Brent Maher is a producer,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

, and

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

currently residing in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. He has produced and engineered six

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning records and received awards from the CMA, ACM, CCMA,

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

SOCAN The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 175,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collect ...

and NSAI. Maher engineered classic recordings like

Ike and Tina Turner Ike or IKE may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ike (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Ike (surname), a list of people * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of ...

’s “

Proud Mary "Proud Mary" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by vocalist and lead guitarist John Fogerty. It was released as a single in January1969 by Fantasy Records and on the band's second studio album, '' Bayou Coun ...

” and

The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...

's "Age of Aquarius". He discovered

The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist-guitarist Wynonna Judd and her mother Naomi Judd on backup vocals. The duo signed to RCA Records in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds wer ...

and produced all ten of their albums, writing many of their hit songs. Maher has also served two terms on the board of directors of the Academy of Country Music.

Early life

Born in

Chase, Kansas Chase is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 396. History For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was ...

, Maher lived there until he moved to

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

as a teenager. He joined the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

after high school and was stationed near Nashville where he worked as an aircraft mechanic. During this time, he formed a

cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. N ...

called "The Journeymen" and played guitar and trumpet. While reading the back of the album by

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...

, he read in the credits "recording engineer" and realized that this was his calling. He took correspondence courses in sound and engineering.

Musical career

After leaving the Air Force at age 22, Maher was hired as a backup engineer in Nashville by

Monument Records Monument Records is an American record label co-founded in 1958 by Fred Foster. Originally founded in Washington, D.C., the label moved to Nashville in 1960, and experienced success over the next two decades with a number of artists including ...

president, Fred Foster and chief engineer and eventual mentor, Bill Porter. Maher said, "As fate would have it, I walked through that door with my Sunday best suit on at the right time and they gave me an opportunity that changed my life". After a few years, Bill Porter purchased United Recording Studios in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

and asked Maher to go with him. Maher engineered classic recordings like

’s “

” and

's "Age of Aquarius"; also recordings by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins Will ...

Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band formed in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1966 and active until 1983. Their work, which blended elements of funk, soul music, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel music, gospel, and R&B, becam ...

, and others. Maher's work as a producer picked up when he recorded Benny Hester's debut LP in Vegas. In the late 1970s, Maher moved back to Nashville to help owner

Buzz Cason James Elmore "Buzz" Cason (November 27, 1939 – June 16, 2024) was an American rock singer, songwriter, record producer and author. Life and career James Elmore Cason was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 27, 1939. He was a founding mem ...

build the Creative Workshop recording studio. In Nashville, Maher engineered Elvis' last number one song “

Way Down "Way Down" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley. Recorded in October 1976, it was his last single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine Jr. and recorded by Presley at his home studio in Graceland ...

" in addition to engineering records with

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...

and

Melanie Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek language, Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".Dottie West Dottie West (born Dorothy Marie Marsh; October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country singer and songwriter. She also had several credits as an actress. A distinguished figure in the country genre, West was among several people ...

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

and

Dave Loggins David Allen Loggins (November 10, 1947 – July 10, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his 1974 hit single " Please Come to Boston" as well as his 1984 duet with Anne Murray, " Nobody Loves Me Like You ...

. In the early '80's, Maher discovered mother/daughter duo, The Judds and developed their acoustic country sound. After getting The Judd's a record deal with

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

Curb A curb (American English) or kerb (British English) is the edge where a raised sidewalk/pavement or road median/central reservation meets a street/other roadway. History Although curbs have been used throughout modern history, and indeed ...

, he co-wrote many of their hits and produced all their platinum LP's.

Songwriter

Maher received Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music for writing and producing the Judds’ 1984 chart-topping single, “Why Not Me.” It was followed by awards for “Girls Night Out” (1985), “

Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain" is a song written by Brent Maher and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music duo The Judds. It was released in May 1986 as the third single from the album ''Rockin' with the Rhythm''. The song wa ...

” (1986), “I Know Where I’m Going” (1987), " Let Me Tell You About Love" (1989), “Born To Be Blue” (1990), and other Judd hits. Maher also co-wrote many of

Johnny Reid John Kirkland Reid (born August 21, 1973) is a Scottish-Canadian country music artist. Reid moved to Canada in July 1989 when he was 16 from Scotland United Kingdom. His father, a diesel mechanic, wanted to give Reid and his brother opportunitie ...

's hit singles in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

including "Out of the Blue” (2007), "A Woman Like You” (2009 – CCMA for Single of Year), "Let's Go Higher" (2010), and "

Today I'm Gonna Try and Change the World "Today I'm Gonna Try and Change the World" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Johnny Reid. It was released in June 2010 as the first single from his 2010 album '' A Place Called Love''. The song reached No. 41 on th ...

" (2010). Additional hits include "

Some Kind of Trouble ''Some Kind of Trouble'' is the third studio album by British singer-songwriter James Blunt, released on 8 November 2010. On 6 December 2011, a deluxe version of the album was released, titled ''Some Kind of Trouble: Revisited''. Background In ...

" (

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood ...

), " A Lesson in Leavin'" (

Dottie West Dottie West (born Dorothy Marie Marsh; October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country singer and songwriter. She also had several credits as an actress. A distinguished figure in the country genre, West was among several people ...

, later covered by

Jo Dee Messina Jo Dee Marie Messina (born August 25, 1970) is an American country music artist. She has charted six number-one singles on the ''Billboard charts, Billboard'' country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association and the ...

), " When Love Starts Talkin'" ( Wynonna), and other recordings by

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

, Kenny Rogers, Dottie West,

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

, Jo Dee Messina, Wynonna, and

Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynn Moorer, October 22, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter and the older sister of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. The success of her pop rock album '' I Am Shelby Lynne'' (1999) led to her winning the Grammy A ...

Producer

Maher produced all ten of The Judds’ records,

Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reac ...

’s “Good News,” Shelby Lynne's big band project “Temptation,” and albums by artists including Kenny Rogers, Dottie West, Benny Hester, and Jo Dee Messina. On the international scene, Maher produced Canadian Country artist Johnny Reid's breakthrough Country record " Kicking Stones" and following LP's "Dance With Me" and "A Place Called Love," making Reid one of the top-selling artists in Canada. The albums won CCMA awards for Album of the Year (2009), Best Selling Canadian Album (2009, 2010, 2011), and a

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

for Country Album of the Year (2010, 2011). Maher also developed and produced the Grammy nominated self-titled debut from

Bering Strait The Bering Strait ( , ; ) is a strait between the Pacific and Arctic oceans, separating the Chukchi Peninsula of the Russian Far East from the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. The present Russia–United States maritime boundary is at 168° 58' ...

, a young band composed of seven Russian musicians whose story was covered by

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

Engineer

Maher's engineering credits include all the projects he has produced, and also extend to Ike and Tina Turner's “Proud Mary,”

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

Faces The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect the ...

, Gladys Knight, Merle Haggard and the Strangers,

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

/ Tanya Tucker,

, and others.

Studio owner

In 1986, Maher bought Creative Workshop II from Cason and renamed it Creative Recording. Artists recording at the studio included The Judds, Wynonna, Kathy Mattea, Kenny Rogers, and Shelby Lynne. In 2002, John &

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocated to Nashville, T ...

acquired Creative Recording, rebuilding and relaunching it as

Blackbird Studio Blackbird Studio is a music recording studio located at 2806 Azalea Place in Berry Hill, Tennessee. Originally built as Creative Workshop II and later operated as Creative Recording, the studio changed ownership and was rebuilt and renamed Black ...

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

2007 – Lost Highway –

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

and Ray Price (Engineer) 1993 – Good News –

(Producer) 1991 – Love Can Build A Bridge – The Judds (Producer) 1988 – Give A Little Love – The Judds (Producer) 1986 –

Grandpa Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maxi ...

– The Judds (Producer) 1984 – Mama, He's Crazy – The Judds (Producer)

ASCAP Awards

1978 – Bluer Than Blue – Michael Johnson (Producer) 1979 – You Pick Me Up (And Put Me Down) – Dottie West (Writer) 1980 – Leavin's for Unbelievers – Dottie West (Writer) 1980 – A Lesson in Leavin' – Dottie West (Writer) 1985 – Why Not Me – The Judds (Writer) 1985 – Girls' Night Out – The Judds (Writer) 1986 – Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain – The Judds (Writer) 1988 – I Know Where I'm Going – The Judds (Writer) 1989 – Turn It Loose – The Judds (Writer) 1989 – Crying Shame – The Judds (Writer) 1990 – Let Me Tell You About Love – The Judds (Writer) 1991 – Born to be Blue – The Judds (Writer) 1992 – Some Kind of Trouble – Tanya Tucker (Writer)

NSAI Awards

1987 – Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain – The Judds (Writer)

Songwriter discography

Other ventures

Beyond his musical career, Brent Maher has given lectures on engineering and production for various schools and universities. Maher has one of the largest collections of vintage

Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures and markets musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Fri ...

guitars in the US. Maher was also one of the founding members of Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers Inc. In 2011, he created "Cowboy Golf" and now designs golf courses on farms, which led to founding the Boots and Bandana Golf Association based in

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020 Uni ...

at Pines Golf Course. Maher, John Reger Jr. and Michael Pasternak and associates are currently establishing a network of BBGA courses with ranch owners and recreational facilities across the country to build their own cowboy style golf courses. The events benefit

MusiCares MusiCares Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1989 and incorporated in 1993 by the The Recording Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Meant for musicians to have a place to turn in times of financial, pers ...

, The Facial Pain Research Foundation, and Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses.

References

The Producer’s Chair: Brent Maher
Posted on April 17, 2014, by Dan Harr Music News Nashville

External links

Brent Maher Official Website

Moraine Music Group

The Facial Pain Research Foundation

Gentle Carousel: Little Therapy Horses with Big Hearts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maher, Brent Living people American country record producers Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee American country songwriters American male songwriters Songwriters from Tennessee Year of birth missing (living people) Canadian Country Music Association Songwriter(s) of the Year winners