Jim McBride

Jimmy Ray McBride (April 28, 1947 – January 7, 2026 ) was an American country music songwriter. He has written five number one songs, ten top 10 singles, and eighteen top 40 singles. In 2017, McBride was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Their song "Chattahoochee" was selected as song of the year by ASCAP, American Songwriter, and the Country Music Association. His parents were James Alvin and Helen Hillis McBride. His grandfather was a sharecropper in Alabama. McBride grew up listening to country music on WBHP with his mother. On Saturday nights, his entire family listened to the Grand Ole Opry. It won the BMI Country Award in 1981. It also made the Billboard Hot 100 chart, entering at number 84 the week of October 10, 1981, and peaking at number 54 on November 14, 1981. It was also the Country Music Association's Album of the Year.

In 1987, Waylon Jennings released "Rose in Paradise", a song McBride co-wrote with Stewart Harris. This success led publisher Charlie Monk and CBS Songs to buy McBride's contract from Jerry Foster. Jackson recorded their song "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" and released it as a single in 1989, with another song written by the pair, "Short Sweet Ride", on the B-Side. "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" peaked number two on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December 1990. The song was also included on Jackson's album, Here in the Real World, released in February 1990, along with two other songs written by McBride and Jackson. Although the album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, it went Multi-Platinum and was the 1991 TNN Music City News Country Awards Album of the Year. It reached number one on both charts the week of July 17, 1993, and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. "Tropical Depression" peaked at number 75 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in August 1993. The album entered the charts on October 24, 1992, ranking number 84 on Billboard's 200, Top Album Sales, and Top Current Albums charts; in addition to number 24 on Top Country Albums. It stayed on the Top Country Albums chart for 159 consecutive weeks, reaching number one the week of August 14, 1993.

McBride co-wrote "What I Meant To Say" which was recorded by Wade Hayes in 1995.

Awards and honors 1981 – BMI Country Award: "Bridge That Just Won't Burn" by Conway Twitty, co-written by McBride and Roger Murrah McBride wrote "Dixie Boy". 1988 – BMI Country Award: "Rose in Paradise" by Waylon Jennings, co-written by McBride and Stewart Harris 1991 – TNN Music City News Country Awards, Album of the Year: Here in the Real World by Alan Jackson. McBride wrote "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow", "She Don't Get the Blues", and "Short Sweet Ride" 1992 – TNN Music City News Country Awards, Album of the Year: Don't Rock the Jukebox by Alan Jackson. McBride wrote "That's All I Need to Know", "Someday", and "Just Playin' Possum" 1993 – Academy of Country Music Awards, Single Record of the Year: “Chattahoochee” by Alan Jackson, co-written by McBride and Jackson 1993 – Academy of Country Music Awards, Album of the Year r: A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) by Alan Jackson. 1994 – Country Music Association Awards, Song of the Year: “Chattahoochee” by Alan Jackson, co-written by McBride and Jackson 1995 – TNN Music City News Country Awards, Album of the Year: Who I Am by Alan Jackson. McBride wrote "Hole in the Wall" and "If I Had You" 1996 – BMI Country Award: "What I Meant to Say" by Wade Hayes. Co-written by McBride, Don Cook and Sam Hogin 2002 – BMI Country Award for "Angels in Waiting" by Tammy Cochran. Co-written by McBride, Cochran, and Stewart Harris 2004 – Canadian Country Music Awards, Top Selling Album: Greatest Hits Volume II by Alan Jackson. McBride wrote "Tropical Depression", "Hole in the Wall", and "Buicks to the Moon". 2017 – Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

"Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" "She Don't Get the Blues" "Short Sweet Ride" Alan Jackson Old Enough To Know Better Album 12/20/1994 9/5/1995 "What I Meant to Say" Diamond Rio Close to the Edge Album 10/27/1992 1/26/1994 "Sawmill Road" Conway Twitty Number Ones Album 5/6/1982 11/29/1988 "A Bridge That Just Won't Burn" Aaron Tippin Read Between the Lines Album 3/10/1992 7/22/1992 7/19/1993 "I Was Born With A Broken Heart"

2x 10/25/1984

3x 7/30/1985 4x 9/30/1996