A music producer from Halifax, who significantly influenced Anne Murray to follow her musical dreams and later worked on albums for renowned artists like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, is being honored for his contributions to the music scene.
Brian Ahern, who was 81 years old, passed away on Monday in Minnesota.
Murray recalled first meeting Ahern when she auditioned for Singalong Jubilee, a CBC television show spotlighting local talent in Halifax that aired during the 1960s and 1970s. Ahern served as the musical producer for the program, but she did not make it past the initial audition.
“He wanted me on that show,” Murray shared with CBC on Wednesday. “That’s where my journey with Brian began.”
Two years later, she was asked to audition again and this time was successful.
Anne Murray of Springhill, N.S., is shown in a 1971 photo. (The Canadian Press)
While Ahern relocated to Toronto, Murray continued to teach on the East Coast. Although she was not ready to fully commit to a music career, Ahern persistently encouraged her.
“He wrote letters, urging me to come to Toronto to record an album. I just couldn’t see the benefit of that,” Murray laughed. “Eventually, I relented, left teaching, and headed to Toronto, where we recorded an album together.”
Describing Ahern as a reserved individual, she praised him as a talented musician.
“Sometimes, you had to anticipate what he was thinking, but he taught me a great deal in the studio,” Murray noted. “I learned alongside him, but he was so astute that he reached conclusions quickly.”
They encountered numerous hurdles together. Upon her arrival in Toronto, Murray mentioned that Ahern was “broke,” and she had to use her teaching earnings to retrieve his guitar before they could begin 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 grew up in the music industry together,” said Murray.
His production credits include Murray’s breakout hit, Snowbird, from the 1969 album This Way Is My Way, among 13 albums he produced for her, as recognized by the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Murray mentioned that although they eventually “went [their] separate ways,” both achieved significant successes.
From left: Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris and Brian Ahern perform on Nov. 18, 2013, in Nashville. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
Ahern’s career took him to various locations, including Los Angeles and Nashville, where he produced music for artists like George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell. He also worked on 11 albums with Emmylou Harris, whom he married in 1974.
The last occasion Murray spent time with Ahern was during his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Brian’s belief in my abilities helped me navigate those early years,” Murray said while introducing Ahern on stage.
In 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Americana Music Association and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2019.
Following his passing, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum released a statement acknowledging that Ahern’s contributions “helped shape a vital form of American roots music” and that it “laid the groundwork for Americana music in the 1990s.”
Ahern was a ‘steward of the artistic process’
Ahern’s daughters, Shannon and Meghann, fondly remember their childhoods spent in recording studios while their father worked.
“He would take us everywhere, and he even built me a human-sized dollhouse out of studio baffles (soundproofing equipment) so I could play quietly while he was busy,” Shannon Ahern recounted.
They described him as a “steward of the artistic process,” emphasizing his dedication to helping artists realize their full creative potential.
“I recognized these talented musicians as individuals my dad was collaborating with to create art,” Meghann Ahern shared. “That was my understanding of art; it was vital, but it also demanded hard work, commitment, and dedication.”
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