Died On This Date (January 7, 1998) Owen Bradley / Country Hit Maker
themusicsover Owen Bradley
October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998
Owen Bradley was a prominent country music producer who was one of the architects of what would become known as the “Nashville Sound.” Bradley began his career at storied radio station, WSM-AM, where he worked as a staff musician and engineer. He quickly moved up the ranks while moonlighting as a songwriter. Bradley’s earliest song of significance was “Night Train To Memphis,” first made famous by Roy Acuff. He was soon hired by Decca Records as a musician and assistant producer, working on many country hits of the ’50s. By 1958, Bradley was the vice president of the label’s Nashville division and was laying the foundation for the Nashville Sound. Throughout his career, Bradley helped make stars out of the likes of Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn and Brenda Lee. His recordings of Cline in particular, became the blueprint for those of countless female country singers to come. Owen Bradly was 82 when he passed away on January 7, 1998.
Cyril Davies was one of the pioneers of the British blues movement of the 1960s. He began his career during the ’50s when he actually played the banjo in an acoustic skiffle group. He soon switched to the harmonica, eventually becoming Britain’s first Chicago blues style player. In 1962, he and fellow musician, 
Bobby Robinson was a pioneering R&B and later, hip-hop record producer, as well as a longtime record store owner. He opened Bobby’s Record Shop in 1946, making it the first Black-owned business on Harlem’s famous 125th Street. The store and cultural landmark remained open until he was forced to close in 2008 due to his landlord’s desire to raze and rebuild at that spot. As a producer, Robinson had a hand in creating a string of R&B and hip-hop hits that stretched from the early ’50s through the mid ’80s. The list of greats that he enjoyed success with includes Gladys Knight & The Pips,