James Rae Denney (later Denny; 28 February 1911 – 27 August 1963) was an American executive in the country music recording and broadcasting industry in the 1940s and '50s. He was head of the Artists Service Bureau for powerful Nashville-based radio station WSM beginning in 1946, served as general manager of the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

, and launched Cedarwood Publishing Company with country star

Webb Pierce Michael Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was an American country music vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist of the 1950s, one of the most popular of the genre, charting more number-one hits than any other country and western pe ...

in 1954. Upon his 1966 posthumous induction, Denny was the first non-musician to be named into the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

Early life and education

On 28 February 1911, Denny was born in

Silver Point, Tennessee Silver Point is an unincorporated community in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. Geography Silver Point is mostly scattered around the intersection of Tennessee State Route 141, Tennessee State Route 56, and Interstate 40, about halfwa ...

, and raised alongside two brothers. At the beginning of the 1920s, Denny moved to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

and worked as a courier for

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the co ...

. For his post-secondary education, Denny went to Watkins Institute to study accounting.

Career

Denny started his career at the

National Life and Accident Insurance Company The National Life and Accident Insurance Company was an American life insurance company based in Nashville, Tennessee that operated from 1900 until it was acquired in a hostile takeover in 1982 by American General Corporation. History Foun ...

in 1929, working in various departments including mail and as an

actuary An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require investment management, asset management, ...

. The insurance firm had launched WSM radio in 1925, and its signature program, the

, had become a national platform for country artists. While with National Life, Denny worked side jobs with the Opry including selling tickets and souvenirs between 1939 and 1946. In 1946, Denny began working at '' WSM'' as the head of its Artists Service Bureau. While holding the head position at the radio station, Denny became the general manager of the Opry in 1951. In 1954, Denny partnered with Webb Pierce to create Cedarwood Publishing Company. Denny left his WSM Artists Service Bureau position in 1956 after WSM raised conflict of interest issues, and created the Jim Denny Artist Bureau while continuing working at Cedarwood. Denny hired multiple songwriters to write for Cedarwood, including Marijohn Wilkin and

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

. He also signed a publishing contract with

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

. Denny ended his music executive career in December 1962 after he was diagnosed with

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

Awards and honors

In 1955, Denny was named the 1955 ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Country and Western Man of the Year. Denny became the first non-musician to be named into the

after his posthumous induction in 1966.

Personal life

Denny was married and had three kids.

Death

Denny died at Saint Thomas - West Hospital in Nashville from cancer on 27 August 1963.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denny, Jim 1911 births 1963 deaths American music managers Country Music Hall of Fame inductees