With
hit songs spanning four decades and dozens of airplay and achievement awards,
Roger Murrah is one of Nashville's most successful songwriters and independent
music publishers. He is also one of Music Row's most respected writers because
his songs are more than just a hook line or a catchy melody. He writes with
insight and understanding about the entire range of human experience, from
the loving commitment of "We're In This Love Together", to the emotional homecoming
of "Ozark Mountain Jubilee" and the "audio-biography" of Waylon Jennings'
A Man Called Hoss.
Personally, Roger Murrah is more like the people in his songs than those at his level of success. He is a soft-spoken man of humility and moral conviction. He grew up on the family farm in Athens, Alabama with four brothers and a sister.
While serving in the Army in 1968, Murrah signed on as a staff writer with Muscle Shoals music publisher/producer Rick Hall. Following his military service, he and some partners opened a recording studio in Huntsville, Alabama. It was there that he met industry veteran Bobby Bare, the recording artist and music publisher that would give Murrah his first major break. In 1972 he moved to Nashville to sign with Bare's Return Music. In 1973, Murrah married the former Kitty Goodman of Huntsville and had his first nationally charted song, "It's Raining In Seattle," recorded by Wynn Stewart. He credits Kitty with being a very positive influence in his life, as well as the ideal support for his career.
By 1978 Murrah was on the staff of award-winning songwriter Bill Rice's Magic Castle Music. The successful songs continued with Mel Tillis' recording of "Southern Rains", Conway Twitty's "A Bridge That Just Won't Burn", Steve Wariner's "Life's Highway" and the Oak Ridge Boys' "Ozark Mountain Jubilee". Then in 1981, Al Jarreau recorded and released "We're In This Love Together", which became an international pop hit and a BMI Multi-Million-Air Award winner for Murrah. This song is also credited with helping Nashville become more recognized as a song source for genres other than country music.
In 1984 Murrah signed with Tom Collins Music. His string of successes continued with "Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made To Love)", by Lee Greenwood, "It Takes A Little Rain (To Make Love Grow)", "Crazy Love" and "Bridges And Walls", three of five Oak Ridge Boys' singles to his credit. During those days, Murrah broke new ground by co-writing with Waylon Jennings, the late singer's life story, A Man Called Hoss. The Jennings album yielded two more hits for Murrah, "Rough and Rowdy Days" and "If Ole Hank Could Only See Us Now". The autobiographical songs were also performed by Jennings as a one-man theatrical production.
In addition to those songs, Murrah's writing credits include "Where Corn Don't Grow", recorded by Travis Tritt, two hits in a row by Alabama entitled "Southern Star" and "High Cotton", Ronnie Milsap's "Stranger Things Have Happened", Steve Wariner's "When I Could Come Home To You", John Anderson's "Somebody Slap Me" and the Grammy/CMA Song Of The Year nominated "Don't Rock The Jukebox," recorded by Alan Jackson.
In 1990 Murrah formed Murrah Music Corporation, which he currently oversees and where he continues to write. Within two years, the company had achieved the position of Billboard Magazine's Independent Publisher of the Year. The firm has continued to flourish with activity including another hit song for Alabama entitled "I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why)", Tanya Tucker's "Two Sparrows In A Hurricane", "It's A Little Too Late" and "A Memory Like I'm Gonna Be"; Wynonna's "Only Love", and Clay Walker's "If I Could Make A Living Out Of Loving You". Other hit records the company has enjoyed are Academy Country Music Songs of the Year, "I'm Movin' On", recorded by Rascal Flatts and "Keeper Of The Stars", recorded by Tracy Byrd.
Sammy Kershaw's "National Working Woman's Holiday", Kenny Chesney's "When I Close My Eyes", Reba McEntire's "I'm A Survivor", Mark Chesnutt's "She Was", Martina McBride's Where Would You Be" as well as "Can't Keep Going On And On" recorded by Take 6 on their Grammy winning album Join The Band. Along with recently having three songs in national charts, including Reba McEntire's "He Gets That From Me", Blaine Larson's "How Do You Get That Lonely" and Blake Shelton's "Goodbye Time", Murrah Music is celebrating it's 15th year this year. Murrah's commitment extends to the music industry and community as well. He's served two consecutive terms as president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), where he's credited with exemplary leadership that led the organization to the respectable standing that it enjoys today. During his second term as president of NSAI, Murrah was also elected chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation. He has served on the boards of the Country Music Association, Biblical Resource Center & Museum in Memphis, as a governor and vice president on the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences board of governors, as well as a three-term Governor's appointee to the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Advisory Council. Murrah, an alumnus of Leadership Music, currently serves as vice chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation.
A 2005 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of a Bronze Star induction into the Walk of Fame of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Murrah is also listed among Broadcast Music Incorporated's celebrated Songwriters of the Year and Songwriters of the Decade. In 1997, he was also honored when Resolution HJR 355 was passed by both houses of the Alabama State Legislature and signed by the state's governor, commending Murrah for an "Outstanding Professional Career".