{"id":1319870,"date":"2020-05-11T07:59:41","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T13:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1821023"},"modified":"2020-05-11T07:59:41","modified_gmt":"2020-05-11T13:59:41","slug":"country-legends-we-love-rodney-crowell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/music-news\/country-legends-we-love-rodney-crowell\/","title":{"rendered":"Country Legends We Love: Rodney Crowell"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:ao:image:cmt.com:692728?width=1200&amp;height=675&amp;.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"byline\">by <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/author\/morrise\/\" title=\"Posts by Edward Morris\" rel=\"author\">Edward Morris<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"date\">15m ago<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n<p>A prolific recording artist and deserving member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rodney Crowell\u2019s literate, inward-looking songs have become the gold standard for other country lyricists from the 1970s onward.<\/p>\n<p>His voluminous catalog of hits includes modern classics such as Keith Urban\u2019s \u201cMaking Memories of Us\u201d and Tim McGraw\u2019s \u201cPlease Remember Me,\u201d as well as landmark compositions like \u201cTil I Gain Control Again,\u201d \u201cShame on the Moon,\u201d \u201cSong for the Life,\u201d \u201cVoila, An American Dream,\u201d \u201cAshes By Now,\u201d \u201cI Couldn\u2019t Leave You If I Tried,\u201d \u201cI Ain\u2019t Living Long Like This,\u201d \u201cLong Hard Road (The Sharecropper\u2019s Dream)\u201d and the Grammy-winning \u201cAfter All This Time.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3j4cu-MuLgc?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3j4cu-MuLgc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>As he recounted in his 2010 autobiography, <em>Chinaberry Sidewalks<\/em>, Crowell was born Aug. 7, 1950, in Houston, Texas, to a hard-drinking, country music-singing father and an epileptic mother who sought solace in fundamentalist Christianity. Although his parents could charitably be described as \u201cdysfunctional,\u201d they did encourage their only child\u2019s musical interests.<\/p>\n<p>Crowell was only two years old when his father took him to see Hank Williams in what would prove to be William\u2019s next-to-last performance. He was only 11 when he began playing drums in his father\u2019s band.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xCf5aoZB4ds?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xCf5aoZB4ds?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Crowell moved to Nashville in 1972, at the age of 22, and soon joined a mutually encouraging community of songwriters that included Guy and Susanna Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle. Clark would later co-star in Crowell\u2019s 1989 video for \u201cMany a Long and Lonesome Highway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jerry Reed signed Crowell to his first publishing contract and recorded his first cut, \u201cYou Can\u2019t Keep Me Here In Tennessee.\u201d True to its title, Crowell then relocated to California and worked from 1975 to 1977 as a guitarist, harmony singer and arranger in Emmylou Harris\u2019 Hot Band. She recorded Crowell\u2019s \u201cBluebird Wine\u201d for her 1975 breakout album, <em>Pieces of the Sky<\/em>. Crowell also sang it in the 1976 documentary, <em>Heartworn Highways<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QsQqlJ2jwsw?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QsQqlJ2jwsw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>In 1978, he signed as a solo artist to Warner Bros. and that same year charted his first single, Dallas Frazier\u2019s \u201cElvira,\u201d which peaked at No. 95. He would chart four more singles for Warner, none reaching higher than No. 30, before joining Columbia Records in 1986.<\/p>\n<p>In 1979, Crowell married Rosanne Cash. The marriage would last until 1992, during which time Crowell served as Cash\u2019s producer and occasional co-writer and singing partner. Their co-written \u201cI Don\u2019t Know Why You Don\u2019t Want Me\u201d was a No. 1 for Cash (who also recorded for Columbia) in 1985 and won her a best female vocalist Grammy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iZ07Of0KM1U?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iZ07Of0KM1U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>It was at Columbia that Crowell achieved his greatest success as a recording artist. His 1988 album, <em>Diamonds &amp; Dirt<\/em>, yielded five consecutive No. 1 singles: \u201cIt\u2019s Such a Small World\u201d (a duet with Cash), \u201cI Couldn\u2019t Leave You If I Tried,\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s Crazy For Leavin\u2019,\u201d \u201cAfter All This Time\u201d and \u201cAbove And Beyond.\u201d Except for \u201cAbove and Beyond,\u201d which was written by Harlan Howard, all the other hits were Crowell\u2019s own compositions.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back on his Columbia successes and the toll it took on him to promote them, Crowell told CMT.com in 2017, \u201cI don\u2019t think I was destined for sustaining stardom. That\u2019s not my destiny. But I think I am destined for sustained creativity. I think I\u2019m doing the best work of my career. Although I had some really cool spikes early on, I\u2019m more consistent now.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/okWifn-KXXY?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/okWifn-KXXY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Crowell\u2019s stature as a recording act paled considerably during the 1990s, after a move to MCA Nashville. Even so, he boasted such Top 10 singles as \u201cIf Looks Could Kill\u201d and \u201cLovin\u2019 All Night,\u201d while \u201cWhat Kind Of Love\u201d (written with Will Jennings around a Roy Orbison melody) reached the Top 10 of the adult contemporary chart.<\/p>\n<p>And he continued to turn out critically praised albums, including the highly autobiographical <em>The Houston Kid<\/em> (2001) and <em>Fate\u2019s Right Hand<\/em> (2003). In addition he shared two 2004 Grammy nominations as a member of Notorious Cherry Bombs for their amusing single, \u201cIt\u2019s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long,\u201d which he co-wrote with bandmate Vince Gill.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pjkLf_X88WM?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pjkLf_X88WM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Other notable albums in Crowell\u2019s catalog include <em>Sex &amp; Gasoline<\/em> (2008), <em>Kin: Songs By Mary Karr &amp; Rodney Crowell<\/em> (2012), and <em>Old Yellow Moon<\/em> (2013), a collaboration with Emmylou Harris that won a Grammy as best Americana album. Crowell became a cornerstone of the Americana movement from the start and accepted a 2006 Lifetime Achievement award in songwriting from the Americana Music Association.<\/p>\n<p>Crowell and Harris also share multiple trophies from the Americana Music Honors &amp; Awards ceremonies. The longtime friends reunited for 2015\u2019s <em>The Traveling Kind<\/em>. Crowell released a Christmas album and acoustic retrospective in 2018, followed by <em>Texas<\/em> in 2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VMF1dpygnq0?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VMF1dpygnq0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Over the years, innumerable country artists have recorded Crowell\u2019s songs, including: Bobby Bare, John Denver, Crystal Gayle, Highway 101, Waylon Jennings, Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Willie Nelson, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Oak Ridge Boys, George Strait, Steve Wariner, Lee Ann Womack, and Wynonna. Bob Seger\u2019s cover of \u201cShame on the Moon\u201d was a No. 2 pop hit in 1983.<\/p>\n<p>In 1998, Crowell married singer Claudia Church. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, received the ASCAP Founders Award in 2017, and accepted the 2019 ACM Poets Award in recognition of his songwriting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n<div class=\"description\">Edward Morris is a veteran of country music journalism. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a frequent contributor to CMT.com.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/1821023\/country-legends-we-love-rodney-crowell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: CMT News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Edward Morris 15m ago A prolific recording artist and deserving member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rodney Crowell\u2019s literate, inward-looking songs have become the gold standard for other country lyricists from the 1970s onward. His voluminous catalog of hits includes modern classics such as Keith Urban\u2019s \u201cMaking Memories of Us\u201d and Tim [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[159],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1319870","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-music-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-16 02:00:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319870\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}