Jim McBride

Induction Year: 2017

Birth Name: Jimmy Ray McBride

Birth Date: 04-28-1947

Place of Birth: Huntsville, Alabama

Jim McBride was born in Huntsville, Alabama. He grew up in a house filled with music from his mother’s radio. At 21, he got his first guitar and began taking lessons from his uncle.

Jim started bringing his songs to Nashville in the early 1970s, and by 1972 had several cuts by The Hagers. Though the songs didn’t become radio singles, they did get played on the weekly TV show Hee Haw.

In 1980, Conway Twitty hit with “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn,” prompting Jim to make the move from Huntsville to Nashville. More hits followed throughout the decade including “Bet Your Heart On Me” by Johnny Lee and “Rose In Paradise” by Waylon Jennings.

In the early 1990s, Jim met an aspiring young singer named Alan Jackson and their collaboration yielded the #1 hits “Chasing That Neon Rainbow,” “(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All,” “Someday” and the smash “Chattahoochee,” which was Song of the Year for the Country Music Association, ASCAP and American Songwriter Magazine, as well as Billboard Magazine’s most performed song of the year.

Additionally, Jim co-wrote the Top 10 singles “What I Meant To Say” by Wade Hayes and “Angels In Waiting” by Tammy Cochran.

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Song Catalog

 

"(Who Says) You Can't Have It All"

(written with Alan Jackson)

Alan Jackson1994 #4 country

"A Bridge That Just Won't Burn"

(written with Roger Murrah)

Conway Twitty1981 #3 country
Gene Watson2016 
 

"A House With No Curtains"

(written with Alan Jackson)

Alan Jackson1998 #18 country
 

"Angels In Waiting"

(written with Tammy Cochran, Stewart Harris)

Tammy Cochran2001 #9 country, #73 pop

"Bet Your Heart On Me"

Johnny Lee1981 #1 country, #54 pop
 

"California"

(written with Charlie Craig, Keith Stegall)

Keith Stegall1985 #13 country

"Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow"

(written with Alan Jackson)

Alan Jackson1990 #2 country

"Chattahoochee"

(written with Alan Jackson)

1993 ACM Single of the Year; 1993 CMA Single of the Year; 1994 CMA Song of the Year; 1994 ASCAP Country Song of the Year

Alan Jackson1993 #1 country, #46 pop
 

"Do I Have To Say Goodbye"

(written with Peter McCann)

Crystal Gayle1986 
Louise Mandrell1987 #28 country
 

"Heavy Metal (Don't Mean Rock And Roll To Me)"

(written with Guy Clark)

Johnny Cash1987 
Guy Clark1989 
 

"How Do You Sleep At Night"

(written with Jerry Salley)

Wade Hayes1998 #13 country, #67 pop
 

"I Was Born With A Broken Heart"

(written with Aaron Tippin)

David Ball1994 
Aaron Tippin1992 #38 country
 

"I'm A Survivor"

(written with Keith Stegall)

George Jones1988 #52 country
Lacy J. Dalton1989 
Johnny Paycheck1996 
 

"If I Keep On Going Crazy"

(written with Roger Murrah)

Leon Everette1981 #11 country
 

"Just Playin' Possum"

Alan Jackson1991 
 

"Living Like There's No Tomorrow (Finally Got To Me Tonight)"

(written with Roger Murrah)

Keith Whitley1984 
John Conlee1987 #55 country
 

"Lonely Town"

(written with Brent Mason)

Jim Ed Brown & The Browns1986 
Conway Twitty1987 
 

"Love Builds The Bridges (Pride Builds The Walls)"

(written with Jerry Salley)

Patty Loveless1993 

"Rose In Paradise"

(written with Stewart Harris)

Waylon Jennings1987 #1 country
Chris Young & Willie Nelson2009 
Kris Kristofferson & Patty Griffin2011 
Lonesome River Band2016 
 

"Sawmill Road"

(written with Sam Hogin, Dan Truman)

Diamond Rio1994 #21 country
 

"Someday"

(written with Alan Jackson)

Alan Jackson1991 #1 country
 

"The Car In Front Of Me"

(written with Luke Bryan)

Luke Bryan2007 
 

"The Night Before Christmas"

(written with Sam Hogin, Nelson Larkin)

Toby Keith1995 
Alabama1996 
 

"This Bed's Not Big Enough"

(written with Charlie Monk)

Louise Mandrell1984 #52 country
Charley Pride2011 
 

"What I Meant To Say"

(written with Don Cook, Sam Hogin)

Wade Hayes1996 #5 country

Other Media

Jim McBride

Induction Year: 2017