Robert Ellis Orrall, born Robert on May 4, 1955 in Winthrop, Massachusetts, is an American musician and record producer. Orrall began his musical journey performing in various Boston area clubs before signing with RCA Records in 1980 as a rock artist. His debut album Fixation was released in 1981, followed by Special Pain in 1983, which included the Top 40 single "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Carlene Carter. Orrall's interest in country music led him to Nashville, where he co-wrote Shenandoah’s hit "Next to You, Next to Me" and eventually secured a record deal with RCA. His first country album Flying Colors produced three charting singles including "Boom! It Was Over" and "A Little Bit of Her Love" which went to number 19 and 31, respectively. In 1994, Orrall formed the duo Orrall & Wright with Curtis Wright, releasing one album and two Billboard-charting songs before disbanding that same year. Throughout his career, Robert Ellis Orrall has written over 250 songs for various artists including Taylor Swift and Reba McEntire. He co-produced Swift's self-titled debut album and her extended play Beautiful Eyes. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Robert Ellis Orrall continued his prolific songwriting career, contributing to albums by Michael Peterson, Martina McBride, and Ashton Shepherd. Additionally, he founded Infinity Cat Recordings in 2002 with his sons Jake and Jamin, under which he released several indie rock albums as Monkey Bowl.
