In Loving Memory

Ralph James Murphy, aged 75 years, resident of Nashville, TN passed away at Vanderbilt Hospital in May of 2019.

Born Saffron-Walden, England to Jane and Rolf, Ralph subsequently emigrated to Wallaceburg, Ontario. He began his music career at the age of 14 at the urging of his mentor, Barb Thornton. Over the past six decades of working as a performing and recording artist, record producer, songwriter and music publisher, Ralph has had countless hit songs in multiple genres although he was proudest of his achievements as an influential figure in the Nashville country music industry. He was a former president of the Nashville Songwriter's Association, International and a former President of the Nashville Chapter of the National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences and former Trustee of NARAS. Ralph was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. For the last 25 years Ralph had served as an international liaison for ASCAP working as a guide and advocate for songwriters around the world. In 2019, the Canadian songwriters’ society, SOCAN, created the Ralph Murphy Songwriters Inspiration Award to honor Ralph’s service to the Canadian songwriting community as well as endowing him with their Special Achievement Award. As of this writing he has also been nominated for the Canadian Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.

Ralph is survived by his children, Shawn and Kerry Murphy, and his grandchildren, Madeline and Finnian.