ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Roger Wayne Sovine

As the son of country music entertainer Red Sovine, Roger has been around the music business his entire life. He began his career at Cedarwood Publishing Company in Nashville, Tennessee (TN) in 1965 and later joined Show-Biz Publishing and South Publishing Productions. Roger had a brief recording stint with Imperial Records in the late 1960s and Barnaby Records in 1971. While with Imperial, he charted two singles, Culman Alabama and Little Bitty Nitty Gritty Dirt Town.

After his first stint at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) (1972-1979), serving as Assistant Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations, he joined the Welk Music Group as Vice President, Professional Services. Roger later became Vice President of Tree International (now Sony/ATV). He re-joined BMI in 1985 as Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations.

Over the years, Roger has been associated with several industry organizations, including:

• BMI – Assistant Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations
• BMI - Trustee of the Country Music Foundation (CMF)
• National trustee of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS)
• Member of the board of governors and past president of the Nashville Chapter of NARAS
• Chairman of the Copyright Society of the South
• Executive vice president and board member of Reunion of Professional Entertainers (R.O.P.E)
• Vice President of Tree International
• President and chairman of the board of the Country Music Association (CMA).

Roger is also a former commissioner of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission and a charter organizer and board member of Leadership Music. In addition, he is an alumnus of Leadership Nashville and an executive committee member of the T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, Leukemia and AIDS Research.

Imperial Recording Sessions

January 1968 Nashville, Tennessee (TN)

Producer: Scott Turner & John Danny

• 001 Im-6447- Savannah, Georgia Vagrant Imperial 66291
• 002 Im-6448- Cullman, Alabama Imperial 66291 

June 1968 Nashville, TN

Producer: Scott Turner & John Danny

• 003 Home Town Blues 66322
• 004 River Girl 66322
• 005 Love Took My Heart 66344
• 006 A Railroad Tressell In California 66344 

June 1969 Nashville, TN

Producer: Roger Sovine

• 007 Little Bitty Nitty Gritty Dirt Town 66398
• 008 Son – 66398 

March 1970 Nashville, TN

Producer: Roger Sovine

• 009 The Star 66449
• 010 That Was Once Upon A Time 66449 

April 1971 Nashville, TN

Producer: Roger Sovine

• 011 Overnight Success Barnaby Zs7-2030
• 012 Kinda Down On My Luck Barnaby Zs7-2030
• 013 A Typical American Boy Zs7-2046
• 014 It's Cold In Tulsa Zs7-2046
  
  

Imperial SINGLES
66291 Cullman, Alabama / Savannah, Georgia Vagrant (Mar. 1968)
66322 Home Town Blues / River Girl (Aug 1968)
66344 Love Took My Heart / A Railroad Tressell In California (Dec. 1968)
66398 Little Bitty Nitty Gritty Dirt Town / Son (Aug. 1969)
66449 The Star / That Was Once Upon A Time (Apr. 1970)

Barnaby Singles

Barnaby (1971) as by Roger Wayne Sovine
ZS7-2030 Overnight Success / Kinda Down On My Luck (May 1971)
ZS7-2046 A Typical American Boy / It's Cold In Tulsa (Sep 19 71)

Written and compiled by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music. Oct. 24, 2011.