Rodney Crowell

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Pushkin Industries

Music, Society & Culture

4.5 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2026

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Rodney Crowell has been a fixture in Nashville's songwriting community for over 50 years. Born in Houston in 1950, he was influenced early on by songwriters Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. In 1975, he joined Emmylou Harris' Hot Band as a guitarist and harmony singer, playing with her for three years. Rodney became known for his own work with his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt, an album that made history by producing five consecutive number-one singles.

Over his career, he's written songs for Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Bob Seger, and countless others, earning him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Last August, Crowell released his twentieth studio album, Airline Highway, produced by Tyler Bryant and recorded at Dockside Studio in Louisiana. Just a few months ago, Willie Nelson released What a Beautiful World, an entire album of Crowell covers.

On today's episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Rodney Crowell about making Airline Highway and the emotional experience of hearing Willie Nelson's tribute album. He discusses his formative years in Nashville's songwriting community. He opens up about his difficult childhood in Houston, including his mother's epilepsy and his father taking him to see Hank Williams perform when he was just two years old. And he talks about working with his ex-wife Rosanne Cash, and meeting his father-in-law Johnny Cash for the first time.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Rodney Crowell HERE.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Pushkin.
0:10.8	Rodney Crowell has been a fixture in Nashville songwriting community for over 50 years.
0:16.0	Born in Houston in 1950, he was influenced early on by songwriters Guy Clark and Towns Van Zant.
0:22.6	In 1975, he joined Ami Lou Harris' hot band as a guitarist and harmony singer, playing with
0:27.4	her for three years.
0:29.6	Ronan became known for his own work with his 1988 album, Diamonds and Dirt, an album that
0:34.4	made history by producing five consecutive number one singles. Over his career,
0:39.8	he's written songs for Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Bob Seeger, and countless others,
0:44.3	earning him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Just last August, Crowell released
0:49.5	his 20th studio album, Airline Highway, produced by Tyler Bryant, and recorded at Dockside Studio in
0:56.5	Louisiana. In just a few months back, Willie Nelson released What a Beautiful World, an entire
1:02.1	album of Crowell covers. On today's episode, Bruce Hedlem talks to Rodney Crowell about making
1:08.0	Airline Highway and the emotional experience of hearing Willie Nelson's tribute album. He discusses his formative years in Nashville songwriting community,
1:15.7	learning the craft from Guy Clark and Towns Van Zand. He opens up about his difficult childhood
1:21.0	in Houston, including his mother's epilepsy, and his father taking him to see Hank Williams
1:25.6	perform when he was just two years old.
1:28.7	Plus, he talks about working with his ex-wife, Roseanne Cash,
1:31.8	and meeting his father-in-law, Johnny Cash, for the first time.
1:37.8	This is Broken Record. Real musicians, real conversations.
1:44.8	This is an I-Heart podcast.
1:47.7	Guaranteed Human.
1:51.1	Here's Bruce Hedlam with Rodney Crowell.
	...

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