Felice & Boudleaux Bryant

Felice and Boudleaux Bryant met one fateful night in 1945. Marrying a mere five days later, the two remained nearly inseparable since. Perhaps the most prolific songwriting duo of all time, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote over 6,000 songs in their lifetimes, a whopping 1,500 of which were recorded by different artists over the years. 

No slim list, the Bryants had their songs recorded by artists as varied and significant as Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Tony Bennett, Charley Pride, Jim Reeves, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sarah Vaughan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, Count Basie, Elvis Costello, Ray Charles, Joan Jett, Dean Martin and Bob Dylan to name a few. And that’s not to mention the considerable slew of hits they wrote for the Everly Brothers throughout the late 50s.

In 1980, the two entered the studio for the very first time to make the only record released featuring the duo playing and singing their own songs. It’s no small honor that CMH is the home to this very special release. A Touch of Bryant presents a dozen country classics charmingly delivered by the duo that penned them. Accompanied by a top-notch backing band and captured with a dreamy haze and unique clarity, A Touch of Bryant is a perfect document of country’s favorite lovers.

And if that’s not enough, CMH is home to yet another incredible collection of the duo’s songs. Iconoclastic duo The Osborne Brothers recorded From Rocky Top to Muddy Bottom in 1977, recording 20 favorites by Felice and Boudleaux, the songwriting duo that gave them their very first hit in 1968. The collection is a loving tribute and an excellent introduction to the country and bluegrass classics the duo contributed to the canon.

In their time, the Bryants were awarded 59 BMI music awards across the categories of country, pop and R&B. They have been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The two continued writing songs until the end. Boudleaux passed away in 1987 and Felice in 2003. They are buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.