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Kerry Marx
Background information
Born
Aiken, South Carolina
OccupationStudio musician
Websitewww.kerrymarx.com
South Carolina Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame (Inducted 2023)

Kerry Alan Marx is an American guitarist and studio musician who has served as music director of the Grand Ole Opry's Opry Band since 2018.[1] He is best known for his work with that organization,[2][3] where he has been staff guitarist since 2000.[4][5] He has been described as being among "Nashville's most in-demand musicians",[6] and has played with many high-profile musicians including Johnny Cash,[7] Taylor Swift, John Legend, James Taylor, and Steven Tyler. He was guitarist for the CD "Songs From The Neighborhood," which received a Grammy award, the album Many Moods of Moses which received a Grammy nomination, and for the 2 time multi-platinum self-titled album by musical group Blackhawk.

Marx was also a member of The Johnny Cash Show band,[8][9] and toured extensively with Don McLean. In June 2023, Marx was inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame.[10][11][12]

Biography

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Early life, education, and career

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Born in Aiken, South Carolina,[10] Marx studied music at the University of South Carolina;[13] a 1971 article noted that he was a "stand-in bass guitarist" for a band called Wax Bean, the winning band in an Aiken Battle of the Bands.[14] He then went on to concentrate in jazz guitar while attending North Texas State University in Denton, TX.[13] He moved to Nashville in 1981 and has played a variety of jazz, pop, rock, and country music in the Nashville recording scene.[13] Marx "broke into the demo scene gradually, in between road trips".[15] Marx related the frustrations of working as a session musician during that time, noting that session producers often did not convey their thoughts about whether the session had gone well. On one song recorded by both Mark Chesnutt and Chad Mullins, Marx "came up with a guitar line that the publisher said he wasn't crazy about", but that Marx then heard on the records, "played by a steel instead of a guitar"—an experience that Marx said "reassures me about my song sense and session sense".[15]

Marx toured with artists such as Ray Price (1979–1981), Jerry Reed (1981–1983), Razzy Bailey (1983–1984), Ronnie Milsap (1984–1987), Johnny Cash (1989–1992), Toby Keith and Shania Twain (1993), Don McLean (2001–2023), Lee Ann Womack (2004), Porter Wagoner (2006), Steve Wariner (2006–2007), Lynda Carter (2008–2022),[16] Olivia Newton-John (2012–2018), Johnny Mathis (2016–2024).[13] Other artists Marx is noted to have worked with include Natalie Cole, Taylor Swift, John Legend, James Taylor, and Branford Marsalis.[1] By 1983, Marx had become the lead guitarist of the True Life Country Band backing B. J. Thomas.[17] A 1986 review of a Ronnie Milsap benefit concert in Durham, North Carolina noted that despite the country tones of the show, "other aspects of the performance more closely resembled a rock concert, such as Kerry Marx's soaring lead guitar solo".[18] Marx's association with Johnny Cash began in 1989 when Cash's longtime guitarist Bob Wooton took a leave of absence from performing.[9] He was noted for his contribution to Cash's song, "I'm an Easy Rider" from the 1991 album, The Mystery of Life, described as "a road song featuring Kerry Marx's hard-edged and doubled-up baritone guitar".[19] Marx left Cash's band in 1992 to pursue other projects.[9] In the late 1990s, he was also lead guitarist in TNN's Prime Time Country band.[4]

Opry Band membership and later work

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Amidst concerns about declining Opry participation by high-profile members, newly promoted Grand Ole Opry director Pete Fisher fired five members of the Opry Band, and brought on Marx, as well as fiddler Hoot Hester, and drummer John Gardner.[4] The new lineup, with Marx as staff guitarist, debuted in January 2000,[4][1] and was well-received, with a 2001 review of the Grand Ole Opry house band noting that "pianist Tim Atwood and guitarist Kerry Marx play with rare taste, feel, and soul".[20]

Concurrently with his work on the Opry Band, Marx has performed and composed for major networks, most notably for the Lionel Richie Special (2012), Hannah Montana, American Music Awards (2005–2017), Billboard Music Awards (20012–2022), Academy of Country Music Awards (2003–2022), CMA Christmas (2012–2019), Country Music Association (CMA) Awards (2011–2021, 1992 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and the 1985 Grammy Awards.[13] Working with Lynda Carter, Marx also performed original music for the 2015 video game, Fallout 4. In 2017, for former state trooper Michael Luster's tribute song for fallen military members and first responders, Kerry assembled a group of session musicians who had worked with numerous famous performers.[21] In 2020, he performed on a Christmas project for sisters Kandy Isley and Kim Johnson.[22] In February 2021, Marx was one of four members of the Opry house band brought into Daywind Studios in Hendersonville, Tennessee, as an electric guitarist on the Darin & Brooke Aldridge song, "Grand Ole Circle".[23][24]

Beginning in 2023, Marx has also been a member of The Tennessee Four, a group formed to celebrate the legacy of Johnny Cash. The ensemble features Cash's grandson, Thomas Gabriel, along with veteran musicians who performed with Cash during his career, including Marx on guitar, Paul Leim on drums, and Dave Roe on bass.[25][26] Marx also featured on several songs for the 2024 album, Songwriter, containing previously unreleased Johnny Cash recordings.[27]

In March 2023, Marx was inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame for his music career,[10][11][12] and in May 2023, Marx toured with Don McLean in Australia.[28] In March 2024, Marx performed in a career retrospective with then 89-year-old Johnny Mathis,[29] and later that month was announced as the featured entertainer for the 2024 South Carolina Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.[30] In May 2025, Marx performed with then 90-year-old trumpeter Herb Alpert.[31]

As of 2011, Marx played Schenk guitars, handcrafted by Silverdale, Washington, engineer and guitar maker Rod Schenk.[32] Over the course of his career, Marx came up with four points to convey to musicians trying to succeed in the industry: be realistic in self-assessing your ability; avoid taking jobs that take time away from your career; be pleasant and friendly; and "Don't go away!"[1]

Discography

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Television

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Guitarist and composer

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Live TV credits

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Film soundtracks

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Jingles and commercial products

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[13]

Personal life

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In November 1975, Marx married Janice Christine Wynn in Dayton, Ohio.[34]

References

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  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Redmond, Rich (2023). Making It in Country Music: An Insider's Look at the Industry. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 29-30. ISBN 9798765160411.
  2. ^ "Country singer graciously shares his memorable night at the Opry". The Augusta Chronicle. May 9, 2006. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  3. ^ Hollabaugh, Lorie (December 3, 2013). "Artist Updates". Music Row. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Orr, Jay (January 6, 2000). "Opry in the Pews Again: Month at Mother Church could mark the show's rebirth". The Tennessean. pp. 1F, 4F – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Waddell, Ray (June 17, 2000). "Strong Support System: Opry Band, Singers and Dancers Think and Play on Their Feet". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  6. ^ Schube, Will (September 7, 2021). "Kristin Chenoweth Announces Holiday Album, 'Happiness Is...Christmas!'". www.udiscovermusic.com. Chenoweth teamed up with award-winning producers Jay Landers (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler) and Fred Mollin (Jimmy Webb, Johnny Mathis) for the album... The duo enlisted a group of Nashville's most in-demand musicians for the recording sessions, including guitarists Bryan Sutton and Kerry Marx...
  7. ^ Washburn, Jim (August 10, 1992). "Pop Music Review: Johnny Cashes In on the Past at the Coach House". L.A. Times. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  8. ^ Smith, John L. (1999). Another song to sing: the recorded repertoire of Johnny Cash. Scarecrow Press.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c Laton, Allen (2025). Thirty Years Behind the Scenes with the Man in Black, Johnny Cash. p. 66, 72.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c Moore, Stephanie (March 27, 2023). "4 new inductees announced for SC Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame". WYFF 4. The third inductee for 2023 is Kerry Marx. Marx is the current music director at the Grand Ole Opry and has been since 2018. Before that, Marx was a guitarist at the Grand Ole Opry. He is from Aiken, South Carolina.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Putnam, Jeannie (March 28, 2023). "Three Upstate entertainers named 2023 SC Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame inductees". Greenville Journal.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "Hall of Fame Induction Show, Inductees for June 3rd., 2023". South Carolina Hall of Fame.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Kerry Marx". kerrymarx.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  14. ^ "'Wax Bean' Is Winner In Battle Of Bands", Aiken Standard (November 3, 1971), p. 4-B.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Dan Daley, Nashville's Unwritten Rules-Inside The Business of Country Music (The Overlook Press, 1998), p. 268-70, ISBN 0879518898.
  16. ^ Schwind, Brady. "Lynda Carter "This Life: My Music, My Story", At Jazz At Lincoln Center". BroadwayWorld.com.
  17. ^ "B.J. Thomas sound is lush, but falls into kissing trap". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. April 15, 1983. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Bob Nowell, "Milsap weaves many influences into a memorable show", The Raleigh News and Observer (June 4, 1986), p. 11B.
  19. ^ C. Eric Banister, Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black (Backbeat Books, 2014), p. 330. ISBN 978-1480385405
  20. ^ "For great music, look into the shadows", The Tennessean (August 24, 2001), p, 7F.
  21. ^ Spearie, Steven (April 24, 2017). "Retired trooper writes song". The Springfield State Journal-Register. pp. 15–16 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Kevin C. Johnson, "Sibling singers come up with their own Christmas project", St. Louis Post-Dispatch (December 25, 2020), p. G7.
  23. ^ Roland, Tom (April 13, 2022). "Makin' Tracks: Bluegrass Duo Darin & Brooke Aldridge Honor Opry With 'Grand Ole Circle'". Billboard.com.
  24. ^ Lawless, John (January 28, 2022). "Grand Ole Circle video from Darin & Brooke Aldridge". Bluegrass Today.
  25. ^ Hollabaugh, Lorie (August 30, 2023). "Grand Ole Opry To Celebrate The Music & Influence Of Johnny Cash". MusicRow. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  26. ^ "The Tennessee Four preserves the legacy of Johnny Cash". Fox Carolina. July 24, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  27. ^ "Previously unreleased recordings of Johnny Cash take center stage on new release". Goldmine Magazine. April 23, 2024.
  28. ^ Cashmere, Paul (May 1, 2023). "Don McLean Goes Out On The Top Of His Game On Final Australian Tour". noise11.com. The credentials in this band are worldclass. Guitarist Kerry Marx worked with Johnny Cash and when he isn't touring with Don is a member of the Grand Old Opry staff band performing with over 10 artists a week at the legendary Nashville music venue.
  29. ^ Bream, Jon (March 10, 2025). "At 89, Johnny Mathis wonderful". Minneapolis Star Tribune. pp. A10 – via newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "SC Music, Entertainment Hall of Fame Induction at Furman on April 25". Greenville Journal. March 29, 2024. p. 18 – via newspapers.com.
  31. ^ Boissoneau, Ross (May 12, 2025). "Herb Alpert turns back clock with verve, classic songs". Local Spins.
  32. ^ "Silverdale man merges two careers". Kitsap Sun. December 11, 2011.
  33. ^ Trager, Oliver (May 17, 2004). "Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia". New York: Billboard Books. p. 69-70 – via Internet Archive.
  34. ^ "Marriage of Marx". Dayton Daily News. November 7, 1975. p. 14 – via newspapers.com.
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