Joe Scaife was a music producer and engineer in Nashville who produced many mainstream country hit records over a 25 year span in the late 20th and early 21st century; among them are K.T. Oslin's "80s Ladies", Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart", Gretchen Wilson's songs "Redneck Woman" and "Here for the Party".[1] According to Tennessean music writer Markus K. Dowling, "[Scaife's] ability to pair mainstream undiscovered country acts with unmistakable hit songs defined his career best".[1] He first learned record production from his father, Cecil Scaife, who was a prominent record executive. As a music producer, engineer and singer, Joe Scaife was responsible for selling 80 million records.[1] Scaife died June 12, 2024, at age 68.[1]
Early life
editScaife was born in Arkansas and raised in Nashville. His father was Cecil Scaife (1927–2009), a pioneering record executive at Memphis' Sun Records and Columbia Records, then at the helm his own Nashville recording and publishing firm, "Music Incorporated".[2] After graduating from Belmont University, Joe Scaife learned music production at his father's side. The younger Scaife's career took off in the 1980s as a recording engineer on albums for some of country music major acts including Reba McEntire, Alabama, Glen Campbell, Kathy Mattea, and Lionel Richie.[2] Scaife partnered with engineer Jim Cotton (1947–2003), often working with producer Harold Shedd at Music Mill studio. With the success of 80s Ladies he was promoted to producer.[2] In the 1990s he was engineering recordings by top stars: George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Shania Twain and Toby Keith; but he was increasingly called on to produce instead.[2] By 1984, his career took off after producing the Grammy-winning "Redneck Woman", a song by then newcomer Gretchen Wilson, earning CMA awards.[2]
Legacy
editScaife and his family lobbied Belmont University to pursue the creation a music business program, a dream championed by his father Cecil Scaife.[3] It eventually led to the creation of Belmont's "The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business", reaching its 50th anniversary as of 2024. Joe Scaife and his two sisters created the "Cecil Scaife Endowed Scholarship" to provide financial assistance to prospective students.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Dowling, Marcus K. (June 21, 2024). "Legendary producer Scaife dies at age 68". No. 147, Vol 120. The Tennessean (Nashville). USA Today Network. p. 4–A.
- ^ a b c d e f Oermann, Robert K. (June 24, 2024). "Hit Producer Joe Scaife Dies At Age 68". Music Row. electronic edition (June, 2024). Music Row Enterprises. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Joe Scaife". constitutingamerica.org. Constituting America, a Combined Federal Campaign Approved Charity, #37961. Retrieved June 27, 2024.