Billy Sherrill
| Billy Sherrill | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Billy Norris Sherrill |
| Born |
November 5, 1936 Phil Campbell, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 2015 (aged 78) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country music, countrypolitan |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, arranger, songwriter |
| Associated acts | Tammy Wynette, George Jones |
Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter and arranger, who is most famous for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Glenn Sutton are regarded as the defining influences of the countrypolitan sound, a smooth amalgamation of pop and country music that was popular during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Sherrill also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Stand by Your Man" (written with Tammy Wynette) and "The Most Beautiful Girl" (written with Rory Bourke and Norro Wilson).
Born in Phil Campbell, Alabama, United States in 1936, the son of an evangelical preacher, Sherrill was initially attracted to jazz and blues music, learning to play the piano and, in his teens, the saxophone. During his teenage years, he led a jump blues band, and toured the southern states playing in R&B and rock 'n' roll bands. He signed a solo record deal with a small independent label, though this led to little success.
In 1962, Sherrill moved to Nashville, where he was initially hired by Sam Phillips to manage the Nashville studios of Sun Records. When Sun sold its Nashville studio the following year, Sherrill moved to Epic Records, as an in-house producer. Given his limited exposure to country music up to that point, his production incorporated many elements of pop music production, creating his own style of sweeping productions, influenced by Phil Spector, Don Law and Chet Atkins. His sound has often been described as a country equivalent to Spector's Wall of Sound. Sherrill also chose many of his artists' songs, rewriting them in some cases to suit the singer's style.
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