A music producer hailing from Halifax, who significantly influenced fellow Bluenoser Anne Murray to embark on a musical journey and later produced albums for legendary artists like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, is being celebrated for his impactful contributions to the music world.
Brian Ahern, aged 81, passed away on Monday in Minnesota.
Murray recalled meeting Ahern during her audition for Singalong Jubilee, a CBC television program showcasing local talent in Halifax that aired during the 1960s and 1970s. Ahern served as the musical producer for the show. She did not succeed in her initial audition.
“He was determined to have me on that show,” Murray shared with CBC on Wednesday. “And that’s where everything began with Brian.”
Two years later, she was invited for a second audition and was successful.
Anne Murray of Springhill, N.S., is shown in a 1971 photo. (The Canadian Press)
Afterward, Ahern relocated to Toronto while Murray stayed on the East Coast to work as a teacher. Although she didn’t feel prepared to transition into full-time music, Ahern persisted in encouraging her.
“He kept sending me letters, urging me to come to Toronto to record an album. I just didn’t see the value in that at the time,” Murray laughed. “Eventually, I relented, left teaching, and went to Toronto to make an album with him.”
She described Ahern as a quiet individual and praised him as a brilliant musician.
“Sometimes, you had to read his mind… but he taught me a lot in the studio,” Murray explained. “I learned so much from him while he was also learning, but he was so intelligent that he grasped concepts quickly.”
They encountered numerous obstacles together. Upon arriving in Toronto, Murray noted that Ahern had “no money,” and she had to retrieve his guitar with her teaching earnings 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 sort of grew up and honed our skills in the music industry together,” Murray remarked.
Her breakthrough hit, Snowbird, from the 1969 album This Way Is My Way, was among the 13 albums he produced for her, as noted by the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Murray stated that the two “went [their] separate ways, but [they] both achieved great things.”
From left: Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris and Brian Ahern perform on Nov. 18, 2013, in Nashville. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
Ahern’s career also took him to various locations, including Los Angeles and Nashville. He produced albums for artists such as George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell, and was responsible for 11 of Emmylou Harris’s albums; the two wed in 1974.
The last occasion Murray saw Ahern in person was during his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Brian’s belief in my talent was enough to support me during those early years,” Murray said while introducing Ahern on stage.
In 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Americana Music Association and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019.
Following his passing, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum released a statement noting Ahern’s contributions “helped shape a vital form of American roots music” and provided a “blueprint for Americana music in the 1990s.”
Ahern was a ‘steward of the artistic process’
Ahern’s daughters, Shannon and Meghann Ahern, fondly recalled memories of sleeping in recording studios as children while their father worked.
“He would take us everywhere, and he even constructed a human-sized dollhouse out of studio baffles (soundproofing materials) for me so I had a way to play and stay quiet while he worked,” Shannon Ahern shared.
They characterized him as a “steward of the artistic process,” emphasizing his commitment to helping artists realize their creative potential.
“I recognized that these were incredibly talented musicians, and my dad was collaborating with them to create art,” Meghann Ahern said. “That shaped my understanding that art is significant, but it also necessitates hard work, dedication, and commitment.”