Harold Bradley |
King Records Studio Cincinnati |
Quonset Hut Studio |
Around 1950, Owen Bradley purchased an Army surplus Quonset hut that he attached to the back of his home in Nashville. This was known as the Quonset Hut Studios, and became the birthplace of the Nashville Sound.
Inside Quonset Hut Studio |
Owen enlisted the best players in town to provide the instrumental music for some of the greatest stars of the day. Harold Bradley was Owen’s brother, and became his partner in this venture. Harold took up the tenor banjo at an early age, but his big brother Owen convinced him to learn to play guitar.
Billy Byrd with his Bigsby guitar |
At age 16, and still in high school, Harold Bradley began touring with Ernest Tubb as his lead guitarist.
He then went on to do a two year stint in the Navy, and then began studying music at George Peabody College.
Bradley developed a life-long friendship with Ernest Tubb, and Eddy Arnold., two of the men that he had accompanied in their bands as a guitar play.
Harold Bradley - session for Patti Page 1961 |
Harold Bradley never formally took guitar lessons until the age of 35. Earlier in life he had been in college, but had to major in Bass, since the school had no guitar instructor.
Chet Atkins introduced Harold to a classical guitar instructor named Bunyan Webb.
During his college years Bradley moonlighted at the Grand Ole Opry, playing guitar for such artists as Pee Wee King, Eddy Arnold, and Bradley Kincaid.
Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys |
His first recording session was in 1946 at at studio in Chicago with Pee Wee King and The Golden West Cowboys. He began his session work in Nashville in 1950 at Nashville’s first recording studio; Castle Records.
Harold Bradley and Hank Garland session with Roy Orbison |
Hank Garland, Johnny Smith, Don Gibson, & Harold Bradley |
He also played on sessions for Bob Dylan on Nashville Skyline, Joan Baez, and The Byrds.
Guitar For Lovers Only LP |
Harold Bradley also recorded a few albums under his own name on Columbia Records; Misty Guitar, Guitar For Lovers Only, and Bossa Nova Goes Nashville.
Harold Bradley recording Tic Tac bass |
He was known for his use of the Danelectro six string bass guitar, that added the “Tic-Tac” bass sound to many recordings.
Harold Bradley went on to develop the RCA Studio A, which was another major facility in Nashville, (Ironically RCA’s Studio B was the first of RCA’s studios.)
Nashville's A Team |
Harold Bradley play Lara's Theme |
Harold Bradley |
“He and his older brother Owen were versatile visionaries who played a huge role in developing the culture of respect for creators that helped Nashville to become Music City USA. Harold Bradley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming the first session musician to earn that honor.
Click on the links under the pictures for the sources. Click on the links in the text for more information.
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)
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