Michael Martin Murphey
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Michael Martin Murphey (born March 13, 1945 in Dallas, Texas) is a successful American country singer/songwriter whose biggest hit was "Wildfire" in 1975, produced by Bob Johnston. He was associated with the outlaw country movement. Murphey currently lives in Westby, Wisconsin, with interests in New Mexico and Texas.
Having been influenced by gospel music at an early age, Murphey aspired to become a Baptist minister. From 1965-70, as a staff songwriter for Screen Gems, Murphey was writing theme tunes and soundtrack material for television. He grew disillusioned with the poor financial rewards, and left. For a short time he was a member of the Lewis And Clarke Expedition, which he formed with Owen Castleman, before going solo. Geronimo's Cadillac was produced in Nashville by Bob Johnston, who was responsible for Murphey's signing with A&M Records. The title track was released as a single, and achieved a Top 40 place in the USA pop charts. As well as folk, country and blues, Murphey's early gospel leanings are evident in the overall sound of what is an excellent album. He signed to Epic Records in 1973 after releasing Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir, which continued the urban cowboy theme of his earlier work.
During this period of association with the outlaw country music movement that began in Austin, Texas in the 1970s, Murphey performed a number of times at the Armadillo World Headquarters. Murphey's photo also appeared as the original cover of Jan Reid's book, The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock. News reports of the time, suggested that Murphey was upset by the use of his image on the book's cover, and his photo was removed in subsequent editions.
In 1975 he released his seminal album, "Blue Sky, Night Thunder", which contained the hit "Carolina in the Pines", and what is perhaps his masterpiece, "Wildfire", which to this day is the song he's most associated with even though he's had many other hits.
The recording, Michael Martin Murphey included a number of songs Murphey had co-written with Michael D'Abo, including the #1 hit "What's Forever For". Reviewers have noted that his albums followed a more middle-of-the-road format after this, with occasional glimpses of his better work, as in Peaks, Valleys, Honky-Tonks And Alleys. Murphey reached number 3 in the US pop singles charts (and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart) in 1975, achieving a gold disc with "Wildfire". Aside from "Geronimo's Cadillac" and "Wildfire," he has reached the pop top 40 three other times, with "Carolina In The Pines" (1975, #21), "Renegade" (1976, #39), and "What's Forever For" (1982, #19 plus #1 Country for one week).
Murphey has never had the degree of commercial success his writing that some observers believe is within his capability. However, as a writer, he has had songs covered by John Denver, Cher, Lyle Lovett, Claire Hamill, Hoyt Axton, Bobbie Gentry and the Monkees. He also wrote songs for Michael Nesmith including "The Oklahoma Backroom Dance". Murphey later played at Ronnie Scott's club in London, for a press presentation, and was supported on the occasion by J.D. Souther, Don Henley, Dave Jackson and Gary Nurm. Murphey continued recording easy-listening country music into the 80s with great success (in 1984 he changed the billing on his singles releases from Michael Murphey to Michael Martin Murphey). In 1987, he achieved a number 1 country single with the wedding song, "A Long Line Of Love", and had further hits with "A Face In The Crowd", a duet with Holly Dunn, and "Talkin' To The Wrong Man", which featured his son, Ryan.
In the 1990s, Murphey chose, like Ian Tyson, to revive old cowboy songs as well as writing his own. This change runs counter to that of many country performers who have moved away from the music's cowboy roots. Murphey could be described as a latter-day Marty Robbins. In 1990 he released he album "Cowboy Songs" to great success. It contains his versions of many old cowboy songs from the public domain such as "The Streets of Laredo" and the beautiful "Spanish is the Loving Tongue", as well as the original "Cowboy Logic", which might be considered his last "mainstream" hit song. "Cowboy Songs" has since been certified gold and, according to his website, is the first western album to do so since Marty Robbins. Cowboy Songs III includes, with the aid of recording technology, a duet with Robbins on the song, "Big Iron'. Murphey demonstrates his musical ambitions on 1995's Sagebrush Symphony, recorded with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. In 1998, following his departure from Warner Brothers Records, Murphey started his own record label.
For two decades he has hosted the annual Westfest arts and music festival in Colorado which has hosted nearly every major country music recording artist during that timespan.
