JIM MALLOY,
1931-2018

Recording engineer, publisher and producer Jim Malloy, who worked with Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, Townes Van Zandt and others, died 7/4. He was 87.

A native of Dixon, Ill., his career began in Hollywood, eventually landing at Columbia Records after a few studio jobs; Mahalia Jackson was the first singer he mixed.

In the early 1960s, he engineered multiple albums for Henry Mancini, among them The Pink Panther, Mr. Lucky Goes Latin and Dear Hearts and Other Songs About Love, winning a Grammy Award for his work on the Charade soundtrack.

“Jim Malloy was a renowned engineer, publisher, and producer who worked with an impressive list of legendary artists, including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, among others,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “Malloy's expertise in engineering helped him earn six Grammy nominations. He will be deeply missed by members of the music industry.”

He moved to Nashville in the mid-1960s, working with Chet Atkins at RCA from 1965 to 1968 before moving to Monument Records. He engineered numerous sessions for Presley, produced and engineered Van Zandt’s first three albums and engineered Waylon Jennings’ early RCA sessions.

He also produced Sammi Smith’s hit version of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night." His publishing company, DebDave, scored hits with Eddie Rabbitt's "Drivin' My Life Away," "I Love a Rainy Night" and "Step By Step"; his son, Dave, co-wrote the songs.