NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Harold Bradley, one of the most prominent session musicians in the history of Nashville's Music Row, has died. He was 93.
Bradley’s daughter confirmed his death via Facebook, saying he died peacefully in his sleep.
In the early 50s, Harold and his older brother, Owen, built the famed Bradley Film and Recording Studios – later known as the Quonset Hut, the first recording studio on Music Row.
Harold Bradley was a member of the Nashville A-Team, a group of acclaimed session musicians that played on records for artists like Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley.
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2008, the Bradley family was the recipient of the Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award for exemplifying the highest quality of leadership for seven decades.
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, released the following statement:
"For decades, Harold Bradley went to work doing something that he called 'playing.' He surveyed every sonic situation and determined what he could do to make things better, more melodic, and more harmonious. There are lessons in Harold's approach to playing that go far beyond music. He lived his life with kindness, gentility, and discretion. On hopeful days, I will try to view Harold Bradley as an inspiration and not an aberration."
