Owen Bradley
William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician, bandleader and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was a chief architect of the 1950s and 60s Nashville sound in country music and rockabilly. Bradley started with piano at a young age, and began performing professionally as a teenager. At age 20, he joined WSM (AM) as an arranger and musician, and by 1942 had become the station's musical director. At the same time, Bradley led a dance band that enjoyed popularity in local society circles. In 1947, Bradley was hired by the head of Decca Records' country music division, Paul Cohen, to assist with recording sessions and later establish the label's operations in Nashville. In 1954, Bradley established Bradley Studios, later commonly known as the Quonset Hut Studio, which was the first music industry-related business in what is now known as Music Row, and helping establish Nashville as a recording industry center. In 1958, Bradley became vice president of Decca's Nashville division. This period marked the beginning of the Nashville sound, a movement that aimed to broaden country music's appeal by incorporating pop elements. Bradley's work extended to producing records for artists like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, playing a key role in their career successes. Bradley sold Bradley Studios to Columbia Records in 1962, and two years later established Bradley's Barn, a new recording studio that continued to attract a range of recording artists. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974, reflecting his impact on the industry. Bradley's later years saw him working on selected projects, including k.d. lang's Shadowland album. Bradley's contributions have been recognized with various honors, including the dedication of a public park and a bronze likeness in Nashville. His legacy in the music industry is marked by his role in shaping the Nashville sound and influence on several generations of musicians. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Westmoreland (town in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States), Died January 7, 1998 (Nashville (capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1942 - 1967
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, leader, organ, other, songwriter, electric organ, producer, vibraphone, clarinet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 126-150 of 888 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | NA 2169 | 6/30/1950 | Goodnight Irene | Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2188 | 7/4/1950 | I'm moving on | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2189 | 7/4/1950 | Guitar shuffle | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2208 | 9/9/1950 | Christmas island-1 | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2209 | 9/9/1950 | C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S-1 | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2211 | 9/9/1950 | I need attention bad-2 | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2258 | 10/30/1950 | Flying eagle polka | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland ; Sugar Footers | instrumentalist, electric organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2259 | 10/30/1950 | Sentimental journey | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland ; Sugar Footers | instrumentalist, electric organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2260 | 10/30/1960 | It is no secret | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland ; Sugar Footers | instrumentalist, electric organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2261 | 10/30/1950 | Doll dance | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland ; Sugar Footers | instrumentalist, electric organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2264 | 10/30/1950 | Blue Danube waltz | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2265 | 10/30/1950 | Vienna life | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2266 | 10/30/1950 | Artist's life | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2267 | 10/30/1950 | Emperor waltz | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2280 | 12/1/1950 | Wine, women and song | Owen Bradley | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2281 | 12/1/1950 | Voices of Spring | Owen Bradley | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2282 | 12/1/1950 | Tales from the Vienna woods | Owen Bradley | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2283 | 12/1/1950 | You and you | Owen Bradley | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2288 | 12/13/1950 | I give you my love | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2289 | 12/13/1950 | Just live for today | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2290 | 12/20/1950 | Goodnight sweet princess | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2291 | 12/20/1950 | Little small town girl | Owen Bradley | leader | |||
| Decca | NA 2292 | 1/11/1951 | Don't stay too long | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2293 | 1/11/1951 | I'm steppin' out of the picture | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2294 | 1/11/1951 | May the good Lord bless and keep you-2 | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano, organ |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bradley, Owen," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106914.
Bradley, Owen. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106914.
"Bradley, Owen." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Owen Bradley
Discogs: Owen Bradley
Allmusic: Owen Bradley
Grove: Owen Bradley
IMDb: Owen Bradley
Britannica: Owen Bradley
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Bradley, Owen - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93068430
Wikidata: Owen Bradley - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2042598
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/76590769
MusicBrainz: Owen Bradley - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/30de0e74-1d91-476d-9465-907f96efdf8f
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1512803 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1512803
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