Born on This Day in 1927, the Producer and Songwriter Behind the Creation of the “Nashville Sound” and Hits From Porter Wagoner and Ferlin Husky

On this day (December 30) in 1927, Bob Ferguson was born in Willow Springs, Illinois. Over the years, he held many jobs. For instance, he was a Marine Corps drill instructor during the Korean War and produced a highly influential film for the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission. However, his largest impact came from his songwriting and production.

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In 1958, Ferguson wrote “On the Wings of a Dove.” Ferlin Husky was the first to record it, and took it to the top of the country chart, where it stayed for 10 weeks. Ferguson then moved to Nashville to manage Husky. The hit, which sold millions of copies, allowed him to focus solely on his career in the music industry.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1968, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton’s ‘Just the Two of Us’ Cemented a Duo—and Foreshadowed a Breakup]

Ferguson began working at RCA Victor, serving as an executive assistant to Chet Atkins. After some time, he became a senior producer, which allowed him to work with some of the biggest names in country music. Additionally, he was one of a handful of producers who helped create the “Nashville Sound” of the 1950s and ’60s.

As a producer, he worked with the likes of Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Charley Pride, and Lester Flatt. He worked on nearly all of Parton and Wagoner’s duet albums, as well as their solo releases between 1967 and 1975. Notably, he produced two of Parton’s biggest hits–“Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Ferguson also wrote “The Carroll County Accident.” He produced Wagoner’s recording of the song, which became one of his signature hits.

Bob Ferguson’s Work Outside the Music Industry

Bob Ferguson was much more than a songwriter and producer. While working at RCA, he earned a Master’s Degree in anthropology from Vanderbilt University. He later became a historian of the Choctaw tribe of Indigenous Americans.

According to a brief biography, Ferguson served as the volunteer Project Director and President of Southeastern Antiquities Survey. In that role, he oversaw the recovery and preservation of remains and artifacts found during construction in the Nashville area. He was part of the discovery of the first saber-toothed tiger found east of the Mississippi River. This discovery inspired the Nashville Predators’ logo.

Ferguson was also an author. He wrote So You Want to Be in Music and Southeastern Indians: Then and Now.

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