Award-winning producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon joins the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for an in-depth interview about his storied career. This interview was hosted by the Museum’s Jon Freeman, recorded on July 25, 2026, and presented in support of the exhibition “Kenny Chesney: Living in Fast Forward.”

During the interview, Cannon reflects on his childhood in rural Tennessee, the several bands he performed with in his young adulthood, and how he began playing bass for Bob Luman and Mel Tillis before shifting his focus to songwriting and producing. He also discusses his decades-long creative partnership with Chesney, why they work well together, and how they’re continuously collecting great songs. Cannon also speaks about his time in the studio with another regular collaborator, Willie Nelson, as well as his experience working with Merle Haggard and his deep admiration for Alison Krauss, whose “Windy City” album Cannon produced.

Cannon’s first #1 song was Tillis’s 1978 recording of “I Believe in You.” He also wrote Vern Gosdin’s 1988 chart-topper “Set ‘Em Up Joe” and George Strait’s 1990 #1 “I’ve Come to Expect It from You,” and he won a Country Music Association Song of the Year award for “Give It Away,” recorded by Strait. Cannon started producing in the 1990s and has worked with Chesney on seventeen albums, including the multi-platinum “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.” Additionally, he has produced Country Music Hall of Fame member Nelson since 2008, including the Grammy-winning releases “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin” and “A Beautiful Time.”

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