Curt Ryle 

Photo from YouTube screen grab

When he's not playing guitar, writing songs or singing you can find Curt behind the mixing boards. He is largely responsible for all the creative aspects of recording at CCS.

This may be one of my longer posts as the subject is much more than a singer or musician. He's an accomplished songwriter. A guitar player. A music publisher. A producer. Even the occasional actor. Most important? He has served as a mentor and collaborator for young singers starting out. And many have gone on to climb the indie music charts, win awards for their songs and videos. The subject of this post is the multi-faceted Curt Ryle, founder of Clarksville Creative Sound in Tennessee. 

I have profiled several of his young artists - Jadyn Rylee, Brayden Ryle, EV Mae, Jake Blocker and Ariel Franz. I have seen photos and videos of him working with the artists. I have listened to other older artists on the CCS label and they have all been impressive. And now, in addition to his songwriting and studio work he has taken on a new challenge. He's involved in a TV show for a new network, the American Country Network. The show, “Small Town Sound,” will be a look into the lives of some of his artists and the CCS process. I can tell you right now, viewers are going to find that there's nothing “small town” about the work Curt and the CCS talent are turning out. 

THE BEGINNING

Born in Duncan, Oklahoma, Curt's musical career began when he was 7. By age 21 he had toured with Ray Price, Fiddling Frenchie Burke, Vern Gosdin and countless others. 

His songwriting career began in Dallas Texas in 1982. He was the lead guitarist and lead singer at Dewey Groom’s World Famous Long Horn Ballroom. Dewey challenged Curt to write 10 songs for a 25th-anniversary Longhorn Ballroom album. He had never seriously tried to write anything that would be recorded. Curt wrote all the songs in two weeks and Dewey ask him to play the songs on a guitar, so, Curt sang 6 of them. This led to a recording session.

Mel Tillis was booked to perform at the Longhorn Ballroom and Curt and the band opened for him. This quickly led to Mel signing him as a songwriter. Four of 10 songs went on to be hits. 6 years and 400 songs later, Curt became Mel’s record producer. He also has written hit songs for Billy Ray Cyrus, George Jones, Gene Watson, Johnny Bush, Johnny Duncan, Lee Ann Womack, and many others.

As a musician, he has played on recordings for Taylor Swift, Justin Moore, Vern Gosdin, Trisha Yearwood, Steve Holy, Brookes and Dunn and many many others. Ryle’s 1999 debut, Life Time Guarantee, was very much in the George Jones vein.

One of two albums I found for Curt, his name appears on a lot more as writer, co-writer or producer. 

FAST FACTS

• Curt writes hit songs for European artists
• He has more than 15 artists on his Record Company’s roster
• He also produces two of the biggest internet stars in the Country, Jadyn Rylee of Canada and his son, Brayden
• Curt has won multiple awards
• He plays electric guitar, steel guitar and dobro
• He was inducted into the North American Country Music Assoc. Hall of Fame 2021 
• He was given the Texas Legacy award by the CMA of Texas in 2022
• Today Curt is living his dream producing, writing, being a musician, engineering, and owning a record and publishing company. 

A few originals from his albums

• Who'll Sing Faded Love with Dewey Groom
• Curt Ryle Takes the Sad out of Saturday Night
• Jukebox in the Corner 
• Better Class of Losers
• I'll Always Love This Place
• Baby I Miss You
• What a Ride This Has Been
• Last Thing on My Mind

Pretend

Wild Hearts on Fire

How to Write Hit Songs, interview with Lydia Walker

How to Turn Lyrics/Poetry into a Song. Pt1

Curt Ryle’s Road Stories with Jadyn Rylee

Ft. Worth Musical Moments with Steve Markwardt, Mackynsie McKedy and Curt Ryle

Jukebox in the Corner

You can find out more at the CCS website: https://www.clarksvillesound.com

As I find more information,  I will update this profile.

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