Born 76 Years Ago Today in the Lone Star State, the Songwriter Mentored by Guy Clark Who Wrote Hits for Bob Seger and Waylon Jennings

On this day (August 7) in 1950, Rodney Crowell was born in Houston, Texas. He was seemingly destined to have a career in the music world. He was in his first band before he entered his teens. Later, Crowell became close friends with Guy Clark, who mentored him as a songwriter. He was a member of Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, notched a string of No. 1 hits in the 1980s, and has written songs for a long and astounding line of stars. Additionally, he has produced several albums for his first wife, Rosanne Cash.

Crowell was born into a musical family. One of his grandfathers was a church choir leader, and the other was a bluegrass banjo player. Additionally, his dad fronted a honky tonk band called J.W. Crowell and the Rhythmaires. By the time he was 11 years old, Crowell was playing drums in his father’s band.

Speaking to PBS, Crowell recalled that his dad brought home a drum kit, set it up in the living room, and showed him the basics. “That was a Tuesday. On Friday night, I was playing drums in his band…at an old ice house/honky tonk on the southeast side of Houston called Red Bluff Sally’s,” he recalled. Four years later, Crowell was touring regionally with his own band.

Rodney Crowell Goes to Nashville

In 1972, Rodney Crowell relocated to Nashville to pursue a music career. While performing in a local club, he was discovered by Jerry Reed. This led to a publishing deal for the young singer/songwriter. Then, Reed became the first to record one of Crowell’s songs when he cut “You Can’t Keep Me Here in Tennessee” in 1973, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Later, Crowell met and became friends with legendary songwriter Guy Clark. While Crowell called him his mentor, the pair influenced one another’s songwriting over the years. They also wrote several songs together, including “Stuff That Works.”

A cassette of Crowell’s original songs made its way to Emmylou Harris, who had recently inked a deal with Reprise. She recorded “Bluebird Wine” for her 1975 album Pieces of the Sky. Later, she asked to meet Crowell. After he sat in with her band during a gig, she asked him to become an official member. In early 1975, he joined her in Los Angeles. He remained in the band for two years, and Harris recorded several of his songs, which introduced them to a large audience.

Going Solo

Rodney Crowell signed a solo recording contract with Warner Bros. Nashville in 1978. Later that year, he released his debut album, Ain’t Living Long Like This. The album wasn’t commercially successful. However, it helped him build a cult following. The same could be said for his next few releases, including But What Will the Neighbors Think and his self-titled album.

He married Rosanne Cash, Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto’s oldest daughter, in 1979. Two years later, he put his solo career on hold to produce her albums. Their musical partnership started with her No. 1 album Seven Year Ache and ended with the smash hit King’s Record Shop in 1987. The couple parted ways in 1992.

[RELATED: 3 Songs You Didn’t Know Rodney Crowell Wrote For Other Artists]

In 1988, Crowell released Diamonds & Dirt, the most successful album of his career. It was the first country album to produce five consecutive No. 1 singles. Those chart-topping hits included “It’s Such a Small World,” a duet with Cash, and the Grammy-winning “After All This Time.”

Rodney Crowell and the Cherry Bombs

In the late 1970s, Rodney Crowell put together a backing band that helped modernize the sound of country music. He called them the Cherry Bombs. The original lineup included Vince Gill, Hank DeVito, Emory Gordy Jr., Richard Bennett, Tony Brown, and Larrie Londin, all of whom were former members of Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band.

They backed Crowell and Cash in the studio and on the road until the early 1990s. When the couple divorced, the members began leaving the band. Gordy and Brown went on to be producers, Gill launched his solo career in the late ’80s, and Bennett and DeVito became session players. Londin passed away in 1992.

In 2003, Crowell, Gill, Bennett, DeVito, and Brown were joined by John Hobbs, Michael Rhodes, and Eddie Bayers in a Cherry Bombs reunion. They rebranded as the Notorious Cherry Bombs and released a self-titled album in 2004.

A Songwriter’s Songwriter

While Rodney Crowell has seen relatively little commercial success as a recording artist, he has written songs that have been recorded by and became hits for a long list of artists. See some highlights from his deep catalog below.

• “Ashes by Now”–Lee Ann Womack (No. 4)
• “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”–Emmylou Harris
• “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”–Waylon Jennings (No. 1)
• “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me”–Rosanne Cash (No. 1)
• “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight”–Oak Ridge Boys (No. 1)
• “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream)”–Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (No. 1)
• “Shame on the Moon”–Bob Seger (No. 1)
• “Song for the Life”–Alan Jackson (No. 6)
• “Till I Gain Control Again”–Crystal Gayle (No.1)

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