Six Classic Recordings to Celebrate the Legacy of Billy Sherrill

Billy Sherrill, the producer, songwriter and architect of the countrypolitian sound whose impact on country music is incalculable, died this morning at the age of 78. Celebrate his legacy by streaming some of his most iconic recordings after the jump. 

"The Grand Tour," George Jones

Although "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is perhaps the obvious Possum cut here, in an epochal star-producer collaboration that lasted almost two decades, this is a flawless match of song, singer and musical setting. Proof of Sherrill's genius: the way that desolate descending piano flourish answers Jones' vocal, like an echo in an empty house.

"The Most Beautiful Girl," Charlie Rich

One of the greatest singles of the ’70s, period. That spacy little whine before "Tell her I'm sorry," the way the backing subtly falls away, only to have the strings swell with the singer's determination — at his best Sherrill had a seismograph's sensitivity to the emotional shifts in a singer's performance.

"Stand By Your Man," Tammy Wynette The tension between the restraint in the verse and the bump bump bump that ushers in the Phil Spector-esque bombast of the chorus is just masterful. It's like hearing someone make up their mind to do the absolute worst thing in the world for them, but with total conviction.

"Take This Job and Shove It," Johnny Paycheck For the way that insolent a cappella intro kicks off the record, right in your face. The sides the hugely underrated Paycheck cut with Aubrey Mayhew in the 1960s might have been more spectral and haunting, but Sherrill revived his career by doing what he did best: using his sure grasp of dynamics to offset the singer's drama and intensity. If Sherrill could erect a wall of sound to rival  Spector's, he also knew when to cut out and leave the power of an unadorned voice.

"Golden Ring," George Jones and Tammy Wynette An absolute heartbreaker, from the intimacy of the separate vocals to the chill of that final entwined reprise. The best touch: the brief snatches of the old upright piano playing that old familiar tune.

"Delta Dawn," Tanya Tucker Three minutes and 24 seconds of jukebox Faulkner. A mix of gospel and Southern Gothic, grandiose and weirdly stirring, which Sherrill's ability to hit one emotional peak after another transforms into a masterpiece of ’70s country.