Larry Butler
Musician · 1942–2012 · Pensacola, Florida
Larry Butler was a Pensacola-born pianist, songwriter, and record producer who began as a Nashville session player in the 1960s before becoming one of country music’s most successful hitmakers in the 1970s and ’80s. He is best remembered for steering Kenny Rogers’ run of crossover hits and for being the only Nashville country producer to win the Grammy for Producer of the Year.
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- Worked as a Nashville session pianist from 1963 onward, backing artists including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and George Jones.
- Shared the 1976 Grammy for Best Country Song with Chips Moman for “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.”
- Produced Kenny Rogers’ late-1970s hits on United Artists, among them “Lucille,” “The Gambler,” “She Believes in Me,” and “Coward of the County.”
- Won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 1980, the only Nashville country producer to take the honor.
- Also produced sessions for Mac Davis, John Denver, and Don McLean, among others.
- Founded the Larry Butler Music Group in 1984, whose catalog included the George Strait hits “The Chair” and “Ocean Front Property.”
