Byron Hill can claim an impressive backstory. His songs have graced no fewer than 100 gold and platinum albums and singles, earning him ten ASCAP awards and 36 US and Canadian top-ten hits, as well as hits in many international markets. No fewer than eighteen members of the Country Music Hall of Fame have recorded his songs.
Hill was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. His music spans more than four decades, and includes hits and album tracks recorded by George Strait, Alabama, Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Don Williams, John Michael Montgomery, Juice Newton, Joe Nichols, Randy Travis, Keith Whitley, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Conway Twitty, Jeff Bates, Highway 101, Barbara Mandrell, Mel McDaniel, Mark Chesnutt, Rhett Akins, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Whites, Ricky Van Shelton, The Seekers, Rhonda Vincent, Lonesome River Band, The Grascals, The Seldom Scene, Doc & Merle Watson, Asleep At The Wheel, Dionne Warwick, Toby Keith, Gene Watson, Margo Smith, Mark Wills, The Kendalls, Porter Wagoner, Sha Na Na, Moe Bandy, Clint Eastwood, Joe Diffie, and Hank Thompson, among many others.
In addition, his material has been included in several feature films, network programs, and cable TV shows and series.
That’s an impressive resume to be sure, but strangely enough, Hill’s personal resume has largely escaped the public eye. Hopefully then, that will change with the release of his new seven song mini LP, That Old Mountain. Garnering support from an all-star list of veteran session players — Evan Winsor (bass), Jonah Horton (mandolin), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Scott Vestal (banjo), Cody Kilby (guitar) — and Hill himself on vocals, guitar, Irish fiddle, and production, it’s a most impressive set of moving and memorable songs, composed by Hill and occasional co-writer Glen Duncan.
While the credentials don’t get any more impressive than those listed above, as always, it’s the music that matters. And here again, Hill proves that point decidedly. It’s filtered through with quiet contentment, while sharing a sense of sheer affirmation throughout. That’s evident from the outset with the quiet narrative Mountain Folks Are Always High, a song that shares the celebratory stance stated in its title. Nobody Knows But Me offers a first-hand account of a life on the run, one that finds the protagonist proudly proclaiming that no one was hurt while committing his crimes. Finally, the title track provides a nice sandwich for the set, offering an ode to the altitude that creates a higher plain.
Hill’s incessant charms, melodies and devotion to his Appalachian environs are obvious with each of these engaging encounters. As a result, That Old Mountain can be considered a most desirable destination indeed.
