Born on This Day in 1938, the Nashville Legend Who Played on the Biggest Hits From Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, and Charley Pride
On at the present time (May 19) in 1938, Jerry Stembridge was born in Atlanta, Georgia. History remembers him higher as Chip Young, the guitarist and producer whose distinctive thumb-style selecting graced a whole lot of hit songs from a few of the largest names in nation music. For occasion, he will be heard on songs like Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Charley Pride’s “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me.”
Young began his profession in the late Fifties enjoying alongside Jerry Reed and singer/songwriter Joe South. After touring extensively with the duo for years, he signed a cope with Lowery Music in his hometown of Atlanta. There, he wrote songs and recorded demos. According to an obituaryFelton Jarvis helped launch his profession as an engineer in 1960.
The subsequent 12 months, I joined the United States Army. He completed his service in 1963, moved to Nashville, and began touring with Reed as soon as once more. When they weren’t on the street, Young started taking session work as a guitarist. Soon, he was considered one of the most in-demand pickers in Music City, enjoying behind the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, and Reed, amongst others.
Young was additionally a daily member of Elvis Presley’s studio band. His first classes had been for Elvis Presley’s Grammy-winning 1966 album How Great Thou Art. This album, like lots of Presley’s remaining releases, was produced by Young’s former Lowery Music teammate, Felton Jarvis.
Chip Young Becomes a Producer
In 1968, Chip Young bought a farm outdoors of Nashville and opened Young ‘Un Sound, considered one of the first 16-track studios in the Music City space. There, he oversaw classes for artists like Joe Ely, Michael Martin Murphey, and Mickey Newbury. Notably, he produced and engineered Billy Swan’s 1974 album I Can Help. The LP’s title monitor topped the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts in the United States. It was additionally a world smash, reaching No. 1 in a number of international locations, together with Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and New Zealand.
Bobby Bare Jr. summed up Chip Young’s impression on nation music after he died in 2014. “Just try to imagine Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ without Chip Young’s thumb,” he advised Nashville Scene. “It’s impossible. Chip was one of the best, hardest-working session pickers/producers/engineers Nashville has ever seen,” he added. “He was even better at being a granddad, family man, and a Christian. His family will miss him dearly.”
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