R.I.P.: Legendary Country HOF Producer Billy Sherrill

Billy Sherrill

Legendary producer, songwriter, arranger and Country Music Hall of Famer Billy Sherrill died in his home late Tuesday morning after a short illness.

He was 78, according to The Tennessean.

Sherrill's contributions to country music were numerous, and his impact on the genre was immeasurable. He was a pioneer of the smooth "countrypolitan" sound and its lush, layered musical arrangements that drew comparisons to Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound." Mr. Sherrill worked with artists ranging from Ray Charles to Jim and Jesse to Elvis Costello, but he is perhaps best known for producing hits such as Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" (which they co-wrote), Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors," Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and Shove It" and George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," considered by many to be the greatest country song of all time.

Billy Norris Sherrill was born Nov. 5, 1936, in Phil Campbell, Ala. As a child, he took an interest in music and often accompanied his evangelist father on the piano at revivals; the knowledge of Scripture and the love of Southern Gospel he cultivated there remained with him for the rest of his life.



In 1962, Sherrill moved to Nashville after being hired by Sun Records' Sam Phillips as a producer-engineer.

One of Sherrill's first major successes came in 1966 when David Houston's recording of "Almost Persuaded," which Mr. Sherrill co-wrote with Glenn Sutton and produced, spent nine weeks atop Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. It would go on to win three Grammy Awards: Best Country and Western Song, Best Country and Western Recording and Best Country and Western Vocal Performance: Male.

One of Sherrill's most notable partnerships was with Tammy Wynette. In 1966 he signed the unknown singer to Epic Records and suggested she adopt "Tammy" as her stage name.

"Stand By Your Man," which they co-wrote, spent three weeks at No. 1, crossed over to the pop charts and became a career-defining song for Wynette, who later entered the Country Music Hall of Fame.


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Sherrill also spent 19 years producing hits for George Jones. Hehas been inducted into three local Halls of Fame: the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

At the time of his death, he had been in retirement for several years.