Chips Moman: The Record Producer Whose Genius Changed American Music

Chips Momans genius began in the studio where he instituted technical innovations that forever changed the recording industry but it expanded from there with an uncanny ability to recognize hit songs when he heard them as rough demos and then blossomed with an unsurpassed string of hit records. He rescued Elvis Presleys career with his recordings of Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto and he provided Willie Nelson with one of his most memorable signature songs Always on My Mind. Not bad for a Georgia country boy who dropped out of school in the eighth grade and hitchhiked to Memphis in search of the American Dream. I think the Chips Moman story has provided me with the best book I have written since Colonel Tom Parker which was purchased by Warner Bros. for its Elvis film starring Tom Hanks says author James L. Dickerson. I anticipate great interest in a movie based on Momans story. Small wonder. He has been called the Steve McQueen of the music business. By any measure-sales multi-genre capability number of hit records technical innovation artistry etc.-Lincoln Chips Moman was the most important record producer in American history. With several hundred hits to his credit in pop country rhythm & blues and rock both from record production and songwriting Chips Moman is legendary within the music industry. This biography is the story of his life. Early on Chips Moman was a co-founder of Memphiss Stax Records along with Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Moman found the location for the studio organized the recording system recruited the early talent and produced the legendary soul music record labels first two hits-Gee Whiz by Carla Thomas and Last Night an instrumental by the Mar-Keys. As a record producer he rescued Elvis Presleys career with hits such as Suspicious Minds In the Ghetto and Kentucky Rain. He produced music icons such as Petula Clark and Dionne Warwick. In rock and pop he is associated with the Gentrys (Keep on Dancing) the Box Tops (The Letter) Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline Sandy Posey (Born a Woman and Single Girl ) Paul Revere & The Raiders (Goin to Memphis) Dusty Springfield (Son of a Preacher Man) Ringo Starr (an unreleased album which the author listened to and considers among Ringos best; the album ended up in a celebrated court case); B.J. Thomas (Hooked on a Feeling The Eyes of a New York Woman and (Hey Wont You Play) Another Somebody Done Someone Wrong Song. In country music he produced Willie Nelsons Always on My Mind and numerous other albums; he originated the super group the Highwaymen (Johnny Cash Waylon Jennings Willie Nelson and Kristofferson) and produced two of their three albums; Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard (Pancho & Lefty) plus albums with Tammy Wynette Gary Stewart Brenda Lee and others. Moman also recorded a country album as of now unreleased with actor Robert Duvall who got permission from Moman to use him as a model for the character he played in Tender Mercies a role for which he was awarded an Oscar.