Paul Worley

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Paul Worley

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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name =
Born = birth date and age|1950|02|16
Origin = United States
Instrument = Acoustic guitar
Electric guitar
Genre = Country
Occupation = Record producer
Guitarist
Years_active = 1975-present
Associated_acts = Big & Rich
Dixie Chicks
URL =

Paul Worley (born February 16, 1950cite web |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4631121-1.html |title=Of His Many Hats, Producer/exec Paul Worley Prefers His Guitarist Cap |accessdate=2008-01-07 |last=Cromer |first=Ben |date=1998-04-18 |work=Billboard] ) is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG,cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2004/11/22/daily4.html |title=Paul Worley partner in Skyline Music Publishing |accessdate=2008-01-07 |date=2004-11-22 |work=Nashville Business Journal] he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Records' Nashville division as chief creative officer. [cite web |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4655195-1.html |title=Warner Bros. Revamps Nashville Staff |accessdate=2008-01-07 |last=Stark |first=Phillis |date=2002-08-03 |work=Billboard] Since leaving Warner in the early 2000s, Worley has worked mainly as a record producer for other acts, such as Big & Rich, as well as an occasional session guitarist.

Musical career

Paul Worley began his career in the late 1970s as a session guitarist in Nashville, Tennessee. Per the recommendation of record producer Jim Ed Norman, he first played guitar on albums by Janie Fricke, Eddy Raven, and Mickey Gilley. Worley's first production credits included Riders in the Sky's "Three on the Trail" (1976) and Gary Morris' "Why Lady Why" (1983). [cite web |url=http://wm07.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gzfuxq8gldde~T4 |title=Paul Worley: Credits |accessdate=2008-01-07 |work=Allmusic] Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Worley has produced or co-produced several country music albums, primarily by country music artists.

To date, Worley has earned two Grammy Awards for Best Country Album, both times for albums recorded by the Dixie Chicks: 1998's "Wide Open Spaces" and 1999's "Fly". [cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1472372/20030606/dixie_chicks.jhtml |title=TV Takeover Caps Banner Year for Dixie Chicks |accessdate=2008-01-07 |last=Orr |first=Jay |date= |work=CMT] [cite web |url=http://wc09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gzfuxq8gldde~T5 |title=Paul Worley: Grammy Awards |work=Allmusic] Worley also played guitar on the Chicks' debut single "I Can Love You Better".

After becoming chief creative officer at Warner Bros. Records in 2002, Worley helped to sign Big & Rich, a country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. [cite web |url=http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Big-Rich-Biography/44B87EBE7296517548256EB4000A23D8 |title=Big & Rich biography |accessdate=2008-01-07 |work=Sing365.com]

kyline Music Publishing

Worley, along with Wally Wilson (another Nashville record producer) and two partners, founded a publishing company known as Skyline Music Publishing. Among the songwriters signed to Skyline are Hugh Prestwood (who co-wrote Randy Travis' Number One single "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart") Tammy Hyler (who has written for Collin Raye), and Russ Titelman. [cite web |url=http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=20741&string=Randy |title=Skyline Music Publishing Inks Deak with Award-Winning Songwriter Hugh Prestwood |accessdate=2008-01-07 |date=2006-02-10 |work=Top 40 Charts]

External links

* [http://www.crazedhits.com/interview-paul-worley/ Exclusive Video Interview]

References