Jody Stephens

Jody Stephens first came to fame in the early 1970s as the drummer for Ardent Records’ legendary band Big Star. Artists such as R.E.M., the Replacements, the dB’s, and Teenage Fanclub cite the band as a major influence. All three of Big Star’s Ardent Records releases are listed in the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Twelve years after his initial stint in Big Star, he came back to work at Ardent in 1987 and serves as studio manager and in different roles for all things Ardent.

Stephens is active as a Trustee in the Memphis chapter of NARAS and was the 2002 recipient of the Heineken/ASCAP Music Award for significant contributions to the Memphis music scene. Big Star was honored with a NARAS Memphis Heroes Award in April 2004.