"Father of modern country drumming"
Buddy Harman dies
By PETER COOPER • Staff Writer • Friday August 22, 2008
Buddy Harman, the percussion heartbeat of Music Row and Nashville's best-known and most-recorded drummer, died Thursday evening. He was 79, and suffered from congestive heart failure.
A native Nashvillian born Murrey Mizell Harman Jr., Mr. Harman played drums on more than 18,000 recordings, including Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman," Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," Ray Price's "Crazy Arms" and Elvis Presley's "Little Sister." He was the first staff drummer on the Grand Ole Opry and the first prominent drummer in country music history, and his work helped secure country's place as a viable, popular and modern art form.
"Buddy Harman set the standard, both quantitatively and qualitatively, for what a great country drummer should be," wrote David Cantwell in Heartaches By The Number: Country Music's Greatest Singles. "The mind boggles at the number of musically distinctive and emotionally fitting ways Harman found to lay down a beat."
Mr. Harman was a master of the country shuffle (which he helped invent during the "Crazy Arms" session), and he was enough of a musical chameleon to play pounding rock 'n' roll on "Pretty Woman," stately, restrained pop on "I'm Sorry," graceful swing on Roger Miller's "King of the Road" and straight-ahead country on Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter."
"He's Nashville's all-around drummer, and he's the best drummer I ever worked with," said Harold Bradley, who played on thousands of sessions with Mr. Harman.
WSM air personality and country music historian Eddie Stubbs said of Mr. Harman, "If anybody could be called the father of modern country drumming, it would be Buddy. He defined the role of the drums in country music. No matter the song, he knew what to play. More importantly, he knew what not to play. Always."
Mr. Harman is survived by wife Marsha Marvell Irby; daughters Autumn Harman of Nashville and Summer Harman of Mt. Juliet; and sons Mark Harman of Franklin, Stanley Harman of Nashville and Murrey M. Harman III of Nashville; by six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and by brothers Bob Higley and Richard Higley, both of Jacksonville, Fla.
Details concerning a memorial service are not yet available.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808220413
"Music Row loses its heartbeat after Buddy Harman dies"
Drummer kept time to classic tunes
By PETER COOPER • Staff Writer • August 23, 2008
BUDDY HARMAN — 1928-2008
Buddy Harman, the percussion heartbeat of Music Row and Nashville's best-known and most-recorded drummer, died Thursday evening in hospice care. He was 79, and suffered from congestive heart failure.
A native Nashvillian born Murrey Mizell Harman Jr., Mr. Harman played drums on more than 18,000 recordings, including Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," Ray Price's "Crazy Arms" and Elvis Presley's "Little Sister." He was the first staff drummer on the Grand Ole Opry and the first prominent drummer in country music history, and his work helped secure country's place as a viable, popular and modern art form.
"Buddy Harman set the standard, both quantitatively and qualitatively, for what a great country drummer should be," wrote David Cantwell in Heartaches by the Number: Country Music's Greatest Singles. "The mind boggles at the number of musically distinctive and emotionally fitting ways Harman found to lay down a beat."
Mr. Harman was a master of the hard-driving country shuffle (which he helped invent during the "Crazy Arms" session), and he was enough of a musical chameleon to play pounding rock 'n' roll on "Pretty Woman"; stately, restrained pop on "I'm Sorry"; graceful swing on Roger Miller's "King of the Road"; and straight-ahead country on Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter."
"He's Nashville's all-around drummer, and he's the best drummer I ever worked with," said Harold Bradley, who played on thousands of records with Mr. Harman.
WSM air personality and country music historian Eddie Stubbs said of Mr. Harman: "If anybody could be called the father of modern country drumming, it would be Buddy. He defined the role of the drums in country music. No matter the song, he knew what to play. More importantly, he knew what not to play. Always."
A schooled player
Both of Mr. Harman's parents played music, and his mother was a drummer. He grew up fascinated by the instrument, and he attended the Roy Knapp School of Percussion in Chicago. He took the nickname "Buddy" in honor of his hero, jazz drummer Buddy Rich.
Nashville session guitar ace Grady Martin was an early supporter, and Martin saw to it that Mr. Harman got a chance to play on a Moon Mullican session in September 1951, when Mr. Harman was 21. The session produced no hits, but Mr. Harman demonstrated his ability to lock in with other players, and he soon found himself in demand at a time when Nashville began to assert itself as a recording capital.
In the early 1950s, drums were, at best, an afterthought in Nashville music. Sometimes they were actually forbidden. Mr. Harman joined Carl Smith's band, and when Smith played the Opry,the show's management didn't allow Mr. Harman to so much as bring a snare drum on stage. Instead, Mr. Harman used brush sticks to play a "drum head" that was affixed to an upright bass. It was, Mr. Harman admitted, "very silly looking."
By the late 1950s, in part because of the ascent of the rhythmic terror known as rock 'n' roll, drums became more accepted and Mr. Harman took a job as the Opry's first staff drummer. In the studio, he proved himself able to move easily between country sessions and rock recordings.
"He's the example for us all to follow," said Eddie Bayers, who followed Mr. Harman as one of Nashville's in-demand drummers. "With a great musician, you feel the soul and the spirit, not the genre."
Jerry Carrigan played drums on Southern soul classics recorded in Muscle Shoals, and in the mid-1960s he headed to Nashville. In Music City, Carrigan looked to Mr. Harman as a mentor.
"He was the cat," Carrigan said. "I remember him with red pants, red shirt with the collar turned up, a black belt and black boots. He always had the coolest car and the coolest drums. And he was the consummate studio musician."
While the driving rock drum parts Mr. Harman played in the 1950s and '60s compel many listeners, Carrigan said his most impressive talent might have been the ability to play at low volumes and still bring a groove to the song.
"Most people can't play soft with any feel," Carrigan said. "Buddy was articulate at any dynamic or tempo. Anybody that says they didn't copy Buddy is a liar. He was an innovator. I'm telling you, man, the guy was unbelievable."
'A beautiful guy'
Bass player Bob Moore, who joined with Mr. Harman to complete the rhythm section on thousands of records, credits Mr. Harman not only with musical virtuosity but also with an emotional intelligence that helped sessions feel comfortable and friendly.
"He had such a great musical mind, but he was also such a kind, nice person," Moore said. "Buddy was funny in the studio, and he kept everybody feeling good."
Mr. Harman's temperament was a key element in his ability to mix with musicians of different stripes, in potentially exhausting work conditions. In the 1960s, Nashville's first-call session players often worked on three sessions a day. The men would get their hair cut at the studio, because there was no time to drive to an appointment.
In the studio, Mr. Harman also sought new ways to produce percussion sounds. On the Everly Brothers' "Till I Kissed You," he tuned his drums to produce a resonant, ringing "answer" to the vocals. On another session, he made a clicking sound by lightly striking a guitar neck with his drumsticks. Many times, he played brush sticks against a cardboard box.
"I asked him once what the strangest thing he played was," Bayers said. "He said, 'a spare tire.' I said, 'Two-ply or four-ply?' "
Mr. Harman continued playing numerous sessions into the 1980s, when he and Moore joined Jerry Lee Lewis' touring band. He also worked for the Nashville Association of Musicians, tracking down royalties for players whose work was used in television and movies. Mr. Harman also worked the Opry, drumming there regularly through the 1990s and into the new century, and sharing his experiences and expertise with younger acolytes.
"He was the biggest inspiration to me," Bayers said. "And in spite of how great he was, he didn't have a pretentious bone in his body. He was a beautiful guy."
Mr. Harman is survived by his wife, Marsha Harman; daughters Autumn Harman of Nashville and Summer Harman of Mt. Juliet; sons Mark Harman of Franklin, Stanley Harman of Nashville and Murrey M. Harman III of Nashville; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and brothers Bob Higley and Richard Higley, both of Jacksonville, Fla. Son Richard Harman preceded Mr. Harman in death.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, with visitation one hour before service time at Brentwood-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 9010 Church St. E., Brentwood, TN 37027. 615-373-3040.
New York TIMES:
Buddy Harman, 79, Busy Nashville Drummer, Is Dead
By BILL FRISKICS-WARREN
Buddy Harman, a prolific and influential drummer whose rhythmic signature can be heard on thousands of recordings by the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Simon and Garfunkel, died on Thursday at his home in Nashville. He was 79.
He had been suffering from congestive heart failure, said his daughter Summer Harman, who confirmed his death.
Mr. Harman played on an estimated 18,000 recordings, many of them major hits, in a career of more than five decades. He worked most sessions with the celebrated “A Team” of studio musicians who shaped the Nashville Sound of the 1950s and ’60s, performing on Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” and Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man,” along with scores of hits by Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Ray Price and others.
Mr. Harman also made his mark on the pop charts, making distinctive contributions to records like the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love,” Presley’s “Little Sister,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “Boxer” (as a percussionist) and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” He played — bass, not drums — on Ringo Starr’s 1970 country album, “Beaucoups of Blues.”
Versatility and imagination were among Mr. Harman’s great strengths as a musician. He could play everything from big-beat rock ’n’ roll, as demonstrated by his pile-driving 4/4 on Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” to intimate cocktail jazz, as heard on his empathetic brushwork on Cline’s “Crazy.”
Drums were not commonly used in country music when Mr. Harman started working sessions in Nashville in the early 1950s. Later that decade, when he became the first house drummer for the Grand Ole Opry, he had to play behind a curtain because drums were not allowed on the show’s stage at the time. Before long, though, Mr. Harman had established his instrument as an integral voice in modern country music.
Murrey Mizell Harman Jr. was born Dec. 23, 1928, in Nashville. His mother, who played drums in the family band, was an early musical inspiration, along with jazz players like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.
Mr. Harman began drumming while in his early teens and went on to perform in bands while serving in the Navy. Later, after two years of college in Nashville, he enrolled in the Roy Knapp School of Percussion in Chicago. On returning to Nashville in 1952 he played in the band of Carl Smith, a future member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and began doing studio work. By the mid-’50s, Mr. Harman had become the first-call drummer for recording sessions that were being booked on what became known as Nashville’s Music Row.
He was less active in the studio as the 1970s gave way to the ’80s. He eventually resumed work at the Opry, while also serving as the business agent for the Nashville chapter of the American Federation of Musicians.
Besides his daughter Summer, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., Mr. Harman is survived by his wife of more than 40 years, Marsha Harman; his sons Mark, of Franklin, Tenn., and Stanley and Murrey M. III, both of Nashville; another daughter, Autumn, also of Nashville; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Another son, Richard, died in 2007.
“I just went into Dad’s room,” Summer Harman said in a telephone conversation in June, when her father’s health had been declining, “and he was playing drums in his sleep. He had a smile on his face and was tapping on his chest.”
Published: August 22, 2008
From the old buddyharman.com:
Buddy Harman, one of Nashville's outstanding session drummers, has played his solid, driving beat on over 18,000 recording sessions in the last 40 years.
Harman, along with only a handful of top musicians, is recognized by the Hall of Fame for creating the "Nashville Sound." This unique musical sound helped Nashville to become known as one of the top music meccas in the world.
Besides being acknowledged by the country music community, Buddy Harman is recognized for contributing to the rock-and-roll era with his performance on many recordings including the Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" and being a mainstay on Elvis Presley's soundtrack recordings both in Nashville and Los Angeles. He also played on many recordings by Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Harman has played drums on countless records with a variety of recording artists that reads like a page out of "Who's Who." These artists include: Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Lynn Anderson, George Jones, Kenny Rogers, Perry Como, Merle Haggard, Charlie Rich, Roger Miller, Jimmy Dean, Simon & Garfunkel, Ann Margret, Nancy Sinatra, O.C. Smith, George Burns, Reba McEntire and many others.
Besides being the first staff drummer on the Grand Old Opry, some of Harman's accolades include: "Drummer of the Year" in 1981 from the Academy of Country Music, "Super Picker" award for drums on the most #1 recordings from the Nashville NARAS chapter in 1975 and 1976, and the Nashville Super Picker nomination for "Best Country Instrumental Performance" in 1979 for the Live From Austin City Limits album.
"One of the highlights of my career was having the privilege of performing for four of our nation's presidents," Harman says. These presidents were John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
Buddy Harman, an accomplished musician, exemplifies the qualities of a true professional in the recording business.
Harman has played on some of the biggest hits of Opry stars: Charlie Walker, Billy Walker, Jeannie Seeley, Hank Snow, Jim & Jesse, Roy Acuff, Roy Clark, Justin Tubb, Roy Drusky, The Carlisles, Mac Wiseman, Skeeter Davis, Vic Willis Trio, Wilburn Brothers, Jimmy Dickens, Osborne Brothers, Louvin Brothers, Jim Ed Brown, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, Ray Pillow, Jimmy C. Newman, Jack Greene, Del Reeves, Johnny Russell, Stonewall Jackson, Porter Wagoner and Bill Anderson. He has played on numerous jingles, TV and radio shows and movie soundtracks.
Harman has played on several European Tours with various artists including The Nashville Superpicker Band and Jerry Lee Lewis.
As of May 1991, Harman is again the staff drummer at the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee.
All Music Guide Bio:
Nashville-born session drummer Buddy Harman has been around country music so long that he actually pre-dates the time when drums were even used on country records. In fact, it was Harman who formed the foundation from which subsequent Nashville drummers built upon. The longtime studio ace is recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame as being among the small handful of musicians who pioneered the "Nashville Sound."
Following in his mother's foot steps, Harman took up the drums before his teens and, after a stint in the military, studied percussion in Chicago under Roy Knapp. Upon his return to Nashville Harman learned that, contrary to what was protocol before his departure, artists were now asking for drums on their records. Splitting his time between session work and drumming in a strip joint, Harman played on early recordings by Patsy Cline (including "Crazy" and "Walking After Midnight") and Marty Robbins. Whereas Harman had first taken to using only a snare drum and brushes, by the early '60s he was utilizing a full kit for artists such as the Everly Brothers and Elvis.
Because he was there from the beginning, and in many aspects actually pioneered country drumming within a studio context, Harman has played on several legendary sessions, Roger Miller's "King of the Road," Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" being just a small list. In 1991 Harman returned to the stool of house drummer at the Grand Ole Opry, a position he originated in 1959. A walking history book of the evolution of Nashville and country music, Harman has played on over 18,000 sessions making him arguably the most recorded drummer ever. ~ Steve Kurutz, All Music Guide
R. Stevie Moore's tribute follows:
Oh MURREY!!!!!My whole life is flashing by my eyes. Buddy and Dad were like brothers in the studio, but mainly close personal friends only during the 50s and 60s, when all the musicians and wives/families would socialize, usually boating out on old hickory lake. Buddy and Dee + Bob and Betty. I usedta play with their son Stan when I was a real young boy.
I even did many record sessions with Buddy too, even though I was only bassing on the cheap demo sessions. Buddy was quiet but very very nice & unassuming. He was like Ringo before Ringo, not just solid playing but the similar beatnik look.
He played left handed.
That's him rocking all the important Elvis 60s sessions, some even doubling with D.J. Fontana.
In June of 1958, while Elvis was on two weeks leave from the Army before shipping overseas to Germany, RCA scheduled what would be Elvis' final recording session of the 1950s. It was at their new facility on 16th Ave South (Music Row) in Nashville. It was his final session until he came back from the Army and the first (aside from "Love Me Tender") to use "mainly" studio musicians. It was becoming the norm in Nashville and elsewhere that, in the studio, recording was done with the "house band", not the "touring band". The last sessions with the original band, aside from DJ Fontana, had been at Radio Recorders in February. The band put together by Chet Atkins consisted of Nashville A-Teamers Hank Garland on guitar, Bob Moore on bass, Floyd Cramer on piano and Buddy Harman along with DJ on drums. The Jordanaires were brought in on vocals with newcomer Ray Walker replacing Hugh Jarrett as the new bass singer with the group from then on. Scotty Moore and Bill Black were not participants.
The last time I saw him was August 1984, when Dad flew me out to see them backing Jerry Lee Lewis at The Palomino Club in Los Angeles. We hugged.
Man I'm so deeply affected this morning.... he meant SO much to RSM for decades.
5-minute audio documentary: lostandsound.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/drummer-buddy-harman-shaping-the-nashville-sound/
See also:
www.nashvillesound.net/current/buddy_harman.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Harman
Jerry Lee Lewis, Berlin 1985 video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2EdXXaVoqk
A-Team Reunion CD: www.cdbaby.com/cd/ateam
Son Ric Harman: www.thatdevilmusic.com/2007/06/ric-harman-wrong-band-remembered.html
Richard's obit: www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article.php?id=1652
