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Darrell Scott

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For other people named Darrell Scott, see Darrell Scott (disambiguation).

Darrell Scott
Darrell Scott at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas. Photo by Ron Baker (2011).
Background information
Birth nameJames Darrell Scott
Born (1959-08-06) August 6, 1959 (age 65)
London, Kentucky, United States
OriginNashville, Tennessee, United States
GenresCountry
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, mandolin
Years active1990s–present
LabelsSugar Hill, Full Light
Websitedarrellscott.com

James Darrell Scott, known as Darrell Scott (born August 6, 1959),[1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He has written several mainstream country hits, and is well-established as one of Nashville's premier session instrumentalists.

Biography

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Early life and career

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Scott was born in London, Kentucky, and at an early age his family moved to East Gary, Indiana, where his father Wayne worked in a steel mill. Scott's father was also a musician and songwriter who encouraged Darrell and his brothers Denny, Dale, Don, and David to play instruments in the family band at schools and church events.[2] In 1971 the Scott family moved to San Bernardino, California and started a business erecting chain-link fencing and playing California honky-tonks as Wayne Scott and Harlan County. At age 16 Darrell completed high school via the California equivalency exam and left the family band in favor of playing professionally in dance bands and country music groups, eventually playing five nights a week as a member of a house band at a San Beranardino bar called the Brandin' Iron.[3]

In 1980 he began traveling north from gig to gig while living in a van, eventually ending up in Stratford, Ontario, where he performed as a one-man band before auditioning and being hired to play with the Mercey Brothers. Scott wrote two songs that were included on a Mercey Brothers album, with one being released as a single, and Scott signed a music publishing deal, but didn't like writing the style of songs he was playing with the Mercey Brothers. In 1983, with a renewed interest in pursuing a college education, Scott moved to Bedford, Massachusetts and attended Middlesex Community College for two years before enrolling at Tufts University. Scott saw a volume of poetry by Tufts artist-in-residence Philip Levine and was inspired to enroll in classes taught by Levine. With Levine's guidance, Scott wrote the song "Uncle Lloyd". Having found his writer's voice, Scott had soon produced a demo tape that made its way to Charles Koppelman of SBK records and, eventually, a record contract. Scott recorded an album of 12 songs in Memphis with producer Norbert Putnam but the label, not hearing any obvious hit singles on the record, chose not to release it, which also prohibited Scott from recording any of the songs on the album for the next seven years.[3]

Move to Nashville and breakthrough

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Darrell Scott (2008)

In 1992 Scott moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he began working as a session musician, landing work with Guy Clark the following year. More session work followed, as well as a new publishing contract. He self-produced another album, Aloha from Nashville (1996), which was picked up for distribution by Sugar Hill Records. The same year, Suzy Bogguss' recording of the Scott-penned song "No Way Out" made it onto the country singles chart.[4] The following year, Garth Brooks' version of "When There's No One Around", co-written by Scott and Tim O'Brien, was included on Brooks' #1 album Sevens.[2]

In 1999 Scott released his second album, Family Tree. He collaborated with O'Brien to release their first album as a duo, Real Time (2000),[5] and the song "The Second Mouse" from that album being nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.[6]

In 2000, Sara Evans had a hit with "Born to Fly", co-written with Scott.[2] Meanwhile, more of Scott's songs were being recorded by other artists. The Dixie Chicks recorded Scott's song "Heartbreak Town" for inclusion on their 1999 album Fly, and released the song as the album's 7th single in June 2001.[2] Travis Tritt's version of "It's a Great Day to Be Alive", released in December 2000, achieved a new level of commercial success for one of Scott's songs, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[7] Patty Loveless recorded "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" for her 2001 album Mountain Soul, featuring Scott playing banjo. Loveless' rendition was nominated for the 2002 International Bluegrass Music Awards Song of the Year.[8] The song has subsequently been covered by Brad Paisley, Kathy Mattea, Montgomery Gentry and others. The Dixie Chicks recorded another of Scott's songs, "Long Time Gone". Released as the lead single from their 2002 album Home, the Dixie Chicks' version reached a peak of number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[9] and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.[10]

In 2001, Scott was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and received the same honor from ASCAP the following year.[4] In 2003 he launched his own label, Full Light Records, and revisited and re-recorded the songs from his unreleased debut album, releasing them as Theatre of the Unheard. In early 2005, the album won the 4th Annual Independent Music Awards Album of the Year.[11] That same year, Scott produced his father Wayne's debut album, This Weary Way, featuring Darrell's longtime collaborators O'Brien, Dan Dugmore, Casey Driessen, Suzi Ragsdale, and Verlon Thompson, as well as a duet with Guy Clark.[2]

In 2006 he released The Invisible Man,[12] with the song "Hank William's Ghost" from that album awarded the 2007 Song of the Year by the Americana Music Association.[13] In 2008, he released Modern Hymns, an album of twelve of Scott's favorite songs by twelve favorite songwriters recorded live with engineer Gary Paczosa in Blackbird Studio C.[12]

Scott (second-right) with Band of Joy at Birmingham Symphony Hall, October 27, 2010

Scott has collaborated with Steve Earle, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, John Cowan, Kate Rusby, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Gauthier, Dan Tyminski, and many others. He tours regularly with his own band and as a member of Steve Earle's Bluegrass Dukes.[4] In 2010, Scott was announced as part of the Band of Joy, performing alongside Robert Plant, credited with vocals, mandolin, guitar, accordion, pedal, lap steel and banjo.

His album, Crooked Road, was released May 25, 2010.[14] In January 2011 Crooked Road won the award for the Country Album category from The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards.[15][3]

In 2010, Brad Paisley's cover of "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" was played during the final scene of the season one finale of the TV drama Justified, and different versions of the song were used for the second, fourth, and fifth-season finales,[16][17] with the original recording by Darrell Scott himself used for the series finale.[18]

On November 2, 2016, at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards, Beyoncé performed a remix of her song "Daddy Lessons" together with the Dixie Chicks, including excerpts from their version of Scott's song "Long Time Gone". A studio version was released after the performance.[19]

In August 2023, the Darrell Scott String Band, a group consisting of Scott and longtime fellow musicians Matt Flinner, Bryn Davies, Shad Cobb, John Cowan, and Daniel de los Reyes, released Old Cane Back Rocker, a studio string band music album of original and cover songs.[20][21][20] He produced Steep Canyon Rangers' album Morning Shift (2023), and Willi Carlisle's Critterland (2024).[22]

Songs by Darrell Scott covered by other musicians

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Singles composed with others

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Discography

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Year Title Label Peak chart positions
US Country
[24] 		US
Heat
[25] 		US
Folk
[26] 		US
Grass
[27]
1997 Aloha From Nashville JustUs — — — —
1999 Family Tree Sugar Hill — — — —
2000 Real Time (with Tim O'Brien) Full Light — — — —
2003 Theatre of the Unheard — — — —
2004 Live in NC (with Danny Thompson and Kenny Malone) — — — —
2006 The Invisible Man — — — —
2008 Modern Hymns Appleseed — — — —
2010 A Crooked Road Full Light — 32 13 —
2012 Long Ride Home 55 22 14 —
Live: We're Usually a Lot Better Than This
(with Tim O'Brien) 		64 35 — 3
2013 Memories and Moments (with Tim O'Brien) Full Skies 36 9 13 2
2015 Ten: Songs of Ben Bullington Full Light — — — —
2016 Couchville Sessions 41 24 21 —
2020 Sings the Blues of Hank Williams[28] — — — —
2023 Old Cane Back Rocker (as Darrell Scott String Band)[29] — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Awards

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Awards
Preceded by AMA Song of the Year (Songwriter)
2007 		Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ "Darrell Scott | Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. August 6, 1959. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oermann, Robert K. (November 28, 2011). "Singer-Songwriter Wayne Scott Passes". Music Row. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Howard, Hugh (August 9, 2011). "Crooked Road to Nashville". Tufts Now. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Artists: Darrell Scott". The Kennedy Center. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Tim O'Brien & Darrell Scott On Mountain Stage". NPR. December 9, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  6. ^ "43rd Annual Grammy Awards Nominations". DigitalHub. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Nolan, Kathleen (February 21, 2022). "Behind the Song Lyrics: "It's a Great Day to Be Alive," Travis Tritt". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "Krauss tops Bluegrass award nominees". The Index-Journal. August 16, 2002. pp. 3C. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  9. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 108.
  10. ^ "Search results for Dixie Chicks". Grammy.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  11. ^ [1] Archived July 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ a b "Scott's 'Modern' Remedy". Mix. October 1, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Griffin wins big at Americana awards". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  14. ^ "A Crooked Road – Darrell Scott | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  15. ^ "Darrell Scott". Independentmusicawards.com. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  16. ^ "Justified Season 4 Finale, Episode 13 Ghosts". Ace Weekly. April 3, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  17. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (April 8, 2014). "Season finale review: Justified – Restitution: Daddys home?". Hitfix.com. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  18. ^ Bianculli, David (April 15, 2015). "'Justified' Ends With An Unpredictable, Poetic And Memorable Finale". Npr.org. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  19. ^ "Beyoncé made country magic with the Dixie Chicks on 'Daddy Lessons'". USA Today. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Zimmerman, Lee (August 24, 2023). "Darrell Scott talks bluegrass and Old Cane Back Rocker". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  21. ^ Hollabaugh, Lorie (July 28, 2023). "Darrell Scott Reflects On His Roots On Latest Project, 'Old Cane Back Rocker'". Music Row. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  22. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (September 20, 2023). "Darrell Scott and the Ghost of Hank Williams". Paste Magazine. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  23. ^ Maxida Märak. "Maxida Märak". Downhillbluegrassband.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  24. ^ "Darrell Scott Album & Song Chart History – Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  25. ^ "Darrell Scott Album & Song Chart History – Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  26. ^ "Darrell Scott Album & Song Chart History – Folk Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  27. ^ "Bluegrass Albums Week of October 27, 2012". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  28. ^ Horowitz, Hal (April 21, 2020). "Darrell Scott Offers Bluesy Tribute to Hank Williams On New Album". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  29. ^ "First & Latest: Darrell Scott And His "Hit" Songs, Then And Now". The Bluegrass Situation. September 27, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
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