A music producer from Halifax, who played a significant role in motivating fellow Nova Scotian Anne Murray to embark on a musical journey and later produced albums for iconic 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 encountered Ahern during her audition for Singalong Jubilee, a CBC television show that showcased local talent in Halifax during the 1960s and 1970s. Ahern was the musical producer for the program. Murray noted that she was not selected during her initial audition.
“He really wanted me to appear on that show,” Murray shared with CBC on Wednesday. “And that’s where my journey with Brian began.”
Two years later, she was invited to audition again and succeeded this time.
Anne Murray of Springhill, N.S., is shown in a 1971 photo. (The Canadian Press)
Ahern later relocated to Toronto, while Murray continued to reside on the East Coast as a teacher. Although she didn’t feel prepared to transition to a full-time music career, Ahern persistently encouraged her.
“He was always writing to me, urging me to come to Toronto to record an album. Honestly, I didn’t see any value in that,” Murray chuckled. “Eventually, I relented, left teaching, and went to Toronto to collaborate on an album with him.”
She described him as quite reserved and recognized him as an exceptional musician.
“Sometimes you had to read his thoughts… but he imparted a lot of knowledge to me in the studio,” Murray stated. “I learned immensely from him, as he was also learning, but he was so astute that he quickly grasped the concepts.”
They encountered numerous obstacles together. Upon her arrival in Toronto, Murray recalled that Ahern had “no money,” and she needed to recover his guitar using her earnings from teaching before they could begin recording in a studio.
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 within the music industry together,” Murray reflected.
Her hit song, Snowbird, from the 1969 album This Way Is My Way, was among the 13 albums Ahern produced for her, as noted by the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Murray mentioned that they “parted ways, but both achieved greater 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 like Los Angeles and Nashville. He produced albums for artists such as George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell, in addition to 11 albums for Emmylou Harris, whom he married in 1974.
The last time Murray saw Ahern face-to-face was during his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Brian’s faith in my talents helped me navigate those formative years,” Murray remarked as she introduced 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 acknowledging Ahern’s influence, stating that his work “contributed to the creation of a vital genre of American roots music” and “set a foundation for Americana music in the 1990s.”
Ahern was a ‘steward of the artistic process’
Ahern’s daughters, Shannon and Meghann Ahern, shared cherished memories of spending nights in recording studios as children while their father was working.
“He would take us everywhere, and he even constructed a human-sized dollhouse out of studio baffles (soundproofing materials), so I could play quietly while he worked,” Shannon Ahern recalled.
They depicted him as a “steward of the artistic process,” who regarded his profession with seriousness, ensuring that artists achieved their full creative potential.
“I recognized them as talented musicians, and my dad was creating art alongside them,” said Meghann Ahern. “That was my understanding: that art holds significance, but it also necessitates hard work, commitment, and dedication.”
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