Jerry Owen Bradley (January 30, 1940 – July 17, 2023) was an American music executive known for his role in

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

. As head of

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

Nashville 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 ...

from 1973 to 1982, Bradley was involved in the marketing and creation of the first

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

album in country music, ''

Wanted! The Outlaws ''Wanted! The Outlaws'' is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released by RCA Records in 1976. The album consists of previously released material with four new songs. Released to capitalize ...

'', which reached that mark in 1976. He also worked as an engineer and producer at his father’s studio, Bradley’s Barn (''Country Music Hall of Fame'', Source). Bradley was inducted in 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 ...

in 2019.

Early life

Bradley was born on January 30, 1940, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the son of

Owen Bradley William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician, bandleader and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was a chief architect of the 1950s and 60s Nashville sou ...

, who later headed the

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

Nashville studios (later MCA Nashville, and then part of

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

). Bradley started his

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

years at

Montgomery Bell Academy Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee. The school is located in the Whitland Area Neighborhood. History MBA was established in 1867 in the aftermath of the American ...

, but then switched to Hillsboro High School over a disagreement with Montgomery Bell and their administration.Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum profile of Jerry Bradley
''Countrymusichalloffame.org'', accessed April 26, 2020 After graduation, Bradley served two years in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Learning the music business

After his Army discharge, Bradley returned to work with his father Owen at the first

Bradley's Barn Bradley's Barn was a music recording studio founded in the mid-1960s by Owen Bradley. The studio was built in a converted barn on farmland in the Nashville suburb of Mount Juliet, and was the site of numerous notable recordings by artists includ ...

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for Sound recording and reproduction, recording and Audio mixing, mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home proje ...

Mount Juliet, Tennessee Mt. Juliet (also referred to as Mount Juliet) is a city located in western Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. A suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, it is approximately east of downtown Nashville. Mt. Juliet is located mostly between ...

(East of Nashville).Flippo, Chet (1998). "Jerry Bradley". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 50.Oermann, Robert K. (1998). "Owen Bradley". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 50-51. He would learn the music business at the Forest Hills Music Studio, the official name of "Bradley's Barn", during the 1960s. While working there, Jerry observed the recording of three future Country Music Hall of Fame inductees (

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...

, and

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 ...

). Other artists who also recorded at Bradley's Barn during the 1960s included

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...

, Warner Mack,

The Beau Brummels The Beau Brummels were an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino (lead vocals), Ron Elliott (lead guitar), Ron Meagher (bass guitar), Declan Mulligan (rhythm guitar, bass, harm ...

, and

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

. Some of those recording sessions lasted past midnight, forcing Bradley to sleep on a couch at the studios so as to be ready for the next recording session to occur at 9 a.m. the following day.

Transition to RCA

While also at Bradley's Barn studio, Bradley befriended

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

of RCA Nashville (which later became part of

Sony Music Group Sony Music Group (SMG) is the American holding company that controls the recording and music publishing business of Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation and managed by Sony Entertainment. Sony Music Group is one of the "Record label, Big ...

). Atkins, a record producer and head of RCA Nashville, was a creator of the Nashville Sound in the 1960s along with Bradley's father Owen. Bradley told his father about a possible job at RCA Nashville to which Owen replied, "You already have a job." Owen then advised Jerry on the RCA position: "If you aim for another position, make sure it's an opportunity to advance".

RCA Records

Accepting the position as a staff assistant to Chet Atkins of RCA in 1970, Bradley assisted Atkins in communications and paperwork with RCA's main office in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Bradley would also assist Atkins in the recording studio. In 1973, Atkins stepped down as head of RCA Nashville following a bout with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

, and was succeeded by Bradley. During Bradley's tenure at RCA, he played a role in the early careers of

Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, h ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American Country music, country singer. Beginning his career as a Negro league baseball player in the early-1950s, he later pursued a career in country music, becoming the gen ...

, and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. The biggest role in country music Bradley would play though was in legitimizing the Outlaw movement prevalent during the 1970s, led by

Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...

and

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

among others. Bradley put together previously recorded songs from Jennings, Nelson,

Jessi Colter Mirriam Johnson (born May 25, 1943), known professionally as Jessi Colter, is an American country singer who is best known for her collaborations with her second husband, country musician Waylon Jennings, and for her 1975 crossover hit " I'm Not ...

(Jennings' wife), and

Tompall Glaser Thomas Paul "Tompall" Glaser (September 3, 1933 – August 12, 2013) was an American country singer who was a key figure in the 1970s outlaw country movement.Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

), and created the album ''Wanted! The Outlaws'' with the cover showing it in an

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

poster. Released in 1976, it was the first

country music album certified by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Jerry Bradley conceived the concept for the album cover of ''What Goes Around Comes Around'' by Waylon Jennings. Unconcerned with the negative publicity surrounding Jennings' drug issues, Bradley stated, "A little bit of drugs was selling records for Waylon in my mind. Maybe a rebellious attitude, along with the ''Outlaws'' album, didn't hurt. I'm not trying to be mean when I say that, but the mafia didn't hurt Sinatra" ( ''Wikipedia''). Bradley's tenure was also noted for the return of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

to country music. Songs such as "

Moody Blue ''Moody Blue'' is the twenty-fourth and final studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on July 19, 1977, by RCA Records, about four weeks before his death. The album was a mixture of live and studio work and included t ...

" and "

Way Down "Way Down" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley. Recorded in October 1976, it was his last single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine Jr. and recorded by Presley at his home studio in Graceland ...

" hit number one on the ''

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 charts prior to Presley's 1977 death. Presley also had six posthumous top-ten hits on those same charts between 1977 and 1981, including " Guitar Man", his final #1 in 1981. Comedian

Ray Stevens Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country music, country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian. He is best known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "M ...

recorded three albums while Bradley was in charge of RCA Nashville. Stevens' most notable album was '' Shriner's Convention'' with the

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...

being its most notable song, both in 1980.

After RCA

After stepping down from RCA Records in 1982, Bradley would become head of the Opryland Music Group, an organization created from Gaylord Entertainment's purchase of

Acuff-Rose Music Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. was an American music publishing firm formed in 1942 by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose (songwriter), Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Currently, the company's catalog is owned by Sony Music Publishing. Early hi ...

in 1985. While at Opryland Music Group, he was head of 16th Avenue records which produced some of Pride's albums after he left RCA.Casey, Jim.
Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Includes Brooks & Dunn, Ray Stevens & Jerry Bradley."
''Nash Country Daily''. March 18, 2019 - accessed April 26, 2020. Bradley stayed as head of Opryland Music Group until his 2003 retirement, when

purchased Opryland Music Group's publishing.

Service with CMA

Bradley served as president of the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...

(CMA) Board in 1975. He was also instrumental in the creation of Fan Fair (which later became the

CMA Music Festival CMA Fest, formerly named the CMA Music Festival until 2016, is a four-day Music festival centered on country music, hosted each June by the Country Music Association (CMA) in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Beginning in 1972 under the name Fan Fa ...

) and in managing the historic

RCA Studio B RCA Studio B was a music recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee, established in 1957 by Steve Sholes and Chet Atkins for RCA Victor. Originally known simply as the RCA Victor Studio, in 1965 the studio was designated as Studio B after RCA Vic ...

in downtown Nashville.

Personal life

Besides Bradley sharing the musical talent of his father Owen, uncle Harold was a well-known session guitarist who was part of the Nashville A-Team players. Bradley's wife Connie worked for the

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

(ASCAP) offices in Nashville from 1980 until her 2010 retirement and was CMA Board president in 1989. She died in March 2021. In 2022, she was posthumously honored with the ACM Icon Award at the Academy of Country Music Honors. Her grand-daughter, Lillian Grace Bradley, accepted the award on her behalf at the ceremony held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee (''MusicRow'', 2022; ''The Tennessean'', 2022). Another uncle, Charlie, and a cousin, Bobby, were noted recording studio engineers. Bradley's aunt Ruby Bradley Strange was a pioneering office manager on

Music Row Music Row is a historic district located southwest of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Widely considered the heart of Nashville's entertainment industry, Music Row has also become a metonymous nickname for the music industry as ...

while his sister Patsy was an executive for

Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 22.4 milli ...

(BMI). His son, Clay Bradley, serves as the Vice President of Creative at BMI, a role he was appointed to in 2020 (''Variety'', 2020). Source)ref name="ncd" /> He also had a daughter, Leigh. His grandson, John Bradley, works as Country A&R at Electric Feel Entertainment, a position he joined in 2024 (''MusicRow'', 2024) (Source). Bradley died in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, on July 17, 2023, at the age of 83.

Honors

In 2019, Bradley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, in the same year as

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1988 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer, Tim DuBois. Before thei ...

and Stevens. This made Bradley the third member of his family inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, after his father Owen (1974) and uncle Harold (2006).Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum profile of Harold Bradley
''Countrymusichalloffame.org'', accessed April 26, 2020.

References

External links

Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum profile of Jerry Bradley
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Jerry 1940 births 2023 deaths Businesspeople from Tennessee Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee Military personnel from Tennessee United States Army soldiers 20th-century American businesspeople Country Music Hall of Fame inductees American music people