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 Loyal
Texas son, Michael Martin Murphey has sought fodder for
his songs and spiritual food for his soul in the
deserts, plains and mountains of America - from the
Carolinas to California, from the Deep South to the Wild
North Country. Murphey became a fixture on the folk
scene in southern California during his studies at
UCLA. Fellow member of the short-lived band called the
New Survivors, Michael Nesmith, recorded Murphey’s song,
“What Am I Doing Hangin’ Around,” with his next
band, The Monkees. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
took Murphey’s idea for a concept album revolving around
a ghost town in the Mojave Desert and turned it into the
critically-acclaimed, The Ballad of Calico.
Murphey came back to Texas just as other “outlaw”
performers were making Austin their home.
Nashville-writer, Willie Nelson, had shucked his suit
and tie just in time to open for Murphey at the
Armadillo World Headquarters.
1972 saw the release of Michael
Murphey’s debut album for A&M Records, Geronimo’s
Cadillac. Landing producer Bob Johnston (Bob
Dylan, Johnny Cash and Simon and Garfunkel) gave Murphey
instant credibility as a serious songwriter. His music
introduced a new sound that came to be known as Redneck
Rock.
His eponymous follow-up album in
1975 on Epic Records yielded the smash hit, “Wildfire,”
improbably a song about a mysterious dream horse on the
vast American heartland prairie which featured a piano
introduction based on a classical piece by Russian
composer, Alexander Scriabin, beautifully played by jazz
artist, Jac Murphy. Another album followed,
Swans Against the Sun, and then in the early
80’s, Murphey added a middle name and recorded a
watershed album titled Michael Martin Murphey
for Capitol Records which contained his first love
song, “Still Taking Chances.” Ironically, in
1983, twelve years after he had his first pop hit,
Murphey was awarded Best New Artist by the Academy of
Country Music (beating out George Strait!).
Not one to rest on his laurels,
Murphey began performing a concept show titled, “A
Night in the American West,” with American and
Canadian Symphonies. His Cowboy Christmas show
has delighted audiences for over a decade and has lead
to three albums and a DVD. Murphey has received many
awards for his accomplishments in the Western and Cowboy
Music field, including 5 awards from the National Cowboy
and Western Heritage Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame in
Oklahoma City.
The Texas Heritage Songwriters
Association honors Texas native, Michael Martin Murphey,
for his contributions to and innovations in the fields
of pop, country, and western songwriting. |
