How a Prestigious Awards Ceremony Inspired Jamey Johnson’s Biggest Hit From 2008

Jamey Johnson’s song “In Color” grew from a conversation about old black-and-white photographs shown at the BMI Awards. The 2008 hit imagines a grandfather recalling wartime experiences to his grandson, and its themes of memory and family were also shaped by Johnson’s own late grandfather.

Songwriter Lee Thomas Miller recalled that the ceremony’s historical photos made him wonder who the people in them were. Johnson suggested the phrase “You should have seen it in color”, and he, Miller and James Otto developed the idea into a song for Johnson’s album *That Lonesome Song*. “In Color” won the CMA Award for Song of the Year and received two Grammy nominations.