A music producer originally from Halifax, who significantly influenced fellow Bluenoser Anne Murray’s decision to embark on a musical career and later produced albums for renowned artists like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, is being commemorated for his impactful contributions to the music industry.
Brian Ahern, aged 81, passed away on Monday in Minnesota.
Murray recalled meeting Ahern during her audition for Singalong Jubilee, a CBC television show that showcased local talent in Halifax during the 1960s and 1970s. Ahern served as the musical producer for the program. She mentioned that she did not make the cut on her initial audition.
“He wanted me to be on that show,” Murray shared with CBC on Wednesday. “That’s where my journey with Brian began.”
Two years later, she received another opportunity to audition and successfully secured a spot.
Anne Murray of Springhill, N.S., is shown in a 1971 photo. (The Canadian Press)
Afterward, Ahern relocated to Toronto while Murray continued her work as a teacher on the East Coast. Although she felt unprepared to transition into a full-time music career, Ahern persistently encouraged her.
“He would write letters, urging me to come to Toronto to record an album. At the time, I couldn’t see the benefit,” Murray recalled with a chuckle. “Eventually, I relented, left teaching, and we collaborated on an album.”
She described him as a reserved individual and praised him as an exceptional musician.
“You sometimes had to interpret his thoughts… but he educated me greatly in the studio,” Murray said. “I learned a lot from him, and he was learning as well, but his intelligence allowed him to grasp concepts quickly.”
Together, they encountered numerous obstacles. Upon her arrival in Toronto, Murray mentioned Ahern was “penniless,” and she had to use her teaching earnings to retrieve his guitar before they could begin recording.
Brian Ahern accepts a lifetime achievement award for producer/engineer during The Americana Music Awards in Nashville on Sept. 9, 2010. (The Associated Press)
“We essentially grew and developed our careers in the music industry together,” Murray noted.
Her breakthrough single, Snowbird, from the 1969 album This Way Is My Way, was among the 13 albums he produced for her, as recognized by the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Murray remarked that although they “parted ways, both of us achieved greater success.”
From left: Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris and Brian Ahern perform on Nov. 18, 2013, in Nashville. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
Ahern’s career also led him to prominent locations like Los Angeles and Nashville. He produced albums for artists including George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell, and worked on 11 albums for Emmylou Harris, whom he married in 1974.
The last occasion Murray saw Ahern in person was during his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Brian’s belief in my talent was instrumental in helping me navigate those formative years,” Murray said as she introduced him on stage.
In 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Americana Music Association and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2019.
Following his passing, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum released a statement acknowledging Ahern’s contributions, stating that his work “played a vital role in shaping a fundamental genre of American roots music” and offered “a framework for Americana music in the 1990s.”
Ahern was a ‘steward of the artistic process’
Ahern’s daughters, Shannon and Meghann Ahern, fondly recalled their childhood memories of spending time in recording studios while their father worked.
“He would take us everywhere, and he even constructed a life-sized dollhouse out of studio baffles (soundproofing equipment) for me, allowing me to play quietly while he was busy,” Shannon Ahern shared.
They characterized him as a “steward of the artistic process,” emphasizing his dedication to helping artists achieve their fullest creative potential.
“I recognized these individuals as talented musicians, and my dad was engaging in art with them,” Meghann Ahern noted. “That was my understanding—that art holds significance, but it also necessitates hard work, commitment, and dedication.”
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