, which had the classic intro on it. Mark Casstevens added his touch and made it his own. Garth always plays it in open-A position but Mark played it in G position capoed on the second fret. I always thought it was funny as Mark is one of the most amazing finger style guitarists I’ve ever known. He could play you Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins style songs all day long. He’s played some of the most beautiful fingerpicking parts in country
music. But his most famous recorded piece of music is just a plain A chord. (smiley face) Garth plays those four notes in the show, and stadiums full of people erupt in cheers. It was great when Mark came out twice on the stadium tour and played it.
Milton and Mike laid down their always rock-solid pocket and Bobby played some great fills. Bruce has a really fine classic Bouton solo on it. And I absolutely love Rob’s fiddle on this. He somehow blended some really cool melodies with total redneck rock bar licks and it’s the perfect part. It still makes me smile every time I hear Jimmy Mattingly play those parts in the show.
Looks like I came back on April 9 to overdub the solo. A lot of times as session players we draw from our influences to create parts. I never knew if it was Keith or Mick Taylor who played them, but I always loved those stuttering guitar licks on the Stones song “Tumbling Dice.” I thought that would be a good way to kick off the solo on “Friends.” And the first part is just the melody, and the slide down to the low note is me just trying to emulate Garth and the great way he sings “low.” Getting to the 2-minor there was a really cool lick that John Beland played on the demo that was just the right thing. So, it was a conglomeration of all that. And a happy accident on the licks on the fade was that I got a few to hang on into feedback, which was rare on country records back then.
I wasn’t there for the famous group vocal part but I heard it was a fun party. Rob Hajacos is responsible for the pop top beer can popping in there. And you can see on the track sheet where Mark Miller notated to turn up “Push Marie!” which someone yelled
Guitarist Chris Leuzinger recounts the recording of the chart-topper “Friends in Low Places”
because Garth’s guitarist James Garver’s wife was having a baby at the time.
We are all grateful to have been a part of this record. And I am grateful to have been able to play this song on tour with Garth and the band for the last few years. It brings so much joy to people and it’s great to see the smiles and everyone singing along. And then there’s the 3rd verse — so much fun!!
A couple of side notes: We also recorded two other Dewayne Blackwell songs. “Nobody Gets Off In This Town” (written with Larry Bastian) and his 50’s classic “Mr Blue.”
I’ve known Bud Lee since the early ‘80s. Years before Garth, we recorded some really wonderful songs of Bud’s with producer Jim Malloy. Bud’s a fine writer and a great storyteller.
On this track sheet is also “Wolves,” a wonderful song written by Stephanie Davis and one of my all-time favorites. From the notes Mark Miller kept I believe we actually recorded that on the 2 p.m. session earlier that day in which we also recorded “Two of a Kind.” On the 6 p.m. with “Friends” we also recorded “Same Old Story.” It looks like that was a pretty good day for all.
Chris Leuzinger
Recording Department streamlines contract typing process
The Local 257 Recording Department has made some changes to the process of typing contracts for session leaders. The previous procedure involved employees and former employees typing contracts, which created some confusion among musicians, and occasionally on the employer side as well. In order to be more efficient, the contract-typing process was brought in-house effective May 1, 2025. The $12 price remains the same. To be clear, there are two options for session leaders to turn timecards into AFM contracts, as explained in more detail below.
Here are the two options for session leaders to turn time cards into AFM B-Form contracts:
1. Turn the fully completed time card in to the Recording Department to be processed and turned into the appropriate B-Form for a typing fee of $12. Local 257 is now invoicing leaders on a monthly basis for contract typing, payable to AFM Local 257 at $12 per contract, as previously noted, and we will pay our employees for their typing work through our payroll system.
2. The leader also has the option to create the contract using the appropriate AFM B-Form by filling it out themselves with the correct scales, H&W, cartage, and pension amounts. There are fillable blank B-forms available online on our website (go to the Recording Section and click on Scales and Agreements) and/or at afm.org. Detailed information on various scales, H&W and pension can be found on our website here: https:// nashvillemusicians.org/scales-forms-agreements. Several software options, such as Libre Office, and Mac Preview are readily available that can facilitate the creation of the AFM B-Form contract from the information on the time card. This applies to various types of recording sessions including, but not limited to Master, Low Budget Master, Choral, Live Location, Low Budget Live Location, Demo to Limited Pressing upgrade, Copyist, Music Prep, and more, all of which use the B-4 contract form. Demo sessions use a B-5 contract and Limited Pressing sessions use the B-9 contract.
Time cards can be submitted electronically at timecards@nashvillemusicians.org, dropped off at the office during business hours, or in the after hours dropbox outside the back door.
Exceptions:
1. Certain types of recordings such as Motion Picture, Television Film, and Live Television are typically not part of this contract typing system, and can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis if needed.
2. When an employer generates a contract or uses a third-party payroll service, such as TEAM or Entertainment Partners, to complete and file the B-forms with the local.
3. If a production assistant is involved, they will typically prepare the B-Form contract from the time card and the leader would not be charged for it to be entered into our system.
4. Be aware that a label or employer has no legal obligation to pay or reimburse the session leader for using the $12 typing fee option, which is offered as a convenience.
Turning in a time card is the first step in a multistage process that leads to musicians getting paid as quickly as possible. Our goal is to clear up any confusion about this process as we move forward, for the benefit of all concerned. Your help in getting us complete information will be greatly appreciated, and will speed the whole process up considerably.
The session leader’s responsibilities include making sure that all paperwork is filed correctly, which begins with the time card being completely filled out with all the correct signatory employer and player information, session date, start and end times, cartage, song titles and length, and submitted promptly after the session. This is essential for getting paid promptly.
“Our goal in making these changes is to create a more efficient and transparent contract typing and invoicing process going forward. We will continue to work on streamlining the payment process for our musicians in as many ways as possible,” said Billy Lynn, Director of Recording for Local 257.
l-r Alona Meek, Cassandra Torme, Paige Conners, William Sansbury and Billy Lynn
Plenty of choice blues and jazz at area festivals and venues this fall
Local 257 life member Jimmy Hall will perform at the Devon Allman Blues Summit in Nashville Aug. 12 at Fogg Street Lawn Club. Other artists at the event include Devon Allman, Larry McCray and Sierra Green.
Delta blues will be the focus during the “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” with the Nashville Symphony Sept. 26 at the Schermerhorn Center. The show is described as an immersive musical experience with narration by Freeman.
The annual Pilgrimage Festival runs Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 at the Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, Tennessee. No nationally recognized jazz artists are on the schedule as of press time, but blues-oriented band Eddie 9V is performing, and a lot of lesser-known but quality acts from an assortment of genres.
Blues Hall of Famer Mavis Staples along with a variety of other artists including the blues-flavored band Galactic and musical chameleons Lucero perform at the Mempho Music Festival Oct. 3-5 at Radians Amphitheater in the Memphis Botanical Gardens.
The Americana Music Association will present its annual AmericanaFest at multiple locations in Nashville Sept. 9-13. Blues artists have been claimed by the genre for years and will be included in the long list of performers — Buffalo Nichols among them. The event includes the Americana Honors and Awards show on Sept 10 at the Ryman. Past performers have included Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, and Robert Plant.
The Bourbon and Beyond Festival, Sept. 11-14 in Louisville, Kentucky, is heavy on rock, but some blues acts are included as well, including the Robert Cray Band, Trombone Shorty, and Joe Bonamassa.
Local 257 hosts Jazz Night on the first Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. See the Nashville Musicians Association Facebook events pages for more information.
Ongoing jazz classes for instrumentalists and vocalists are available at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Check the website for upcoming performances, classes, and events.
McCrary Sisters perform at the Americana Music Awards
Mavis Staples
Melba Montgomery
Oct. 14, 1938 – Jan. 15, 2025
“My heart is broken. We lost Melba Montgomery, one of the greatest talents, friends, and people I’ve ever known. She was country music royalty, from her early duets with George Jones to her songwriting credits for George Strait and others.”
— Jim “Moose” Brown
Country artist, songwriter and guitarist Melba Montgomery, 86, died Jan. 15, 2025. Her recording career in the ‘60s and ‘70s included a run of hit duets with George Jones as well as charting solo releases. She continued to write and record during the ensuing decades, performing well into her seventies. Montgomery was a 64-year life member of the Nashville Musicians Association; she joined Local 257 July 26, 1960.
She was born in Iron City, Tennessee, on October 14, 1938, to Norman and Willie Annie Mae Cypert Montgomery. Her father was a sharecropper and later a mill worker; he also played fiddle and taught voice lessons. Melba sang in her local church as a youngster; her father gave her a guitar when she was 10. Two of her eight siblings — Carl and Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery — also became musicians and songwriters.
Montgomery traveled to Nashville when she was 19. She entered and won a WSM talent contest. Her plaintive and sincere hill country sound so impressed Roy Acuff that he hired her to join his tour as a backup singer. She traveled with the group for four years, and her first recording session was for Acuff. In 1962 she joined United Artists, and the following year had her first hit record as a singer and songwriter with “We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds,” the beginning of a string of successful duets with George Jones. She charted as a solo artist that year as well, with “Hall of Shame,” which she also composed.
Over the next four years Montgomery continued to have hits with Jones, and on her own. She contributed a dozen songs to his albums, six of which became duets, some of which appeared on their individual releases, as well as on a duet album entitled What’s in Our Hearts. Her debut album for UA, America’s Number One Country and Western Girl Singer, was released
George Jones and Melba Montgomery
in 1964, and followed later that year by her second, Down Home. Her first album of sacred music, Hallelujah Road, came out in 1966. She collaborated with Gene Pitney on the Top 20 single “Baby, Ain’t That Fine,” and released an album with Pitney as well. In 1968 she married Jack Solomon, at the time a guitarist who was also in Jones’ band, and would later go on to become a sought-after session musician.
Her duet success tended to overshadow her solo career, and after a move to Capitol Records, her producer Pete Drake paired her with Charlie Louvin for another series of charting singles and a studio album. She began to record on the Elektra label in 1974, and focused on her solo work. That year she garnered her first No. 1 single as a solo artist with the Harlan Howard tune “No Charge.” In 1976 Montgomery returned to United Artists and had another hit with “Angel of the Morning.”
After a few years in semiretirement to focus on family, she returned to recording, and released albums on Kari and Phonorama before signing with Compass, which released her last charting single, “Straight Talkin’,” in 1986.
Montgomery began to concentrate on songwriting in the ‘90s, working with
Kostas, Sara Evans, and Jim Lauderdale, among others. The Lauderdale cowrite “What Do You Say to That?” was a Top-5 single for George Strait, and earned the pair a BMI nomination for Country Songwriter of the Year. A cowrite with Kostas — “Out of Control Raging Fire,” was recorded by Patty Loveless and Travis Tritt. Many other artists and bands recorded her compositions, including Hank Williams Jr., Bobby Bare, Bill Anderson, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, Ricochet, Emmylou Harris and Carl Jackson, John Prine, David Ball, Terri Clark, Randy Travis, The Derailers, Reba McEntire and Vern Gosdin.
She kept cowriting, and her circle expanded to include Leslie Satcher, Billy Yates, Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley, among many others. She kept singing too, and joined John Prine for two tracks on his 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves. Her last studio album was issued in 2010 — Things That Keep You Going. Montgomery retired in 2015 after the death of her husband.
Jim “Moose” Brown remembered his friendship with Montgomery in a post after her passing.
“My heart is broken tonight. We lost Melba Montgomery. Melba was one of the greatest talents, people and friends I’ve
ever known. She was country music royalty, from her early duets with George Jones to her songwriting credits for George Strait and others. Melba brought me into songwriting over 25 years ago, when I’d really never given much thought about songwriting. Some of my favorite moments in life were in the writing room and/or studio with her. I love her and I’ll sure miss her, and I’ll always be grateful to her for seeing a talent in me I didn’t even know I possessed. Please keep her beautiful family in your thoughts and prayers...what a huge loss to the Nashville music community. R.I.P. my sweet friend,” Brown said.
Montgomery was the mother-in-law of hit country producer Blake Chancey. Other survivors include four daughters, Melba Jacqueline Chancey, Tara Denise Solomon, Diana Lynn Cirigliano and Melissa Solomon Barrett; five grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren.
Services were held Jan. 22 at Harpeth Hills Memory Garden and Funeral Home, with interment following. Donations can be made to Alive Hospice, the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, or Dementia Society of America.
RAYMOND “R.E.” HUFFMASTER
Oct. 26, 1943 — April 8, 2025
Life member Raymond “R.E.” Huffmaster, 81, died April 8, 2025. He played bass and guitar in several bands, including a run with Bill Monroe in 1979. He joined Local 257 June 7, 1977. Huffmaster was born Oct. 26, 1943, in Meridian, Mississippi, to Burlin Huffmaster and Jewel Maxwell Haagar. He became passionate about bluegrass music early in his life. Huffmaster was known for his humor, love of giving nicknames, and general good nature, as well as his musical talent. He drove the Osborne Brothers’ bus for a decade — Sonny Osborne said he was the best they had, because he took care of the bus like it was his own. Sometimes Huffmaster also joined them on stage to play guitar.
In a post on social media, Huffmaster recalled performing with the Osbornes on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
“Been digging through my neverending plunder pile looking for a guitar photo I have…This photo is Roy Acuff setting by me on stage. He loved The Osborne Brothers. He loved hearing my guitar and when I would hit a run he liked he would swing his finger and point at me. Sometimes he would stand by me on stage. As he got older and more feeble, he would hold my arm and walk off or on stage if we both were headed out there. I love him dearly still.”
Huffmaster was also a songwriter; his compositions include a gospel song, “What a Wonderful Life,” that Monroe recorded in 1988.
He was great fan of bluegrass festivals, especially Bean Blossom, and his passing was noted by many musicians who sat in with him at some of those events, or were encouraged by him in the course of their careers.
Guitarist and mandolin player Mike Compton talked about the encouragement he received from Huffmaster.
“Rest in peace, R.E. Huffmaster. Thanks for your guidance, your love of laughing out loud, and your dedication to the people and music that you loved.” — Mike Compton
“Rest in peace, R.E. Huffmaster. Thanks for your guidance, your love of laughing out loud, and your dedication to the people and music that you loved. There’s a bunch of us who were changed for the better for knowing you and I know one lost teenager that found direction in your charisma and care. Thanks for that,” Compton said.
Fiddle player Jimmy Mattingly was one of many fellow musicians who commented on Huffmaster’s passing.
“Rest easy Ramoney! I really appreciated Raymond! He was always encouraging and gave some great advice! He’s now up there trying to keep Bobby and Sonny straight,” Mattingly said.
Huffmaster also performed with his own band, The Ol’ Time Picking Partners, at Smithsonian Folklore Fest and other venues. In the ‘70s, he operated a rustic venue in Meridian called The Tin Barn; he also operated a motocross track in town. Huffmaster also enjoyed collecting and selling vintage items; he owned and operated a shop north of Meridian filled with antiques and “fine junk” that he called Loafers Glory.
In addition to his parents, Huffmaster was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis Huffmaster; and one brother, Gary (Beetle) Huffmaster. Survivors include two sons, Raymond E. (Huffy) Huffmaster Jr., and Jeffery Huffmaster; and one grandson.
Jesse McReynolds and Raymond Huffmaster
Photo courtesy of LuAnn Smith
July 12, 1947 — March 12, 2025
Bassist Jerry Braswell, 77, died March 12, 2025. In addition to his decades of work playing on the Grand Ole Opry, he was a member of Porter Wagoner’s band and also Jim Ed Brown’s band. Braswell was a 51-year member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 July 9, 1974.
The Georgia native was born July 12, 1947, to the late George Willie Braswell and Mozell Annie Mae Causey Braswell. In 1960, the family moved to Lithia Springs, Georgia, where he attended Douglas County High School and Citizen’s High School in Atlanta. While in school, he played drums with various rock & roll bands. He added bass guitar and vocal backup to his skill set, and his musical interests grew to include country music. Braswell moved to Nashville in 1967, and went on to play with many artists. In addition to Brown and Wagoner, he played with Del Reeves, Hank Locklin, Lefty Frizzell, Tanya Tucker, Don Gibson, Donna Fargo, Bob Luman, the Texas Troubadours, and many more.
Family members said Braswell was kind and compassionate, and always willing to lend others a helping hand. Producer and fellow bass player Buddy Cannon commented on his passing.
“I heard a couple days ago that old friend Jerry Braswell has passed away. We arrived in Nashville about the same time. Jerry was a very good singer and bass player. I ran into him a year or so ago, and it was good to see him and swap some road stories. Rest in peace, Jerry.”
“Jerry Braswell was one of my best friends! I met him in 1976 when I went to work with Jim Ed Brown. We roomed together for three years, and we never had a cross word. If you met Jerry, you liked him. Goodbye my friend, you may be gone, but never forgotten.” — Tim Atwood
Keyboardist Tim Atwood commented on his passing.
“Jerry Braswell was one of my best friends! I met him in 1976 when I went to work with Jim Ed Brown. We roomed together for three years, and we never had a cross word. If you met Jerry, you liked him. He was there for me when my boys were born, I got to see the first steps that his youngest daughter took before he did, I loved his family and he loved mine! Jerry was a Christian and he never met a stranger. He was a really good player and a phenomenal singer. We both got a very high compliment from Jim Ed’s sisters, they told Jerry and I that we sounded more like the Browns than anyone Jim Ed has ever had!! Thats high cotton ya’ll! Goodbye my friend, you may be gone, but never forgotten.”
Braswell was inducted into the Georgia Steel Guitar Association in 2010 as a Legend Member.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Rev. Terry Braswell; and one sister, Dorothy Jane Kidd. Survivors include his wife, Gloria Braswell; three daughters, Renee Choate, Rhonda Stewart, and Emily Trotter; one sister, Martha Ann Riggins; ten grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were held at the Jones-Wynn Funeral Home Douglas Chapel in Douglasville, Georgia, March 17, with Tim Atwood providing the eulogy and Rev. Terry Marbut officiating. Interment followed at Sunrise Memorial Gardens.
JERRY BRASWELL
CHARLES “CHUCK” JENNINGS
Aug. 7, 1938 — April 19, 2025
Guitarist, singer, songwriter and comedian Charles “Chuck” Jennings, 86, died April 19, 2025. He was a life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 June 9, 1981.
Jennings was born Aug. 7, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and was quickly drawn to music. Early in his career he began playing with local groups. He also played in The Revelers, the house band for a club in Dallas, Texas. Over the years he played with many bands, and also had success as a songwriter. He played guitar for country artist Tony Douglas; one of Jennings’ compositions was the Douglas hit song “His and Hers.”
Jennings also played guitar for Boxcar Willie, and added background vocals as well as his signature humor to performances. The group performed widely across the country, including many appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. After retirement, Jennings joined a group that played at senior citizen centers. “I want to give back,” he said.
Jennings was a life member of the Cowtown Society of Western Music, and a member of the Texas International Music Association Hall of Fame. Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation recognizing Jennings’ many talents in 2021.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Pat; one daughter, Sandra; three sons, Chuck, Jr., Kyle and Stephen Jennings; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; extended family; and many good friends and dedicated fans.
Services were held May 3 at Laurel Oaks Funeral Home & Memorial Park in Mesquite, Texas. Burial followed in the Garden of the Cross. Donations may be made to ASPCA and the World Wildlife Fund.
ALBERT WAYNE “DOC” BUTLER
May 31, 1938 — March 15, 2025
Multi-instrumentalist Albert Wayne “Doc” Butler, 86, died March 15, 2025. The woodwind specialist played with many bands over his career including Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass, and Charlie McCoy and the Escorts. He was a 69-year life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 Feb. 25, 1956.
He was born May 31, 1938, to AA and Edith Butler Litton, and his career spanned 40 years. In addition to the Escorts and the Nashville Brass, Butler played with Tony Orlando & Dawn in Branson, Missouri.
He also worked as a session musician — he played on the 2009 Johnny Winter Anthology album.
Butler was also a longtime member of the National Guard Armory.
In addition to his parents, Butler was preceded in death by one sister, Reba Butler Morris. Survivors include three daughters, Melody Goodwin-Stromatt, Mia Kemp, and Andria Butler; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one cousin, Zadie Rubena McClanahan.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
JOHN THOMAS HERBERT
July 2, 1938 — March 14, 2025
Guitarist and singer John Thomas Herbert, 86, died March 14, 2025. He was a 28year member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 April 18, 1997.
Herbert was born July 2, 1938, and studied at the University of Cincinnati. He was a longtime resident of Central Florida, where he sang country and gospel music with several musical groups over the years.
Funeral services were private.
RALPH EVERITT BLACK
June 5, 1926 — March 27, 2025
Pianist and organist Ralph Everitt Black, 99, died March 27, 2025. He was a 39year life member of Local 257 who joined Jan. 31, 1986.
He was born June 5, 1926, in Indianapolis, Indiana. After graduation from Arsenal Technical High School, Black attended the Butler University Jordan School of Music in Indianapolis, where he received a degree in music as a piano major in 1949. In college he played six nights a week at local supper clubs. Black once said that he modeled his playing style after German pianist Andre Previn, and was told by a drummer after a gig that he sounded more like Previn than Previn did.
After graduation he went on to perform with many artists of the era, and as a sales rep for Capitol Records — first in Indianapolis and then Nashville — he worked with the Beatles during the band’s U.S. tours. In the course of his decades-long career Black was employed in a variety of fields within the music business, including publishing, cowriting, production, and studio recording. He was also organist and choirmaster for several churches in Indiana and Tennessee, including the Cathedral in Nashville.
In 1990 he returned to school and became certified as a piano tuner by the Perkins School of Piano Technology. He went on to open a piano service in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife, Jane, in 2000.
No service details were available.
WILLIS WADE
Jan. 17, 1935 — Feb. 3, 2025
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Willis Wade, 90, died Feb. 3, 2025. He was a 60-year life member of the Nashville Musicians Association who joined Local 257 Sept. 8, 1964.
Born in Blackville, South Carolina, Jan. 17, 1935, Wade formed a band after moving to Nashville, and went on to release Introducing Mr. Versatile, the Fabulous Willis Wade in the late ‘60s. The album is now something of a cult classic, contains several of Wade’s compositions as well as standards, and is collected by hobbyists. One novelty single, The Dope Addicts, is particularly sought after. The band toured domestically and also on several USO tours in Europe and Asia for many years.
Private services were held in Blackville,
continued on page 32
IN MEMORIAM The officers, staff and members of Local 257 extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of our members who have recently passed away. You are in our thoughts, hearts and prayers.
Benny Howard Birchfield 06/06/1937 09/09/1966 08/02/2025
Joseph L Edwards 10/05/1933 02/04/1955 06/07/2025
John Keith Marcus 10/17/1955 12/02/1994 07/27/2025
Eberhard F Ramm 08/02/1948 10/20/1966 05/29/2025 Y
TIMOTHY M. SMITH
Dec. 12, 1957 — March 17, 2025
Trumpet and fluegelhorn player Timothy M. Smith, 67, died March 17, 2025. He was a longtime member of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra who joined Local 257 Sept. 1, 1992.
He was born Dec. 12, 1957, in Evansville, Indiana, to Gilbert W. and Marilyn J. Head Smith. He attended Interlochen Arts Academy as a teen, and after graduation from Reitz High School in 1976, he continued his musical studies at Indiana University and Ball State University, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree. Smith toured with the Las Vegas-based Russ Morgan Orchestra for five years, during which time he performed with the Supremes, The Temptations, Wayne Newton, Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney, Liza Minnelli, and others.
“Life goes by fast, and even faster when you get older.” — Timothy Smith
Following his tour performances, Smith returned to Indiana where he became a private instructor, and continued to perform regionally. In addition to his work with the Evansville Philharmonic — where he was principal trumpet for over 20 years — he performed with the Key West Symphony, Filet of Soul, the Evansville Brass Quintet, and the Zynergy Big Band. Smith was also the Philharmonic’s personnel manager and librarian for 15 years.
In addition to his passion for performing and teaching music, Smith loved and rode Harley Davidson motocycles — even riding to his orchestra gigs with his trumpet strapped to his back. His family quoted him as saying “Life goes by fast, and even faster when you get older.”
Smith was preceded in death by his mother and father. Survivors include his longtime partner, Angela Gore; one brother, Dr. David B. Smith; and two nephews.
Funeral services were held March 24 at Alexander West Chapel in Evansville, Indiana, officiated by Pastor Terry Gamblin. Entombment followed at Alexander Me -
morial Park. The family would like to thank Dr. David Schultz — one of Smith’s former students — for his exceptional care. Memorial contributions may be made to the EVSC Foundation, 951 Walnut Street, Evansville, IN 47713 or online at evscfoundation.org/ give-today TNM
LOCAL
1
COLUMBUS DAY Monday, Oct. 13
DO WE HAVE YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS?
Local 257 sends important advisories to members by email, including updates on our annual NAMM pass giveaway, and invitations to Local 257 events. Don't be left out of the loop! Notify the front desk of any changes to your contact information, including phone number, address and beneficiary.
Call 615-244-9514 to make sure we have your correct information, or email contact@nashvillemusicians.org
NEW MEMBERS
Joseph
Ted
Kirsten
Brian
Rodney
Sarah
Marco
Teddy
Glen
Larry
EXPELLED Terry
Josiah
Tanya
Jose
Daniel
Once again, Local 257 musicians will be participating in the Central Labor Council’s annual Labor Day Parade. We invite all of our members to come and celebrate the power of unions. We will gather Saturday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 a.m. at 8th and Broadway and the march will start at 10 a.m. Come join us!
DO NOT WORK FOR
The “Do Not Work For” list exists to warn our members, other musicians and the general public about employers who, according to our records, owe players money and/or pension, have failed to sign the AFM signatory documents required to make the appropriate pension contribution, or are soliciting union members to do nonunion work. When you work without the protection of an AFM contract, you are being denied all of your intellectual property rights, as well as pension and health care contributions.
TOP OFFENDERS LIST
Tommy Sims dba Positive Movement
Sims remains in contempt of court judgements from 2012 and 2022. He still owes more than $300K to musicians from a 2008 gospel project. Despite making many promises to resolve this debt, Sims and Michael Tash continue to avoid responsibility for their non-payment of musicians that they hire for various projects.
Nashville Music Scoring/Alan Umstead – solicitation and contracting nonunion scoring sessions for TV, film and video games. Musicians who work for them without an AFM contract are being denied appropriate wages and all intellectual property rights.
Electronic Arts/Steve Schnur – commissioning and promoting nonunion videogame sessions and exploiting musicians' intellectual property for his own gain.
These are employers who owe musicians money and have thus far refused to fulfill their contractual and ethical obligations to Local 257 musicians.
• Terry K. Johnson/ 1720 Entertainment (unpaid contracts/unauthorized sales –Jamie O’Neal project)
• Revelator/Gregg Brown (multiple bounced checks/unpaid contracts)
• Eric Legg & Tracey Legg (multiple unpaid contracts)
• Ray Vega/Casa Vega
• Quarterback/G Force/Doug Anderson
• Rust Records/Ken Cooper (unpaid contracts and pension)
• HonkyTone Records – Debbie Randle (multiple unpaid contracts/pension)
• Mike Barrios (unpaid live performance wages)
Membership Meeting Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. on Zoom and at Local 257
UNPAID CONTRACTS AND PENSION
Knight Brothers/Harold, Dean, Danny &
Curtis Knight
River County Band/SVC Entertainment (unpaid demo conversion/pension)
UNPAID PENSION ONLY
Comsource Media/Tommy Holland
Conchita Leeflang/Chris Sevier
Ricky D. Cook
FJH Enterprises
Matthew Flinchum dba Resilient
Jeffrey Green/Cahernzcole House
Randy Hatchett
Missionary Music
Jason Morales (pension/demo signature)
OTB Publishing (pension/demo signature)
Tebey Ottoh
Ride N High Records
Jason Sturgeon Music
AFM NON-SIGNATORY PHONO LIST
We do not have signatory paperwork from the following employers — pension may have been paid in some cases, but cannot be credited to the proper musicians without a signatory agreement in place. If you can provide us with current contact info for these people, we will make sure you get your proper pension contribution for your work.
Heaven Productions
Stonebridge Station Entertainment
Collective
WE’RE HERE TO HELP
If you have a problem with an employer, whether it’s nonpayment, slow payment, failure to sign a signatory agreement, or another issue — let us know.
