A music producer from Halifax, who played a significant part in motivating fellow Bluenoser Anne Murray to follow her musical aspirations and later produced albums for renowned artists like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, is being honored for his contributions to the music world.
Brian Ahern, aged 81, passed away on Monday in Minnesota.
Murray recounted that she first met Ahern during her audition for Singalong Jubilee, a CBC television show that showcased local talent from Halifax during the 1960s and 1970s. Ahern served as the musical producer for the program. Murray noted that she was not selected during her initial audition.
“He wanted me to be on that show,” Murray shared with CBC on Wednesday. “And that’s where it all began with Brian.”
She received a second invitation to audition two years later and was successful.
Anne Murray of Springhill, N.S., is shown in a 1971 photo. (The Canadian Press)
Ahern subsequently relocated to Toronto, while Murray stayed on the East Coast, where she worked as a teacher. She felt unprepared to transition into a full-time music career, but Ahern continued to encourage her.
“He was constantly writing to me, urging me to come to Toronto to record an album. At that time, I couldn’t see the value in it,” Murray laughed. “Eventually, I relented, left teaching, and went to Toronto where we collaborated on an album.”
She described him as a reserved individual and regarded him as a brilliant musician.
“Sometimes you had to interpret his thoughts… but he imparted a lot of knowledge in the studio,” Murray remarked. “I learned immensely from him, and although he was also learning, he was so astute that he quickly grasped the essentials.”
The duo encountered numerous hurdles together. Upon her arrival in Toronto, Murray recalled that Ahern had “no funds,” and she had to retrieve his guitar using her earnings from teaching before they could start 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 honed our skills and matured together in the music industry,” Murray expressed.
One of the albums Ahern produced for Murray was her breakout hit, Snowbird, from the 1969 album This Way Is My Way, totaling 13 albums he worked on with her, as noted by the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Murray reflected that although they “parted ways,” they both achieved significant 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 cities such as Los Angeles and Nashville, where he produced albums for artists including George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell. He worked on 11 albums with Emmylou Harris, whom he married in 1974.
The last occasion Murray had to see Ahern in person was during his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Brian’s faith in my abilities was instrumental in helping me through those formative years,” Murray stated before introducing Ahern on stage.
In 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Americana Music Association, and in 2019, he was inducted into the Order of Canada.
Following his passing, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum released a statement highlighting that Ahern’s contributions “helped forge a vital genre of American roots music” and established a “framework for Americana music in the 1990s.”
Ahern was a ‘steward of the artistic process’
Ahern’s daughters, Shannon and Meghann, shared cherished memories of spending time in recording studios as children while their father worked.
“He would take us everywhere, and he even built me a life-sized dollhouse from studio baffles (soundproofing materials), so I had a way to play quietly while he was busy,” Shannon Ahern recalled.
They characterized him as a “steward of the artistic process,” dedicated to ensuring that artists achieved their creative potential.
“These were individuals I recognized as talented musicians, and my dad was collaborating with them in creating art,” Meghann Ahern noted. “That was my understanding; art was important, but it also demanded hard work, commitment, and persistence.”