"P"
Alabama Music Achievers

RICHARD PAGE - Montgomery, Alabama
- His vocals can be heard on recordings by Neil Diamond, Amy Grant, Sammy Hagar, Engelbert Humperdinck, Julio Iglesias, Al Jarreau, Kenny Loggins, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, and many others.
- In 1982, Page formed the group Mr. Mister and served as vocalist, bass player and songwriter for the group.
- He wrote two #1 hits while with the group: "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie"
- Following the breakup of the group, Toto and the group Chicago tried to enlist him as a vocalist.
- As a producer Page has worked with Madonna and Kenny Loggins.

CHRIS PALMER - , Alabama
- Palmer has been involved with sales, promotion and marketing for Warner/Reprise
- Nashville since 1976.
- Among the country acts he helped break were Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and John Anderson.
- In 1987, he founded the progressive music department for the company.
- One of the department's first acts Take 6 won two Grammy awards, their album going platinum.
- Another Palmer triumph was a long-term and productive relationship with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.
HENRY PANION - Midfield, Alabama
- As a composer and arranger of gospel music, Panion has worked with some of the best in the business, including pop artist Quincy Jones.
- His arrangement of "Let My People Go," recorded by the Winans in 1985, won 1987 Grammy and Stellar Awards as well as a 1986 Dove Award.
- His arrangement of "Everybody Don't Know," recorded by TETREC, was nominated for a 1987 Dove Award.

AVERY PARRISH - Birmingham, Alabama
- Avery Parrish is recognized as one of this nation's great jazz and blues artists.
- He was both a performing pianist and arranger.
- While attending Alabama State Teacher College he joined the Bama State Collegians Band headed by Erskine Hawkins and in 1934 traveled with the band to New York.
- He composed the much recorded blues hit "'After Hours." The Erskine Hawkins recording of the song went to #3 on the Charts in 1946.

JULIAN C. PARRISH - Birmingham, Alabama
- Considered Birmingham's first jazz pianist.
- Played with Fess Whatley's Jazz Demons until 1940s
- He moved to New York, maintaining dual careers as a musician and social worker.
- Acquired a doctorate in music and became head of the music department at Martin Luther King College in Columbia, South Carolina.

DAN PENN - Vernon, Alabama
- One of his early compositions, "Is A Bluebird Blue?," was a hit for Conway Twitty in 1960.
- Dan led a local group, the Mark V, which included David Briggs (piano), Norbert Putnam (bass) and Jerry Carrigan (drums). Also known as Dan Penn And The Pallbearers, these musicians later formed the core of the first FAME studio houseband.
- He wrote hits for Joe Simon, James & Bobby Purify, Jimmy Hughes, Percy Sledge and Wilson Pickett. James Carr
- Songwriter of hits, "Dark End of the Street," "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
- He wrote and produced the Box Tops' #2 hit "Cry Like A Baby."

HANK PENNY - Birmingham, Alabama
- Western Swing pioneer in 1930's & 40's
- He formed the first Western Swing Band east of the Mississippi, The Radio Cowboys
- Signature song - "Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon"
- He registered his first country chart hits in 1946 with "Steel Guitar Stomp" and "Get Yourself A Redhead" (both reaching number 4).
- One of the founders of the Palomino Club in North Hollywood

"JUD" PHILLIPS – Florence, Alabama
- He worked most of his life as a music promoter and record company executive.
- Worked with brother Sam Phillips in promoting future superstars Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.
- Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," Cash's "Get Rhythm" and Lewis' "Breathless" would never have reached a mass audience without Jud's ingenuity as a promoter.
- Manager for Jerry Lee Lewis during the 1960s and '70s.

SAM PHILLIPS - Florence, Alabama
- The "Father of Rock 'n Roll"
- Established Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Ave., recently named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior
- In 1951, Phillips cut Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats on a song called "Rocket 88" – a single that's now generally considered the world's first genuine "rock 'n roll" record. Founded Sun Records in 1952
- Phillips launched the careers of Delta-blues pioneers Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King and Little Milton, rhythm-and-blues trailblazers Ike Turner, Rufus Thomas and Roscoe Gordon and rockabilly rebels Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.
- Phillips was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Hall of Fame as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- His studio, label and recordings were honored as milestones by Time, Life and other publications at the turn of the millennium, and his life became the focus of a critically acclaimed two-hour episode of A&E Television's "Biography" series in 1999.

WILSON PICKETT - Prattville, Alabama
- Joined the Falcons, Pickett wrote and sang lead on their 1962 hit, "I Found A Love"
- Pickett recorded his milestone single, "In The Midnight Hour," with Booker T and the MGs in 1965.
- At Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals he recorded his biggest hits "Land Of A Thousand Dances," @"Hey Jude," "Funky Broadway," "I'm A Midnight Mover," and the classic, "Mustang Sally."
- Pickett was the invisible figure and role model in the award winning soul music film The Commitments in 1991.
- He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

> PORTIA WASHINGTON PITTMAN - Tuskegee, Alabama
- The only daughter of Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute.
- In 1901 she attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts. In New England she continued her piano studies and received a degree from the Bradford Academy in 1905, the first black to obtain a degree from that institution.
- Portia traveled to Berlin to study under Martin Krause, master pianist and former student of Franz Liszt.
- She chaired the education department of the Texas Association of Negro Musicians.
- In 1927 a 600 voice choir from Booker T. Washington High School, under Portia's direction, sang a medley of popular and spiritual songs for the National Education Association annual convention. It was the first time in history that a black high school group had appeared on the NEA program.

RANDY POE - Fayette, Alabama
- A graduate of the University of North Alabama's commercial music program.
- He entered music publishing in 1980 as assistant to the GM of Carl Fischer Music in New York.
- He is the recipient of the 1991 ASCAP - Deems Taylor Award for his book, "Music Publishing: A Songwriter's Guide," and was a Grammy nominee in 1994 for his production of the four-CD boxed set "Songs Of The West."
- Another compilation produced by Poe is the highly acclaimed "The Muscle Shoals Sound," an 18-song collection covering classic hits from the Muscle Shoals studios during the R&B era of the 1960s.
- Poe serves as president of the Los Angeles based Leiber & Stoller Music Publishing company. He is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music, the Assn. of Independent Music Publishers, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
- He is the former Executive Director of the Songwriters'Hall of Fame

KATHERINE PORCH - Birmingham, Alabama - Porch has studied and performed extensively worldwide.
- Professional credits include Columbia Artist Managements world tour of Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes, as soprano soloist; Susanna in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" with Japan's Ryukyu Opera Company; its premier of Japan's Accents on Opera, and as leading lady in the Companies Opera and Oratorio productions throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. She has studied with Aaron Copland, Gian-Carlo Menotti, and Robert Shaw. She has studied privately with the late Beverly Johnson, Ellen Faull and coached with Robert White among others.
- She is frequent guest artist, recitalist and clinician in concert halls, colleges and universities across the country.

SANDY POSEY - Jasper, Alabama
- Member of a background vocal group working in the recording studios of Memphis and Muscle Shoals, backing a variety of artists including Elvis Presley.
- As a performing artist her "Born A Woman" in 1966 garnered Grammy nominations for "Best Vocal & Best Contemporary Solo Vocal"
- Named "Most Promising Female Vocalist" by Cash Box & Record World Magazines in 1966
- Named "South Africa's International Artist of the Year" in 1967

HUGH PRESTWOOD - Andulusia, Alabama
- A songwriter with by Michael Johnson, the #1 "Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder," Randy Travis's #1 "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart."
- He has had Top 10 hits for Trisha Yearwood, Collin Raye, Holly Dunn, Anne Murray, and Shenandoah

TOPPER PRICE - Mobile, Alabama
- Harmonica player and vocalist
- Sessions at Criteria Studios playing with Dickie Betts (of The Allman Brothers Band) and guest appearances with artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Albert Collins, and The Band,

TRAVIS PRITCHETT - Jackson, Alabama
- Member of the banjo-playing duo Travis & Bob singing together throughout the South in the late fifties.
- They had a kind of neo-Everly Brothers sound.
- In early 1959, they recorded a song Travis had written called "Tell Him No." It went on to become a top-ten national hit

JEANNE PRUETT - Pell City, Alabama
- As a songwriter she wrote songs for Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette, Nat Stuckey, and Conway Twitty.
- In 1973 she recorded her biggest #1 hit "Satin Sheets" - Jeanne was the last singing artist to join the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman in 1973.
- In 1974, she was named the "Female Vocalist of the Year" in England.

CURLY PUTMAN - Princeton, Alabama
- His first major recording, "Green, Green Grass of Home" has been recorded by over 400 artists in every major language in the world. The most successful version was recorded by Tom Jones and sold between 10 and 12 million copies worldwide.
- Co wrote the hit single "He Stopped Loving Her Today" which was named "Song of the Year" two years in a row - He has earned awards for other songs like"My Elusive Dreams", "D I V O R C E", "It Don't Feel Like Sinnin' To Me" and "It's A Cheatin' Situation".
- Putman placed 3 songs on the 2003, CMT (Country Music Television) list of "Top 100 Country Songs" of all time. - He has been selected as a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International Songwriter Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Halll of Fame

NORBERT PUTNAM - Muscle Shoals, Alabama
- Earned recognition as one of the first professional recording musicians in the Shoals area.
- Putnam played bass on many of the early hit recordings by artists such as Arthur Alexander, Tommy Roe, and the Tams. - In the mid 60s, Putnam moved to Nashville, where he continued working as a session musician, playing bass on recording sessions with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Al Hirt, Henry Mancini, Linda Ronstadt, J.J. Cale, Tony Joe White and Bobby Goldsboro.
- In the early 1970s his first effort as a record producer with Joan Baez resulted in the million selling single "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and the platinum album "Blessed Are".
- He has produced other artists such as Jimmy Buffett, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Donovan.
- His awards include more than 24 gold and platinum albums, as well as three Dove and three Grammy nominations.

Alphabetical Achievers Listing