Putnam, Norbert (10th August 1942-Present)

He is a bass and upright bass player, composer, producer and teacher who was raised in Florence, Alabama, where his father played bluegrass.

In the 1950s he began playing the bass at a friend’s suggestion when he formed a cover band. Although attending further education at college, he decided at 19 to leave and play bass at the studio in Muscles Shoals on their first hit records.

After several years he and other band members moved to Nashville in 1965 to perform and he was so much in demand that his work can be heard on literally thousands of recordings. After he had joined forces with David Briggs to form DANOR Music and build the Quadrofonic studio, Kris Kristofferson requested he produce the album Blessed Are for Joan Baez which delivered the hit “The Night They Drive Old Dixie Down”.

This was enough to catch the eye of other artists and record companies and soon Jimmy Buffett and others called upon his services and he produced Jimmy Buffett’s biggest success, “Margaritaville” and at least of his albums. This saw him not only being one of Nashville’s busiest bass players but one of the top producers too in Nashville’s now foremost recording studio. 1980 saw he and David Briggs sell Quadrofonic and he moved to Franklin, Tennessee, and opened The Bennett House studios, followed by the mastering facility Georgetown Masters.

Artists he has worked with over his long recording and production career include the Addrisi Brothers, Area Code 615, Beau Brummels, Kenny Buttrey, J.J. Cale, Donovan, Flying Burrito Brothers, Dan Fogelberg, Bobby Goldsboro, Steve Goodman, Amy Grant, Dobie Gray, Al Hirt, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot, Dave Loggins, John D. Loudermilk, Henry Mancini, Manhattan Transfer, Ian Matthews, Country Joe McDonald, Ronnie Milsap, The Monkees, Willie Nelson, The Neon Philharmonic, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Mickey Newbury, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Roy Orbison, The Pointer Sisters, Elvis Presley who called him “Putt”, Eddie Rabbitt, Jerry Reed, Marty Robbins, Tommy Roe, Kenny Loggins, Charlie Rich, Linda Ronstadt, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Dan Seals, Ray Stevens, The Tams, Conway Twitty, Jerry Jeff Walker and Neil Young and with his band he opened for the first Beatles concert in Washington D.C.

In 2003 he was the designer of studios at Delta State University’s new Delta Music Institute and this resulted with him accepting a position there as a teacher of producer/engineer studies and Director for a two-year period. In recent years he has sold The Bennett House Studios and Georgetown Masters, created CDMemphis.com for his newly created internet music company Cadre Entertainment, moved back to Jackson, Tennessee, his NP Acoustic company has been used by Lambuth University as consultants and he has been made a member of the board of the West Tennessee Health Care.

In 2017 he published his book Music Lessons Vol. 1: a Musical Memoir.

He has also been inducted into the Alabama Hall of Fame.

Joan Baez recordings
Best of Friends – producer (Mimi Farina)

Jimmy Buffett recordings
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes – producer (Jimmy Buffett)
Cheeseburger in Paradise – bass (Jimmy Buffett)
Margaritaville – producer (Jimmy Buffett)

Sources:

Putnam, Norbert (10th August 1942-Present)

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