Scott Turner was a Canadian composer, producer, musician and publisher, who had an illustrious career in the music industry spanning over 50 years composing songs with Buddy Holly, Audie Murphy, Herb Alpert, John Marascalco and many others.
Life and career
Early life
Turner was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, to the late Allison and Evelyn Turnbull. At the age of 19, he qualified for the All Canadian Track Team, and would continue to compete for Canada from 1950–1956, winning two Canadian long jump championships and representing Canada in the long jump at the 1954 British Empire Games in Vancouver. In 1952, at the age of 21, he moved to the U.S. and enrolled in the University of Dubuque, Iowa. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree from the University of Dubuque in 1955. While recuperating from a serious sporting injury, Turner taught himself to play guitar—a skill that would soon change the course of his life. Though he enrolled in a post graduate program at Texas Tech University, Lubbock in 1956, he would not stay long. In 1956, Turner befriended Buddy Holly, a young Lubbock musician who would soon achieve worldwide success. Like Holly, Turner left his studies to pursue music in 1957. Turner and Holly ultimately wrote thirteen songs together. And, Holly was just the first of many up and coming singers that would be mentored by Turner over the course of his lifetime.
Life in music
In 1957, Scotty wrote his first songs for his good friend Hal Goodson, also from Texas Tech. Hal Goodson recorded two songs at Petty Studios in Clovis, NM – "Who's Gonna Be The Next One Honey" and "Later Baby". These were the first songs that J.I. Allison recorded, several months before recording Peggy Sue with Buddy Holly. From 1957–1959, Turner was lead guitarist for Tommy Sands and his band The Raiders. From 1960–1961, Turner was lead guitarist and musical director for Guy Mitchell, and served in the same capacities for Eddie Fisher from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, Turner joined A&M Records as a writer/producer. From there, he went on to be general manager of Central Songs publishing company in Hollywood, and eventually became executive producer of the country division of Liberty/Imperial Records in Hollywood. In 1968, Liberty Records was bought for $38 million by Transamerica Corporation and combined with their other label United Artists Records. Following that merger, Turner was transferred to Nashville to take over the country division of the newly merged Liberty/Imperial/United Artists. After leaving the label, he served as an independent producer on several albums for Slim Whitman, garnering Turner four U.K Gold Records, and produced recording sessions for artists such as Bobby Bare, Larry Butler, Jimmy Bryant, Vicki Carr, Johnny Carver, Jimmy Clanton, Roy Clark, Rosemary Clooney, Penny DeHaven, Glen Garrison, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Lewis, Willie Nelson, Harry Nilsson, Bill Phillips, Del Reeves, Ray Sanders, Mel Tillis, Cliffie Stone, and Jerry Wallace among others. Turner also worked in both film and television. He had a number of songs included in movies, and his television credits include serving as music director for "Christmas on the General Jackson", "The Roger Miller Show" and making appearances on "The Perry Como Show", "The Milton Berle Show", "The Mike Douglas Show", Oprah Winfrey's "A.M. Chicago", "Entertainment Tonight" and "A Current Affair".
Publishing companies founded by Turner are Buried Treasure Music, Captain Kidd Music, and Captain Kidd, LLC.
Memorabilia
Turner's memorabilia is now housed at the Willie Nelson and Friends General Store & Museum, Nashville, Tennessee.
Biography
As of June 2012, Australian biographer Damian Johnstone was writing a biography of Scott Turner with the working title "Shutters and Boards – The Scott Turner Story," which is tentatively planned for publication in 2013.
