Born on This Day in 1908, the Legendary Producer Who Transformed Nashville Into the Country Music Capital of the World

On this day (November 10) in 1908, Paul Cohen was born in Chicago, Illinois. After a stint with Columbia Records, Cohen became one of the first producers hired by the American arm of Decca Records. Later, he took over the label’s country music production. His shrewd decisions moved recording operations from the Northeast to Nashville, laying the groundwork for the Tennessee town to become the country music capital of the world.

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The Chicago-born Cohen began his career in the music business in the late 1920s with a stint at Columbia Records. Then, in the early 1930s, UK-based Decca Records opened a branch in the United States. Brothers Jack and Dave Kapp helmed the newly formed operation. They were also old friends of Cohen’s. As a result, he began working with Decca in 1934. He relocated from Chicago to Cincinnati, Ohio, and became the manager of the new label’s Midwestern division.

[RELATED: Born on This Day in 1915, the Legendary Producer Who Helped Create the Nashville Sound and Worked With Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Kitty Wells]

According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Cohen was responsible for finding and signing new artists and marketing the label’s records. Then, during World War II, he took over Decca’s country music production. In the mid-1940s, he moved to New York to fully take the reins.

Paul Cohen Moves Country Recording to Nashville

When Paul Cohen became the head of Decca’s country music division, artists traveled to either New York or Cincinnati to record. Red Foley and Ernest Tubb, two of the label’s biggest stars, were based in Nashville. As a result, Decca had to pay travel expenses for the artists and musicians. Then, Castle Recording opened a studio in the Tulane Hotel in Nashville.

Soon, Cohen realized that it was cheaper to travel to Nashville, stay for a few weeks, and record at the Castle Studio. A pair of musicians, Owen Bradley and Beasley Smith, helped arrange stars, session players, and other details of Cohen’s multi-week visits to Nashville.

Over the years, Cohen oversaw the signing and recording sessions of some of the biggest names in classic country music. Kitty Wells, Pasty Cline, Bobby Helms, Brenda Lee, and many more joined the Decca roster during his tenure.

Cohen Passes the Torch

Soon, Paul Cohen noticed that Owen Bradley was more than a rock-solid songwriter, arranger, and talent scout. He was also a talented producer. As a result, he began overseeing recording sessions. Then, Bradley took the reins when Cohen left Decca in 1958.

Bradley, Chet Atkins, and a handful of other producers were instrumental in creating the Nashville sound, which helped launch the likes of Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Glenn Sutton, Charlie Rich, and countless others.

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