Biography
During the closing years of the 1990s and the opening years of the following decade, Darrell Scott rose to prominence as one of country music’s most accomplished songwriters, securing cuts with leading artists that produced substantial chart successes. Garth Brooks, the Chicks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and additional major figures all interpreted his material. Throughout this period he maintained a parallel career as a studio musician while issuing a succession of solo albums.
Born James Darrell Scott on August 6, 1959, on a tobacco farm in London, Kentucky, the son of musician Wayne Scott, he relocated with his family during childhood to East Gary, Indiana. By his teenage years he was performing professionally in Southern California, later residing in Toronto and Boston. At Tufts University he concentrated on poetry and literature before settling in Nashville to pursue opportunities in country music. In the first half of the 1990s he contributed vocals, banjo, Dobro, guitar, bass, and pedal steel to projects by John Lincoln Wright, Catie Curtis, Hypnotic Clambake, Peter Keane, Duke Levine, Suzy Bogguss, and Randy Travis. During 1995 alone he appeared on recordings by Guy Clark, Kate Wallace, John Berry, Marcus Hummon, Doug Stone, and Martina McBride while beginning to place his own compositions. The Hummon–Scott collaboration “Honky Tonk Mona Lisa” surfaced on Hummon’s All in Good Time and on Doug Stone’s Faith in Me, Faith in You, later receiving a cover by Neal McCoy. Scott and Hal Ketchum’s “An Ordinary Day” was recorded by Maura O’Connell on Stories, and Scott and Tim O’Brien’s “Daddy’s on the Roof Again” appeared on O’Brien’s Rock in My Shoe.
Session credits for Scott in 1996 encompassed albums by John Berry, Suzy Bogguss, and Twila Paris. Together with Verlon Thompson he wrote “Ol’ Joe Clark,” included on Sam Bush’s Glamour & Grits. His most notable achievement that year was “No Way Out,” co-written with Marcus Hummon and recorded by Suzy Bogguss as a country singles chart entry; the song was subsequently covered by Julie Roberts. In 1997 he played on releases by David Beaudry, Monk Wilson, Jason Sellers, Guy Clark, Michael Peterson, and Tim O’Brien. With Clark he co-wrote “Out in the Parking Lot,” featured on Clark’s Keepers and later covered by Kyle Jennings and by Brad Paisley. With O’Brien he co-wrote “When There’s No One Around,” which O’Brien recorded on When No One’s Around and which Garth Brooks included on the chart-topping, multi-platinum Sevens. Sugar Hill Records signed Scott as a solo artist, and in April 1997 the label issued his debut album, Aloha from Nashville.
By 1998 Scott’s profile had risen further; he appeared on albums by Olivia Newton-John, Deana Carter, Sam Bush, Jenny Simpson, Suzy Bogguss, Jon Pousette-Dart, and Susan Werner, earning a producer credit on Werner’s Time Between Trains. The Scott–Tia Sillers composition “I’m Trying” was recorded by Kevin Sharp on Love Is and later covered by Lee Greenwood and by Diamond Rio. Pousette-Dart used three Scott songs—“She Looks Good to Me,” “Tonight,” and “Walking to a Different Rhythm,” the latter two co-written with his band—on Ready to Fly. Session work in 1999 included projects by Rhythm, Guy Clark, Sherrié Austin, Jason Sellers, Kate Rusby, Suzy Bogguss, and Paul Brandt; Scott produced Clark’s Cold Dog Soup. The Chicks placed “Heartbreak Town,” drawn from Aloha from Nashville, on their chart-topping, multi-platinum Fly, where it became a country Top 40 single and was later covered by Big Wooden Radio. New Grange recorded “Music Tree,” written by Scott and Tim O’Brien. Trace Adkins included Scott’s “Someday” on More…. Sugar Hill released Scott’s second solo album, Family Tree, in April.
Scott sustained an equally demanding schedule in 2000, contributing to albums by Jelly Roll Johnson, Judith Edelman, Sam Bush, John Cowan, the Warren Brothers, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Trisha Yearwood, John Rich, and John McCusker. His and Verlon Thompson’s “Beside Myself” appeared on Johnson’s Jelly Roll Johnson and a Few Close Friends; his and Cowan’s “Sligo” was included on Cowan’s John Cowan. “Born to Fly,” co-written by Scott, Sara Evans, and Marcus Hummon, was released as a single by Evans that reached number one on the country chart in January 2001 and appeared on her album Born to Fly. Bill Miller recorded the Scott co-write “Different Drum” on Reservation Road. Travis Tritt recorded Scott’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” from Aloha from Nashville, on Down the Road I Go, where it peaked at number two on the country singles chart and was later covered by Pat Green and Cory Morrow. Tim O’Brien and Scott issued the duo album Real Time on Howdy Skies Records on April 18, 2000; “The Second Mouse,” from that release, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
Session appearances in 2001 included albums by Ginny Hawker, Kate Rusby, Sherrié Austin, Patty Loveless, Chely Wright, and Tim O’Brien. “Constant State of Grace,” written by Scott and Irene Kelley, appeared on Kelley’s Simple Path. Scott’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” first heard on Aloha from Nashville, was covered by Brad Paisley on Part II and by Loveless on Mountain Soul. The Nashville Songwriters Association named Scott Songwriter of the Year for 2001.
In 2002 Scott appeared on albums by John Cowan, Guy Clark, Elizabeth Cook, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, Steve Earle, and Ty Herndon, and he produced Clark’s Dark. “Long Time Gone,” the advance single from the Chicks’ chart-topping, multi-platinum Home, was a Scott composition that had originally appeared on Real Time; it reached number two on the country chart and earned Scott a second Grammy nomination, this time for Best Country Song. Darryl Worley’s cover of “Family Tree,” the title track from Scott’s second solo album, appeared on I Miss My Friend and reached the country Top 40. Country comedian Cledus T. Judd parodied “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” as “It’s a Great Day to Be a Guy” on Cledus Envy. ASCAP named Scott Songwriter of the Year for 2002.
Scott’s 2003 session credits included albums by Malcolm Holcombe, Dick Siegel, Andrea Zonn, Steve Conn, Tim O’Brien, and Sara Evans. “Another Day,” co-written with O’Brien, appeared on both O’Brien’s Traveler and Karan Casey’s Distant Shore. Evans, Scott, and Marcus Hummon wrote “Feel It Comin’ On,” featured on Evans’ Restless. That same year Scott established his own independent label, Full Light Records, which released his third solo album, Theatre of the Unheard, on September 23. The collection comprised songs written between 1986 and 1990 that had been intended for a major-label release in 1992 but were ultimately canceled; they now appeared in re-recorded form. In 2004 he played on albums by Jim Lauderdale, Johnsmith, Buddy Mondlock, and Dirk Powell. “Proving You Wrong,” co-written with Keb’ Mo’, appeared on the latter’s Keep It Simple. Scott, Marcus Hummon, and Andy Griggs wrote “My Kind of Beautiful,” included on Griggs’ This I Gotta See. “Old Town New,” co-written with Bruce Robison, was featured on Tim McGraw’s chart-topping, multi-platinum Live Like You Were Dying.
Session work in 2005 encompassed albums by the Warren Brothers, Tim O’Brien, Allison Moorer, Ciarán Tourish, Faith Hill, Kathy Mattea, and Sara Evans. Scott and Leslie Satcher wrote “Eight Crazy Hours (In the Story of Love),” recorded by Fairchild on Ride. Scott alone wrote “We’ve Got Nothing But Love to Prove” (also known as “Goodle, USA”), included on Hill’s chart-topping, multi-platinum Fireflies. Two tracks appeared on the various-artists album Hands Across the Water: Scott performed his song “This Beggar’s Heart” with Amhlaoibh and Muireann Nic, while John Cowan and the Brock-McGuire Band played the Cowan–Scott composition “Cumberland Plateau.” Scott also served as producer and backup musician on the album. Neal McCoy recorded “Head South,” from Scott’s debut solo album, on That’s Life. Scott’s “Love’s Not Through with Me Yet” appeared on Mattea’s Right Out of Nowhere. Collaborating again with Sara Evans and Marcus Hummon, Scott wrote “Momma’s Night Out,” which Evans placed on Real Fine Place. On Full Light Records, Scott issued the concert recording Live in NC, supported by Danny Thompson and Kenny Malone, in April 2005. He released This Weary Way, an album by his father Wayne Scott that he produced and performed on, co-writing “I Wouldn't Live in Harlan County” and “What I Really Need Is You” with the elder Scott. He also reissued the 2000 duo album Real Time with Tim O’Brien.
In 2006 Scott appeared on albums by Casey Dreissen, Rascal Flatts, Doug & Telisha Williams, John Cowan, and Johnsmith. “Simple Man,” co-written with Hal Ketchum, was recorded by John Corbett on his self-titled album. Cowan’s New Tattoo featured “6 Birds (In a Joshua Tree)” and “Drown,” both co-written by Scott and Cowan, along with a cover of “With a Memory Like Mine” by Scott and Wayne Scott, originally heard on Real Time. Sam Bush recorded Scott’s “River Take Me,” from Theatre of the Unheard, on Laps in Seven. Johnsmith’s Break Me Open included a cover of “Love’s Not Through with Me.” In June 2006 Scott released The Invisible Man, his first collection of newly written material since Family Tree in 1999. He returned in 2008 with Modern Hymns, an album of interpretations of other songwriters’ classic tunes. Subsequent releases devoted to his own compositions were Crooked Road (2010) and Long Ride Home (2012). Two further collaborations with Tim O’Brien followed: Live: We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This (2012) and Memories & Moments (2013). In 2015 Scott issued Ten: Songs of Ben Bullington, followed the next year by Couchville Sessions.
Born James Darrell Scott on August 6, 1959, on a tobacco farm in London, Kentucky, the son of musician Wayne Scott, he relocated with his family during childhood to East Gary, Indiana. By his teenage years he was performing professionally in Southern California, later residing in Toronto and Boston. At Tufts University he concentrated on poetry and literature before settling in Nashville to pursue opportunities in country music. In the first half of the 1990s he contributed vocals, banjo, Dobro, guitar, bass, and pedal steel to projects by John Lincoln Wright, Catie Curtis, Hypnotic Clambake, Peter Keane, Duke Levine, Suzy Bogguss, and Randy Travis. During 1995 alone he appeared on recordings by Guy Clark, Kate Wallace, John Berry, Marcus Hummon, Doug Stone, and Martina McBride while beginning to place his own compositions. The Hummon–Scott collaboration “Honky Tonk Mona Lisa” surfaced on Hummon’s All in Good Time and on Doug Stone’s Faith in Me, Faith in You, later receiving a cover by Neal McCoy. Scott and Hal Ketchum’s “An Ordinary Day” was recorded by Maura O’Connell on Stories, and Scott and Tim O’Brien’s “Daddy’s on the Roof Again” appeared on O’Brien’s Rock in My Shoe.
Session credits for Scott in 1996 encompassed albums by John Berry, Suzy Bogguss, and Twila Paris. Together with Verlon Thompson he wrote “Ol’ Joe Clark,” included on Sam Bush’s Glamour & Grits. His most notable achievement that year was “No Way Out,” co-written with Marcus Hummon and recorded by Suzy Bogguss as a country singles chart entry; the song was subsequently covered by Julie Roberts. In 1997 he played on releases by David Beaudry, Monk Wilson, Jason Sellers, Guy Clark, Michael Peterson, and Tim O’Brien. With Clark he co-wrote “Out in the Parking Lot,” featured on Clark’s Keepers and later covered by Kyle Jennings and by Brad Paisley. With O’Brien he co-wrote “When There’s No One Around,” which O’Brien recorded on When No One’s Around and which Garth Brooks included on the chart-topping, multi-platinum Sevens. Sugar Hill Records signed Scott as a solo artist, and in April 1997 the label issued his debut album, Aloha from Nashville.
By 1998 Scott’s profile had risen further; he appeared on albums by Olivia Newton-John, Deana Carter, Sam Bush, Jenny Simpson, Suzy Bogguss, Jon Pousette-Dart, and Susan Werner, earning a producer credit on Werner’s Time Between Trains. The Scott–Tia Sillers composition “I’m Trying” was recorded by Kevin Sharp on Love Is and later covered by Lee Greenwood and by Diamond Rio. Pousette-Dart used three Scott songs—“She Looks Good to Me,” “Tonight,” and “Walking to a Different Rhythm,” the latter two co-written with his band—on Ready to Fly. Session work in 1999 included projects by Rhythm, Guy Clark, Sherrié Austin, Jason Sellers, Kate Rusby, Suzy Bogguss, and Paul Brandt; Scott produced Clark’s Cold Dog Soup. The Chicks placed “Heartbreak Town,” drawn from Aloha from Nashville, on their chart-topping, multi-platinum Fly, where it became a country Top 40 single and was later covered by Big Wooden Radio. New Grange recorded “Music Tree,” written by Scott and Tim O’Brien. Trace Adkins included Scott’s “Someday” on More…. Sugar Hill released Scott’s second solo album, Family Tree, in April.
Scott sustained an equally demanding schedule in 2000, contributing to albums by Jelly Roll Johnson, Judith Edelman, Sam Bush, John Cowan, the Warren Brothers, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Trisha Yearwood, John Rich, and John McCusker. His and Verlon Thompson’s “Beside Myself” appeared on Johnson’s Jelly Roll Johnson and a Few Close Friends; his and Cowan’s “Sligo” was included on Cowan’s John Cowan. “Born to Fly,” co-written by Scott, Sara Evans, and Marcus Hummon, was released as a single by Evans that reached number one on the country chart in January 2001 and appeared on her album Born to Fly. Bill Miller recorded the Scott co-write “Different Drum” on Reservation Road. Travis Tritt recorded Scott’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” from Aloha from Nashville, on Down the Road I Go, where it peaked at number two on the country singles chart and was later covered by Pat Green and Cory Morrow. Tim O’Brien and Scott issued the duo album Real Time on Howdy Skies Records on April 18, 2000; “The Second Mouse,” from that release, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
Session appearances in 2001 included albums by Ginny Hawker, Kate Rusby, Sherrié Austin, Patty Loveless, Chely Wright, and Tim O’Brien. “Constant State of Grace,” written by Scott and Irene Kelley, appeared on Kelley’s Simple Path. Scott’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” first heard on Aloha from Nashville, was covered by Brad Paisley on Part II and by Loveless on Mountain Soul. The Nashville Songwriters Association named Scott Songwriter of the Year for 2001.
In 2002 Scott appeared on albums by John Cowan, Guy Clark, Elizabeth Cook, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, Steve Earle, and Ty Herndon, and he produced Clark’s Dark. “Long Time Gone,” the advance single from the Chicks’ chart-topping, multi-platinum Home, was a Scott composition that had originally appeared on Real Time; it reached number two on the country chart and earned Scott a second Grammy nomination, this time for Best Country Song. Darryl Worley’s cover of “Family Tree,” the title track from Scott’s second solo album, appeared on I Miss My Friend and reached the country Top 40. Country comedian Cledus T. Judd parodied “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” as “It’s a Great Day to Be a Guy” on Cledus Envy. ASCAP named Scott Songwriter of the Year for 2002.
Scott’s 2003 session credits included albums by Malcolm Holcombe, Dick Siegel, Andrea Zonn, Steve Conn, Tim O’Brien, and Sara Evans. “Another Day,” co-written with O’Brien, appeared on both O’Brien’s Traveler and Karan Casey’s Distant Shore. Evans, Scott, and Marcus Hummon wrote “Feel It Comin’ On,” featured on Evans’ Restless. That same year Scott established his own independent label, Full Light Records, which released his third solo album, Theatre of the Unheard, on September 23. The collection comprised songs written between 1986 and 1990 that had been intended for a major-label release in 1992 but were ultimately canceled; they now appeared in re-recorded form. In 2004 he played on albums by Jim Lauderdale, Johnsmith, Buddy Mondlock, and Dirk Powell. “Proving You Wrong,” co-written with Keb’ Mo’, appeared on the latter’s Keep It Simple. Scott, Marcus Hummon, and Andy Griggs wrote “My Kind of Beautiful,” included on Griggs’ This I Gotta See. “Old Town New,” co-written with Bruce Robison, was featured on Tim McGraw’s chart-topping, multi-platinum Live Like You Were Dying.
Session work in 2005 encompassed albums by the Warren Brothers, Tim O’Brien, Allison Moorer, Ciarán Tourish, Faith Hill, Kathy Mattea, and Sara Evans. Scott and Leslie Satcher wrote “Eight Crazy Hours (In the Story of Love),” recorded by Fairchild on Ride. Scott alone wrote “We’ve Got Nothing But Love to Prove” (also known as “Goodle, USA”), included on Hill’s chart-topping, multi-platinum Fireflies. Two tracks appeared on the various-artists album Hands Across the Water: Scott performed his song “This Beggar’s Heart” with Amhlaoibh and Muireann Nic, while John Cowan and the Brock-McGuire Band played the Cowan–Scott composition “Cumberland Plateau.” Scott also served as producer and backup musician on the album. Neal McCoy recorded “Head South,” from Scott’s debut solo album, on That’s Life. Scott’s “Love’s Not Through with Me Yet” appeared on Mattea’s Right Out of Nowhere. Collaborating again with Sara Evans and Marcus Hummon, Scott wrote “Momma’s Night Out,” which Evans placed on Real Fine Place. On Full Light Records, Scott issued the concert recording Live in NC, supported by Danny Thompson and Kenny Malone, in April 2005. He released This Weary Way, an album by his father Wayne Scott that he produced and performed on, co-writing “I Wouldn't Live in Harlan County” and “What I Really Need Is You” with the elder Scott. He also reissued the 2000 duo album Real Time with Tim O’Brien.
In 2006 Scott appeared on albums by Casey Dreissen, Rascal Flatts, Doug & Telisha Williams, John Cowan, and Johnsmith. “Simple Man,” co-written with Hal Ketchum, was recorded by John Corbett on his self-titled album. Cowan’s New Tattoo featured “6 Birds (In a Joshua Tree)” and “Drown,” both co-written by Scott and Cowan, along with a cover of “With a Memory Like Mine” by Scott and Wayne Scott, originally heard on Real Time. Sam Bush recorded Scott’s “River Take Me,” from Theatre of the Unheard, on Laps in Seven. Johnsmith’s Break Me Open included a cover of “Love’s Not Through with Me.” In June 2006 Scott released The Invisible Man, his first collection of newly written material since Family Tree in 1999. He returned in 2008 with Modern Hymns, an album of interpretations of other songwriters’ classic tunes. Subsequent releases devoted to his own compositions were Crooked Road (2010) and Long Ride Home (2012). Two further collaborations with Tim O’Brien followed: Live: We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This (2012) and Memories & Moments (2013). In 2015 Scott issued Ten: Songs of Ben Bullington, followed the next year by Couchville Sessions.
Albums
Old Cane Back Rocker
2023
Darrell Scott Sings the Blues of Hank Williams
2020
Couchville Sessions
2016
There's a World of Song
2014
Memories and Moments
2013
Real Time
2012
We're Usually A Lot Better Than This
2012
Long Ride Home
2012
A Crooked Road
2010
The Invisible Man
2006
Live In NC
2005
Theatre Of The Unheard
2003
Family Tree
1999
Aloha From Nashville
1997
Singles
Lost Highway
2020
When You're Tired of Breaking Other Hearts
2020
My Sweet Love Ain't Around
2020
Fool About You
2020
The Day After
2020
Waiting for the Clothes to Get Clean
2016
Down to the River
2016
Live
