Photo: David Briggs | Kathy Mattea via COMBO member Larry Thompson: Today, in my in box, was a note about the passing of David Briggs. He was a legendary keyboardist, studio owner, and Force-of-Nature in the music biz here in Nashville and beyond.
I don’t always mark the passing of folks on this page, but today I was struck with a memory, one I haven’t thought of in many years. And I remembered…. he was the first person I met when I got to Nashville.
My friend and then songwriting partner, Mick, and I had driven to Nashville, to find jobs and a place to live. We were to stay with someone from WV who had done the same thing, and offered for us to stay at his place. We rolled into town in the afternoon, but he wasn’t off work yet, so he sent us to this (now legendary, now, unfortunately, closed) restaurant/bar/hangout called The Gold Rush. He was to meet us there when he got off work. This was late summer of 1978. I was 19 years old.
We went in, and at the other end of the bar was a guy in a T shirt that said “All Quad’s Children.”
I couldn’t believe it… We were so eaten up by music and records and the dream of what it would be like to be part of it all, that we just devoured all the liner notes on every album we bought. There was a legendary studio called Quadraphonic Sound Studios, that had hosted many many legendary musicians. And in the ” thank yous” on the back of all these records, it would say “Thanks to All Quad’s Children”… so we knew there was a connection there.
We went and introduced ourselves. It was David Briggs. He owned the studio, along with legendary producer Norbert Putnam. He was kind, and we enthusiastically told him we had JUST rolled into town.
We went back to our seats on the other end of the bar, and a few minutes later, 2 beers appeared in front of us. The bartender said they were from David, and that he said “Welcome to Nashville.”\
I am tearing up remembering this story. Those kinds of small (and sometimes large) kindnesses happened often, as it turned out, in my years in this community.
I remember feeling like we were stepping into something magical, and as I look back all these years later, it seems that it’s true.
I got to play a couple sessions with him years later, and record in his next studio, called House of David, on music row.
I didn’t know him well, but his small act of kindness and welcome has stuck with me all these years. And I felt compelled to share it today….because suddenly, in these crazy times, I feel absolutely flooded with gratitude.
And I’m happy to be reminded today that a small act of kindness and generosity can ripple in time and space, in ways we can’t imagine..
~ Here is the beautiful tribute that Dave Pomeroy sent out today. Dave is a world class bass player, a wonderful human being, and is the President of the AFofM, our Musicians Union here in town…
For those of you who care to read more, Dave’s remembrance is posted below…
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AFM Life Member David Briggs, an acclaimed keyboard player, recording artist, studio owner, producer, publisher and longtime director of the CMA awards house band, passed away on April 22, 2025 at the age of 82. Born in Killen, Alabama, he was a 60 year member of Local 257, and his incredibly versatile resume includes work with Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, B.B. King, The Monkees, Waylon Jennings, Todd Rundgren, J.J. Cale, Area Code 615, Alice Cooper, Mickey Newbury, Dobie Gray, and many, many more iconic artists. He played on more than 10,000 sessions and 200 #1 records, founded Quadraphonic Studios with Norbert Putnam, and his House of David studio on Music Row was the scene of thousands of recording sessions over the years. Songs he published include Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” and “Roll With It,” Whitney Houston’s “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” and more.
A member of the original Muscle Shoals rhythm section, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019, and was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats” exhibit in 2015. He was a very versatile and accomplished musician and was a very interesting man with a great sense of humor, to say the least, and had a huge influence on countless musicians, songwriters, and artists over his long and amazing career. I always enjoyed my times being in his presence and working with him was a great privilege that I will always remember. The family is having a private service and while there are no plans for a public memorial at this time, we will let you know if and when that happens.
We are grateful for all he did for so many. Rest in Peace, David Briggs, you were one a kind. You had a huge impact on the world of music and Nashville will never be the same without you.
Respectfully,
Dave Pomeroy
President, AFM Local 257
Photo: David Briggs
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OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
APRIL
24: Peter McIan, American record producer (Business as Usual), musician and songwriter.
22: David Briggs, 82, American Hall of Fame keyboardist (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, The Nashville A-Team, TCB Band) and record producer.
21: Hajji Alejandro, 70, Filipino singer and actor, colon cancer; Dumitru Zamfira, 85, Romanian singer and kaval player.
20: Cristina Buarque, 74, Brazilian singer and composer; George Lee, 90, American ballet dancer; Kimble Rendall, 67–68, Australian musician (XL Capris, Hoodoo Gurus) and film director (Guardians of the Tomb).
19: Ricky Siahaan, 48, Indonesian guitarist (Seringai), heart attack.
18: Clodagh Rodgers, 78, Northern Irish singer (“Come Back and Shake Me”, “Jack in the Box”).
17: Peter Ablinger, 66, Austrian composer; Colin Berry, 79, British radio disc jockey, presenter and newsreader (BBC Radio 2); Nuno Guerreiro, 52, Portuguese pop singer (Ala dos Namorados).
16: Nora Aunor, 71, Filipino actress (Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Trap, Hustisya) and singer, acute respiratory failure; Mac Gayden, 83, American singer and songwriter (“Everlasting Love, “My Rainbow Valley”), complications from Parkinson’s disease; Roger McLachlan, 71, New Zealand bass guitarist (Little River Band), complications from pancreatic cancer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2025
Photo: David Briggs