Brent Maher

Brent Maher at Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, August 8, 2018Brent Maher is a producer, engineer, and songwriter currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. He has produced and engineered six Grammy Award-winning records and received awards from the CMA, ACM, CCMA, ASCAP, SOCAN and NSAI. Maher engineered classic recordings like Ike and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” and The 5th Dimension's "Age of Aquarius". He discovered The Judds and produced all ten of their albums, writing many of their hit songs. Maher has also served two terms on the board of directors of the Academy of Country Music.

Early life Born in Chase, Kansas, Maher lived there until he moved to Denver, Colorado as a teenager. He joined the Air Force after high school and was stationed near Nashville where he worked as an aircraft mechanic. During this time, he formed a cover band called "The Journeymen" and played guitar and trumpet. While reading the back of the album by Curtis Mayfield, he read in the credits "recording engineer" and realized that this was his calling. He took correspondence courses in sound and engineering. Maher said, "As fate would have it, I walked through that door with my Sunday best suit on at the right time and they gave me an opportunity that changed my life".

In the late 1970s, Maher moved back to Nashville to help owner Buzz Cason build the Creative Workshop recording studio. In Nashville, Maher engineered Elvis' last number one song “Way Down" in addition to engineering records with Olivia Newton-John, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard and Melanie. Other producer credits include albums with Dottie West, Kenny Rogers and Dave Loggins.

Engineer Maher's engineering credits include all the projects he has produced, and also extend to Ike and Tina Turner's “Proud Mary,” Roy Orbison, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Faces, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry, Sammy Davis Jr., Gladys Knight, Merle Haggard and the Strangers, Glen Campbell/ Tanya Tucker, Sly and the Family Stone, and others.

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

2007 – Lost Highway – Willie Nelson and Ray Price (Engineer)

1993 – Good News – Kathy Mattea (Producer)

1991 –Love Can Build A Bridge – The Judds (Producer)

1988 – Give A Little Love – The Judds (Producer)

1986 – Grandpa – The Judds (Producer)

1984 – Mama, He's Crazy – The Judds (Producer)

ASCAP Awards

1978 – Bluer Than Blue – Michael Johnson (Producer)

1979 – You Pick Me Up (And Put Me Down) – Dottie West (Writer)

1980 – Leavin's for Unbelievers – Dottie West (Writer)

1980 – A Lesson in Leavin' – Dottie West (Writer)

1985 – Why Not Me – The Judds (Writer)

1985 – Girls' Night Out – The Judds (Writer)

1986 – Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain – The Judds (Writer)

1988 – I Know Where I'm Going – The Judds (Writer)

1989 – Turn It Loose – The Judds (Writer)

1989 – Crying Shame – The Judds (Writer)

1990 – Let Me Tell You About Love – The Judds (Writer)

1991 – Born to be Blue – The Judds (Writer)

1992 – Some Kind of Trouble – Tanya Tucker (Writer)

NSAI Awards

1987 – Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain – The Judds (Writer)

Songwriter discography SONG ARTIST ALBUM LABEL CHART POSITION/CERTIFICATIONS COUNTRY Girls' Night Out The Judds Why Not Me RCA/Curb #1 Country Single, Multi-Platinum US I Know Where I'm Going The Judds Heartland RCA/Curb #1 Country Single, Album rel., Multi-Platinum US Let Me Tell You About Love The Judds River of Time RCA/Curb #1 Country Single, Multi-Platinum US Why Not Me The Judds Why Not Me RCA/Curb #1 Country Single/ACM Song of the Year, Multi-Platinum US Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain The Judds Rockin' with the Rhythm RCA/Curb #1 Billboard, Multi-Platinum US Born to be Blue The Judds Love Can Build A Bridge RCA/Curb #1 Country Single, #4 Billboard, Album rel., Multi-Platinum US Turn It Loose The Judds Heartland RCA/Curb #1 Country Single, Multi-Platinum US When Love Starts Talkin' Wynonna Judd The Other Side Curb #13 Country Single, Multi-Platinum US Leavin's for Unbelievers Dottie West Special Delivery EMI/United Artists #13 Country Single US Lesson in Leavin' Dottie West Special Delivery EMI/United Artists #1 Country Single US Some Kind of Trouble Tanya Tucker What Do I Do with Me Liberty #1 Country Single US Crying Shame Michael Johnson That's That RCA #4 Country Single US Tell Me True Juice Newton Emotion RCA #8 Country Single US Rosalee Stacy Dean Campbell Lonesome Wins Again Columbia #54 Country Single US Where Do We Go From Here Shelby Lynne Temptation Morgan Creek Album rel. US Work On Me Tina Turner Work On Me/Born Free United Artists Album rel. US What I Did For Love Kenny Rogers Love Is Strange Reprise Album rel. US Written On My Heart Jenai Cool Me Down Atlantic Album rel. US Out of the Blue Johnny Reid Kicking Stones Open Road/UMG Top 10, Multi-Platinum CA A Woman Like You Johnny Reid Dance With Me Open Road/ UMG #3 Country Single, Multi-Platinum CA Today I'm Gonna Try and Change the World Johnny Reid A Place Called Love EMI #2 Country Single, Platinum CA Let's Go Higher Johnny Reid A Place Called Love EMI #2 Country and AC Single, Multi-Platinum CA

Other ventures Beyond his musical career, Brent Maher has given lectures on engineering and production for various schools and universities. Maher has one of the largest collections of vintage Gretsch guitars in the US. Maher was also one of the founding members of Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers Inc. In 2011, he created "Cowboy Golf" and now designs golf courses on farms, which led to founding the Boots and Bandana Golf Association based in Franklin, Tennessee at Pines Golf Course. Maher, John Reger Jr. and Michael Pasternak and associates are currently establishing a network of BBGA courses with ranch owners and recreational facilities across the country to build their own cowboy style golf courses. The events benefit MusiCares, The Facial Pain Research Foundation, and Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses.