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 176-200 of 888 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | NA 2470 | 8/31/1951 | I'm crying | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2471 | 8/31/1951 | Seventh and Union | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2472 | 8/31/1951 | Hillbilly express | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2473 | 8/31/1951 | E string rag | Walter "Hank" "Sugarfoot" Garland | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2501 | 10/12/1951 | You are my lucky star | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2502 | 10/12/1951 | Should I? | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2503 | 10/12/1951 | All I do is dream of you | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2504 | 10/12/1951 | Beautiful girl | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2505 | 10/12/1951 | The wedding of the painted doll | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2506 | 10/12/1951 | Singin' in the rain | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2507 | 10/12/1951 | I've got a feelin' you're foolin' | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2508 | 10/12/1951 | Fit as a fiddle | Owen Bradley Quintet | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2521 | 10/28/1951 | Christmas time's a-coming-1 | Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys | instrumentalist, vibraphone | |||
| Decca | NA 2540 | 11/13/1951 | So many times | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2541 | 11/13/1951 | My mother must have been a girl like you | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2542 | 11/13/1951 | Somebody's stolen my honey | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2543 | 11/13/1951 | A heartsick soldier on a heartbreak ridge | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2544 | 11/14/1951 | I'm in love with Molly | Red Foley ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2545 | 11/14/1951 | Too old to cut the mustard-1 | Red Foley ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2546[a] | 11/14/1951 | Greensleeves | Red Foley ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2550 | 11/30/1951 | Missing in action | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2551 | 11/30/1951 | I'll miss you when you go | The Texas Troubadours ; Ernest Tubb | instrumentalist, piano | |||
| Decca | NA 2702 | 4/21/1952 | Slowly | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, piano, organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2703 | 4/21/1952 | The last waltz | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, piano, organ | |||
| Decca | NA 2704 | 4/21/1952 | Bow Thy head | Webb Pierce | instrumentalist, piano, organ |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bradley, Owen," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106914.
Bradley, Owen. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106914.
"Bradley, Owen." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 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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