Michael Martin Murphey - Wildfire and The Epic Years

Wildfire and The Epic Years

In 1973, Murphey signed to Epic Records and released the album Michael Murphey that same year. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album included the beautiful "Southwestern Pilgrimage".

In 1975, Murphey released his seminal album, Blue Sky – Night Thunder, also produced by Bob Johnston. The album generated two hit singles: "Carolina in the Pines" and his masterpiece "Wildfire", a sentimental song about the ghosts of a woman and her horse. As a boy, he first heard from his grandfather the story of a ghost horse rescuing people in the desert. Years later, Murphey had a dream about this ghost horse and wrote the words and music the same day with songwriter Larry Cansler.

In May 1975, "Wildfire" became a number one hit on the Radio and Records Charts, reached number three on Billboard's Pop Chart, and number one on all Adult Contemporary Charts, giving Murphey a new level of commercial success and exposure. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1975. The song's success was due, in large part, to the unique harmonies supplied by Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Ibbotson from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the beautiful piano introduction and ending coda played by master jazz pianist Jac Murphy. Although often stated that the introduction is based on Prelude in D-flat, Op. 11 No. 15 by the Russian classical composer Alexander Scriabin, comparisons show little similarities.

During the late 1970s, Murphey recorded four albums: Swans Against the Sun (1976), Flowing Free Forever (1976), Lone Wolf (1978), and Peaks, Valleys, Honky Tonks & Alleys (1979). The album Swans Against the Sun produced his first country hits "A Mansion on the Hill", "Flowing Free Forever", and "Cherokee Fiddle", which also became a top ten hit for Johnny Lee. Murphey's friends, John Denver, Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, and Steve Weisberg appeared on the album. Despite some success on the country music charts, none of these albums generated the enthusiasm or sales of Blue Sky – Night Thunder.

In 1981, Murphey made his first film appearance in Hard Country, which he cowrote. To distinguish himself from another well-known actor named Michael Murphy, the singer began using his middle name for film and music credits. To this day, he is known to the world as Michael Martin Murphey.