An SRO crowd of Nashville music industry figures came out to Douglas Corner Wednesday night (4-28) to salute famed writer/producer/Grammy winner and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Norro Wilson. The evening featured music from Wilson backed by retro-country band, 45 RPM.
Wilson, who has produced or co-produced such stars as Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, John Anderson, Sammy Kershaw and George Jones, thrilled the crowd when he got up to sing a few of his self-penned hits – “The Grand Tour,” “A Picture of Me Without You” (both made famous by George Jones) and the No. 1 hit by Charlie Rich, “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” among others.
Wilson teased his former business partner and co-producer, Buddy Cannon, who was in the audience, saying, “There’s no way you’ll tune this!” Also sighted in the crowd were Cannon’s daughter, the bluegrass singer Melonie Cannon, producer Garth Fundis, singer Darryle Singletary and former Music Row executives Chuck and Sandy Neese.
The 45 RPM band is entirely made up of either Nashville session players and/or songwriters. The band’s mission is to play only classic, traditional country music, performing nothing released later than the ‘70s.
Among the evening’s performers were Jimmy Melton, Dirk Johnson, Mark Johnson, Mike Johnson, Joanie Keller Johnson, Gregg Galbraith, Joe Spivey and Eddy Anderson.
Norro Wilson (center at the mic) is pictured performing with the 45 RPM Band
