Songspeak: J. Fred Knobloch
Wednesdays @ 2:30 PM and Mondays @ 10:00 PM
On this episode of Songspeak, get to know songwriter, J. Fred Knobloch. While working for such R&B notables as Dorothy Moore, Eddie Floyd and Anita Ward, J. Fred met drummer James Stroud and pianist Carson Whitsett; it was Whitsett who encouraged his writing and performing and in 1980 it all paid off with “WHY NOT ME”. Co-written with Whitsett and produced by James Stroud, J. Fred reached #1 on the Billboard AC chart and # 18 on HOT 100.
On the heels of that success, Fred moved to Los Angeles and over the next two years had two Top Ten country singles with “Killin’ Time”, a duet with Susan Anton, and a re-make of the Chuck Berry classic, “Memphis”. But it wasn’t long before the South started calling him home and he relocated to Nashville in January of 1983.
Since moving to Nashville, Music Row has allowed him to make lots of “noise with the boys” as an artist, session musician and songwriter. With his good friends Thom Schuyler and Craig Bickhardt, who formed the group SKB, he recorded two albums for MTM including the hits “No Easy Horses” and yet another #1 Country record with “Baby’s Got A New Baby”, co-written by J. Fred with fellow Mississippian Dan Tyler.
His list of cuts include artists such as Faith Hill, George Strait, Delbert McClinton, Etta James, Ray Charles, The Wilkinsons, Lorrie Morgan, John Anderson, Trisha Yearwood, Larry Stewart, Neal McCoy, Confederate Railroad, Sawyer Brown, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Kenny Rogers. J. Fred has also composed for TV and movies with songs appearing on Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210, as well as the feature films “Next of Kin” and “In Country”.