Kellie Pickler photo courtesy of SonyBMG Nashville.
Aug. 27, 2008 — Kenny Chesney, Lee Ann Womack, Kellie Pickler, Gretchen Wilson and Ronnie Milsap performed Tuesday at a formal Nashville event in which a precedent-setting five people were presented Leadership Music’s Dale Franklin Award, recognizing guiding forces in the city’s music community.
The Bradleys, headed by late patriarch Owen Bradley, were hailed by host Brenda Lee as "the first family of Music Row." Owen, a long-time member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, produced a stream of country classics during his tenure at the helm of Decca Records, including Conway Twitty’s "Hello, Darlin’," Patsy Cline’s "I Fall To Pieces," Loretta Lynn’s "Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)" and Kitty Wells’ "It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels."
His brother, guitarist Harold Bradley — also a Hall of Famer — was honored, along with Owen’s children, Jerry and Patsy Bradley; and daughter-in-law Connie Bradley. Numerous people, including Kenny and Ronnie, recounted the ways in which members of the Bradley family influenced their careers through friendly counsel, tough love and simple foresight.
"If I had to point to one personality who made it all happen, it would be Owen Bradley," Brenda said, choking back tears.
She recalled that their business relationship began when she held her first recording session, at a mere 11 years of age, with Owen directing the proceedings. He was "my confidence in the studio," she said. "He always respected me as an artist, even though I was just a little kid."
Kenny gave a delicate, vocal-and-piano rendition of "Better As A Memory," Ronnie performed the always-dramatic "It Was Almost Like A Song" and Kellie turned in a rousing version of "Red High Heels." Lee Ann ably covered Loretta’s "You Ain’t Woman Enough," Gretchen gave a faithful reading of Patsy’s "Crazy" and Mandy Barnett — the artist on the final session Owen ever produced — gave a big-voiced interpretation of Roy Orbison’s "Crying."
Kix Brooks’ Arrington Vineyards provided the wine at the GAC-sponsored event, attended by producers Tony Brown (George Strait, Vince Gill) and Tom Collins (Barbara Mandrell, Sylvia). The evening also attracted a number of songwriters, including Don Schlitz ("The Gambler"), Craig Wiseman ("Live Like You Were Dying"), Gary Burr ("I Try To Think About Elvis") and Wayland Holyfield ("Could I Have This Dance"). In a taped message, "Bless The Broken Road" composer Marcus Hummon fired off a self-deprecating comment that earned some — though not all — of the night’s biggest laughs: "Songwriters are basically like dogs. They just wanna be told they’re loved."
In addition to Owen Bradley, the other honored Bradleys’ accomplishments include:
• Harold Bradley — A session guitarist, he’s appeared on hits by such notables as Eddy Arnold, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Statler Brothers. He’s also the head of the Nashville chapter of the Musicians Union and joined Owen in building the first studio on what’s now Music Row.
• Jerry Bradley — A noted publisher, he produced hits for Charley Pride and Dave & Sugar while leading RCA’s Nashville division, where his tenure included the peak commercial years for Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings.
• Connie Bradley — Heads the Nashville office of ASCAP, a performing rights organization that collects and distributes money for songwriters.
• Patsy Bradley — One of the original three employees at BMI, another performing rights organization, where she became a 40-year mainstay of the company.
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