Jimmy Bowen is an American record producer and rockabilly musician born November 30, 1937 in Santa Rita, New Mexico. Born James Albert Bowen, Bowen grew up in Texas and played bass guitar in Buddy Knox's band Rhythm Orchids. In 1956, the group recorded Knox's “Party Doll” and Bowen's “I'm Stickin' with You”, both released by Roulette Records and selling over a million copies. Moving to Los Angeles in 1960, Bowen worked with Glen Campbell before becoming a producer for Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, producing Sinatra's Number 1 hit “Strangers in the Night”. In 1988, Bowen became president of Capitol Records' Nashville division, working with Garth Brooks. In the 1990s, Bowen retired to Hawaii following a cancer diagnosis and authored his autobiography Rough Mix (1997), later returning to music in 2005 to produce an album for Merle Haggard. Over his career, Bowen produced more than 60 Number 1 hits and worked with artists including George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., Reba McEntire, Steve Earle, and The Judds.
