Iconic & Award Winning Producer Tony Brown Shares Commentary on Reba Mcentire, Darius Rucker and the Power of “In the Ghetto”

Tony Brown, a producer behind more than 100 million album sales, was honored to see Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker pay homage to Mac Davis at the 2020 CMA Awards when they performed “In the Ghetto” on the broadcast.  For Brown, this wasn’t his first time hearing the vocal performance as he had the pleasure of recording the song with Reba and Darius at Blackbird Studios. For those that missed the broadcast, you can view it below:

You can now purchase or stream “In the Ghetto” at the following links: https://strm.to/RMDRInTheGhetto.

“It’s always hard to cover such an iconic hit, but if anyone could do it, it’s Reba and Darius,” says Tony. “Fortunately, Reba got the opportunity to play a rough cut for Mac before he passed.”

For Reba and Darius’ thoughts on the single and Mac Davis, visit the Billboard exclusive interview with them about the tribute by clicking here.

Brown, who performed with Elvis’ TCB Band starting in 1975, was first introduced to the Mac Davis penned tune when he snuck into a rehearsal for an Elvis’ show at Las Vegas’ International Hotel in 1969. “He had just cut the albums with Chip Moman and there I was hiding behind a table listening to Elvis perform ‘In the Ghetto’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’ before I got kicked out of the room.”

“In the Ghetto” is a powerful story that unfortunately still plays out in a society plagued with systemic racism and poverty levels that were exasperated by the worldwide pandemic. Recorded and released in 1969, Davis put a spotlight on the cycle of poverty and violence in Chicago.  Artists ranging from Dolly Parton to Marilyn Manson and Three Six Mafia have all covered the tune.

“Priscilla took a deep dive into Elvis’ activism and support of the Civil Rights Movement in her documentary for HBO titled ‘Elvis Presley: The Searcher,’” recalls Tony.  “Elvis was very conscious about how blacks were being treated.  He loved black music and certainly you can hear that in his own musical style, but what was most important was that he participated in shining a light on the strife of blacks.  He was able to do that with ‘In the Ghetto’ and also with the lesser known ‘If I Can Dream’”

To learn more about Tony’s incredible, more-than-50-year career in the music industry, pick up his book Elvis, Strait, to Jesus.  To purchase a copy and discover all things Tony Brown visit: www.tonybrownenterprises.com.

About Tony Brown

Tony Brown’s reputation as an unshakeable pillar of the country music scene extends back over 50 years. Working primarily as a producer for some of the biggest names in the business, including Reba McEntire, Vince Gill and George Strait, he is still one of the most sought-after and highly acclaimed producers. Tony was featured in “Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ‘70s” and the Ken Burns documentary “Country Music” that premiered on PBS. He is currently working on a documentary and podcast with Scooter Braun focused around the four power players at MCA Nashville in the 80s/90s.

Often credited as the founding father of the Americana country movement, Tony’s power for bending genres, establishing careers and tirelessly pushing the envelope has earned him numerous awards and recognitions. He is a Grammy Award winner and has also won numerous Academy of Country Music Awards including the ACM Producer of the Year Award.  Throughout his career, he has earned numerous Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum album credits, a Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year, and AMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tony has yielded over 100 #1 singles and record levels of sales exceeding the $100 million mark, while simultaneously building a pantheon of stars unparalleled in music history. Some of the artists he has signed include Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, Kelly Willis, Todd Snider, Allison Moorer, The Mavericks, Shooter Jennings and more. 

In the last decade, he’s produced the majority of tracks for Tuskegee, one of 2012’s highest grossing albums, with award-winning artist Lionel Richie featuring duets with Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffett, Little Big Town, Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson. In 2016, Tony produced Cyndi Lauper’s country album, Detour. Tony remains a heavy hitter in the music industry, with his latest projects spanning an album for Gary Allan, singles for Reba McEntire, and releases for rising talent EmiSunshine and Broken Bow Records Drake Milligan.

Latest milestones: 

• Produced 8 of the 12 tracks on Reba McEntire’s release “Love Somebody”
• Recent productions that have debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Album Sales chart and/or Country Album chart:  Lionel Richie, Tuskegee; Sara Evans, Stronger; George Strait, It Just Comes Natural, Troubadour and Twang; Reba McEntire, Reba: Duets, and Keep On Loving You;  Brooks & Dunn, Cowboy Town & Hillbilly Deluxe 
• George Strait’s It Just Comes Natural and Troubadour both won the Country Music Association Award for Album of The Year.  Troubadour won the Grammy in 2009 for Best Country Album.    
• Sara Evans “A Little Bit Stronger” produced by Tony Brown became Evans’ first Platinum-certified single by the RIAA and went to #1 in May of 2011, the first of her singles in over five years to reach the #1 position.
• Tony produced eight of the thirteen tracks on the acclaimed, star-studded Lionel Richie duet album, Tuskegee, producing songs with Richie for his collaborations with Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffet & The Coral Reefer Band. 
• Recently released a coffee table book Elvis, Strait to Jesus; “The magic of Tony Brown’s 40-year career is revealed in over 150 pictures, with historical and behind-the-scenes images, snapshots from the “Elvis years,” and stylish contemporary portraits staged in a French Renaissance chair of friends, musicians, and artists  

Awards and Accolades:  

• Numerous ACM Awards  
• Seven-time Billboard ‘Country Producer of the Year’ 
• Recipient of the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ – Americana Music Association  
• Cecil B. Scaife Visionary Award 
• Grammy nomination for ‘Producer of The Year’ 
• CMA: Single of the Year (Production) 2008 Tony Brown “I Saw God Today” – MCA – George Strait  
• CMA: Album of the Year (Production) 2007 Tony Brown IT JUST COMES NATURAL – MCA – George Strait   
• CMA:  Single of the Year (Production) 2006 Tony Brown “Believe” – Arista Nashville – Brooks & Dunn 
• CMA:  Album of the Year (Production) 1997 Tony Brown CARRYING YOUR LOVE WITH ME – MCA – George Strait   
• CMA:  Single of the Year (Production) 1996 Tony Brown “Check Yes Or No” – MCA – George Strait   
• CMA:  Album of the Year (Production )1996 Tony Brown BLUE CLEAR SKY – MCA – George Strait   
• CMA:  Album of the Year (Production) 1994 Tony Brown COMMON THREAD: THE SONGS OF THE EAGLES – Giant   
• CMA:  Album of the Year (Production) 1993Tony Brown I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU – MCA – Vince Gill
• CMA:  Single of the Year (Production) 1990 Tony Brown “When I Call Your Name” – MCA – Vince Gill 
• IDA: International Design Award for BEST published coffee table book.  Published by Hachette Book Group. 

To schedule an appearance or interview with Tony Brown, please contact Mark Logsdon of PLA Media at (615) 739-4916 or mark.logsdon@plamedia.com.