Larry Butler
March 26, 1942 – January 20, 2012
Larry Butler was a respected Nashville producer who, over the course of his career, helped create hits for the likes of Dottie West, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, John Denver, and Kim Carnes. A gifted pianist and singer as well, Butler was just 6 years old when he launched his career with a performance with the Harry James Orchestra. Born in Florida, Butler moved to Nashville in 1963 to find work as a session player. Before he knew it, his stellar piano playing was being featured on records by such country luminaries as Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette, to name just a few. By the early ’70s, Butler was the head of United Artists’ Nashville division and producing some of the era’s greatest records. In fact, it was Butler who partnered Kenny Rogers with Dottie West to record some of the greatest country duets in history. But it was Rogers alone who he had the most success with. Hits like “Coward Of The County,” “The Gambler,” “She Believes In Me,” and “Lucille” all had Butler at the helm. To this day, Butler remains the only Nashville producer to be awarded the Grammy for Producer of the Year. Larry Butler died of natural causes on January 20, 2012. He was 69.
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