Industry Leader Bill Ivey Passes

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Bill Ivey. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Bill Ivey, the Country Music Hall of Fame executive who became the head of the Recording Academy, the American Folklore Society and the National Endowment for the Arts, has passed away.

Ivey, 81, was the Hall of Fame’s CEO from 1971 through 1997. He died in Nashville on Friday, Nov. 7.

While at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bill Ivey founded its Library & Archives, built the museum’s collections, acquired Hatch Show Print and purchased the Bob Pinson Recorded Sound Collection. His leadership elevated the institution from being a modest tourist attraction to being the world’s center for the preservation and study of country’s many styles, past and present.

Born in Detroit in 1944, Ivey earned an undergraduate history degree at the University of Michigan, then an M.A. in folklore and ethnomusicology at Indiana University. He was also an acoustic-guitar player. He was doing graduate work toward a Ph.D. in 1971, when he decided to apply for a job as director of the library at the Country Music Foundation (CMF), the umbrella nonprofit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Museum had opened on Music Row in 1967, and the board of the Country Music Association (then running the CMF) determined four years later that the Museum should have a proper library and research center.

In August, 1971, Ivey was hired to oversee the development of the library. He so impressed the CMF’s board that he was promoted to director of the CMF by the fall of that year. During the next 25 years, he made the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum a key player in the music industry as well as Nashville’s burgeoning tourism industry. Ivey also set a rigorous standard that ensured the collections of artifacts, recordings and library materials documenting country music would be unmatched. He presided over two building expansions and secured national accreditation for the museum, which it has maintained.

In December 1997, President Bill Clinton selected Bill Ivey to be the chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. While there, Ivey established the NEA “Songs of the Century” project to educate students about the history of American popular music. He laid the groundwork for better relations with Congress and led to the funding of his “Challenge America” and “Creative Links, Positive Alternatives for Youth” initiatives designed to foster stronger ties between arts organizations, community groups and federal agencies. He also accompanied First Lady Hillary Clinton to the Grammy Awards when she won in the Spoken Word category.

After four years of serving the NEA in Washington, Ivey returned to Music City. He directed the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University and served on the faculty there from 2002 to 2012.

Bill Ivey rose through the volunteer ranks of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) to become its trustee and two-time national chairman (in 1981-83 and again in 1989-91). He remained a force on the Grammy organization’s board of directors for many years. Ivey was also elected president of the American Folklore Society.

In 1989, he helped found the Leadership Music nonprofit networking forum and served for several years as that organization’s discussion facilitator. He also wrote liner notes for historical reissue albums as well as scholarly articles. In later years, Bill Ivey wrote three books exploring the intersections of popular culture, politics and public policy.

In a social media post, the CMF eulogized Bill Ivey: “He was a challenging thinker who helped cement the reputation of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as a significant and authoritative music history center. His impact on the Museum and the wider arts world is incalculable.”

No funeral information has been released.

Harmonica Mentor Carlos DeFord Bailey Passes

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Nashville singer, songwriter and bandleader Carlos DeFord Bailey died on Monday (Nov. 3) at age 66 following a struggle with cancer.

He was the grandson of Country Music Hall of Fame member DeFord Bailey and the “keeper of the flame” of the star’s legacy.

Carlos was an enthusiastic booster of his grandfather’s election to the Hall of Fame, plus induction into the Music City Walk of Fame and the renaming of a Music Row street in his honor. Carlos performed and/or appeared at these occasions to represent his family. He also entertained frequently at the Grand Ole Opry in his grandfather’s memory. In addition, Carlos became a perennial favorite as a demonstrator/teacher at the Hall of Fame.

Carlos DeFord Bailey was a Nashville native born in 1959. He was the son of blues performer DeFord Bailey Jr. and was on stage by the time he reached his teens. Carlos was a skilled singer and harmonica player who performed in school recitals during his youth and in the Greater Bethel Church choir.

The first song he sang in public was Otis Redding’s “Dock of the Bay,” and his bands through the 1970s specialized in traditional r&b sounds at community events. He began promoting his grandfather’s legacy via songs such as “Music City Shoeshine Man.”

The Hall of Fame posted this eulogy: “Carlos was passionate about working with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and participated in 26 educational programs between 2019 and 2024. That accounts for more than 1,000 museum visitors who saw him demonstrate the harmonica or ukulele and speak about his grandfather.”

In addition, Carlos aided the Hall of Fame in the launch of its ‘Discover DeFord Bailey’ web page, He participated in a series of videos, playing harmonica in his grandfather’s style and sharing stories about him.

The Opry’s Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show also posted a fond remembrance of Carlos DeFord Bailey, including this: “I’ll never forget your joy and big open heart.” Ketch and Carlos engineered a posthumous Opry apology to the legendary “Harmonica Wizard” for its treatment of the Black county pioneer.

Carlos taught harmonica at the William Edmondson Arts and Culture Festival, the Nashville Public Library, and at other fairs, festivals, and culture centers around Middle Tennessee. In 2023, Carlos showcased at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Artist & Beloved Session Vocalist John Wesley Ryles Passes At 74

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John Wesley Ryles

Artist and beloved session vocalist John Wesley Ryles passed away on Nov. 2. He was 74.

The Bastrop, Louisiana native had several charting hits throughout his early recording career including “Kay” in 1968, (which was a Top 10 hit and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records), “Once In A Lifetime Thing,” “Liberated Woman” and “Louisiana Rain.” Along with Columbia he recorded for MCA, Dot, Warner Bros. and others through the years.

In the late ’80s Ryles became an in-demand backing vocalist. His session credits include cuts by Brooks & Dunn (“Boot Scootin’ Boogie”), Alan Jackson, (“Drive”), George Jones (“Choices”) and Dolly Parton (“An Eagle When She Flies.”) His coveted harmony vocals can also be heard on Tracy Byrd’s “Watermelon Crawl,” Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” and Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” and he penned Steve Wariner’s “Starting Over Again” with Don Goodman, which peaked at No. 4 on the charts in the mid-80s.

Ryles was married to Joni Lee, the daughter of Conway Twitty.

Former CRS Executive Director Frank Mull Passes

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Frank Hull

Former Country Radio Seminar Executive Director and artist manager Frank Mull passed away on Oct. 16.

Mull served as a Country Radio Broadcasters board member and ran the organization on a part-time basis from the 1970s forward, before becoming its first full-time Executive Director from 1990-1993. He served the organization for 24 years of his career, and also worked in artist management for Merle Haggard and others as well as headed his own Mull-Ti-Hit Promotions and did a promo stint at Mercury Records. Mull received the CMA’s Founding President’s Award in 1984.

“The entire CRB family is saddened to hear of Frank Mull’s recent passing. Frank was the organization’s first Executive Director, serving in that role until 1993. During his tenure, he helped guide CRS’s growth from an intimate gathering of radio and label professionals to its eventual annual participation by more than 3,000 diverse country music stakeholders, making it the premier music industry event it is today. Every subsequent Executive Director has stood on the shoulders of Frank Mull. On behalf of our organization’s staff and board members, we send our deepest condolences to Frank’s friends and family members.” shares RJ Curtis, CRB/CRS Executive Director.

“Frank was instrumental in growing CRS from a small meeting that had 70 attendees its first year to eventually surpassing 2,000,” says former CRB Exec. Dir. Ed Salamon.

Services are pending.

Songwriting Great Sonny Curtis Passes

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Sonny Curtis

Singer-songwriter Sonny Curtis died Friday (Sept. 19) at age 88 following a sudden illness.

Curtis is a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a member of The Crickets. His catalog includes such standards as “Walk Right Back,” “I Fought the Law,” “Love Is All Around,” “More Than I Can Say,” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.” He was also a recording artist for Viva, Elektra, Imperial and other labels.

Born in West Texas in 1937, Curtis cited bluegrass as his earliest musical influence. He had an uncle who was in Bill Monroe’s band.

Curtis began performing in the early 1950s as a teenager in Lubbock alongside Buddy Holly and Waylon Jennings. He and Holly first came to Nashville to record in 1956. Among the tunes was his composition “Rock Around With Ollie Vee.” After Sonny Curtis graduated from high school, Webb Pierce recorded his song “Someday” and took it to No. 12 on the country hit parade in 1957.

An excellent guitarist, Curtis toured for a time backing Slim Whitman. Back in Texas, he and Holly formed The Crickets. Curtis left the band to record solo for Dot Records. He rejoined the group just after Holly’s death in a 1959 plane crash. He and the remaining Crickets became The Everly Brothers’ band. They also issued eight albums in 1960-73 with Curtis, the group’s main songwriter, on lead vocals and guitar.

Sonny Curtis moved to the West Coast in 1960, just prior to being drafted into the Army. While he was in the service, the Everlys recorded his “Walk Right Back” and hit the top-10 on the pop charts with it in 1961. Anne Murray revived the song as a top-10 country hit in 1978. He also wrote “More Than I Can Say” while he was in the Army, and it was introduced by Bobby Vee in 1961. Leo Sayer revived it as an international pop hit of 1980.

After his discharge, Sonny Curtis became a session guitarist and a jingle writer for McDonald’s, Yamaha, Suzuki, Buick, Chrysler, Honda, Mattel, Olympia Beer, Plymouth, MasterCard, Bell Telephone and Western Airlines. He also continued to score as a songwriter. Andy Williams took his “A Fool Never Learns” into the pop top-10 in 1964.

The Bobby Fuller Four made “I Fought the Law” into a hit in 1966. The song became a rock standard recorded by The Clash, Lou Reed, The Dead Kennedys, Tom Petty, The Grateful Dead, Brice Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, and Green Day, as well as by Hank Williams Jr., Johnny Rodriguez, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson.

Gary Lewis & The Playboys scored with Curtis’s “Where Will the Words Come From” in 1966, cementing his status as a top-tier tunesmith. Teen idols Ricky Nelson, Buddy Knox, Bryan Hyland, Roy Orbison, Johnny Rivers, Mark Dinning, and Bobby Vinton recorded his songs. So did Dean Martin, Jack Jones, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, The Mills Brothers, Glen Campbell, Eddy Arnold, Vic Damone, Peter Lawford, The Lennon Sisters, and the songwriter’s idol, Chet Atkins.

Throughout the 1960s, Sonny Curtis continued to record, himself. Beatle Hits Flamenco Guitar Style (1964), The First of Sonny Curtis (1968), and The Sonny Curtis Style (1969) became his first three albums. They contained “My Way of Life,” “I Wanna Go Bummin’ Around,” “Atlanta Georgia Stray,” and “The Straight Life,” which became minor country chart entries.

“The Straight Life” was picked up by Bobby Goldsboro, who made it a top-10 A/C hit in 1968. More than a dozen other artists subsequently recorded it.

Two years later, Mary Tyler Moore was looking for a theme song for a CBS-TV sit com she was launching. He submitted “Love Is All Around,” and the show’s producers liked it so much they flew his demo to Minneapolis to accompany Moore as she tossed her hat into the air during the filming of the opening moments of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It turned out to be his biggest singing hit, since it aired nationally weekly for seven years thereafter. “Love Is All Around” has also been recorded by Joan Jett, Husker Du, and Sammy Davis Jr.

Meanwhile, he continued his studio work. In 1970, he provided backup vocals on Eric Clapton’s first solo album. That is Sonny Curtis’s finger-picking guitar work on Vicki Lawrence’s 1973 No. 1 hit “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.”

He moved to Music City in 1976. Waylon Jennings, who had already recorded the Sonny Curtis song “Destiny’s Child,” took him and The Crickets on the road as his opening act. Rosanne Cash revived “Where Will the Words Come From” in 1981.

Curtis’s Nashville songs were soon recorded by John Schneider, Bobby Bare, Tammy Wynette, Mel Tillis and other country stars. Ricky Skaggs sang “He was Onto Something (So He Made You)” as a No. 25 country hit of 1990. The late Keith Whitley turned “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” into a No. 1 country smash of 1989. It was named the CMA Single of the Year.

In 1990, Sonny Curtis won an Emmy Award for his theme song for the Burt Reynolds TV series Evening Shade, which he also sang. Joe Diffie, J.J. Cale, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, LaCosta, Sammy Kershaw, John Conlee, LaWanda Lindsey, Skeeter Davis, Jerry Reed and other stars recorded Sonny Curtis songs in the 1980s and 1990s.

Elektra signed him as a Nashville recording artist, and he issued Sonny Curtis (1979), Love Is All Around (1980), and Rollin’ (1981) as LPs for the label. He made the country charts with seven singles from these collections, including the top-40 entries “The Real Buddy Holly Story,” “Love Is All Around,” “Good Ol’ Girls,” and “Married Women” in 1980-81.

Sonny Curtis developed a substantial overseas following. He performed for sold-out crowds in England, Ireland, Denmark, France, Scotland, Belgium and Holland.

He also continued to tour extensively with the reassembled Crickets, bass player Joe B. Mauldin (1940-2015) and drummer Jerry Allison (1939-2022). The Crickets and Their Buddies album of 2004 found them collaborating with Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, John Prine, Graham Nash, J.D. Souther, Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith and other celebrities.

Sonny Curtis also continued to record solo albums for independent labels in the 1990s and 2000s, and he became a genial and much-loved presence at various music-industry functions. He retired in 2016.

In 1991, Sonny Curtis was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2007, he and The Crickets were installed in the Music City Walk of Fame. In 2008, they were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum. In 2012, he and the group became Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members.

Over the years, five of his songs have achieved “Millionaire” status in the annals of BMI. This means that “Walk Right Back,” “More Than I Can Say,” “I Fought the Law,” “The Straight Life” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” have been performed at least a million times each. More than 120 Sonny Curtis songs have been recorded to date, by artists from across the musical spectrum.

Survivors include Louise Curtis, his wife of more than 50 years, and their children. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Nashville Publicist Kim Fowler Passes Away

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Kim Fowler

Nashville music publicist Kim Fowler has passed away at the age of 58, following a long battle with early-onset dementia.

Over the course of three decades in the music industry, Fowler worked with artists including Dolly Parton, Shania Twain and Nickel Creek. She began her career at Mercury Records in the early ’90s, where she handled publicity for Twain, Toby Keith and Billy Ray Cyrus, among others. Later, at Sugar Hill Records, she played a key role in helping Nickel Creek break onto the bluegrass and folk scene.

An active member of Nashville’s Americana community, Fowler was known for her passion for music and dedication to the artists she represented.

In recent years, as she faced her illness, the music community rallied around Fowler and her family, including through a GoFundMe campaign to support her care.

Services have not yet been announced.

BREAKING: Nashville Songwriter Hall Of Famer Brett James Passes

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Brett James

Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Brett James tragically died in a private plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday (Sept. 18). He was 57.

With more than 500 songs recorded throughout his career, Brett celebrated 27 No. 1s, a Grammy win for his mega Carrie Underwood hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” and was named ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2006 and 2010. His songs have been cut by country artists like Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts, to pop stars Bon Jovi, Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson and Leona Lewis.

He was born Brett James Cornelius in Columbia, Missouri, but grew up in Oklahoma. His parents were musical—his father was a physician and a singer and his mother was a classically-trained pianist. Brett played guitar, piano, saxophone and drums, and sang in church and with a touring youth group

He was also a good student. After graduating from Baylor University, he started medical school at the University of Oklahoma but eventually left to pursue his musical passion in Nashville in 1992.

He first began his journey in music as a recording artist, spending several years signed to Arista/Career and releasing his self-titled debut album in 1995. After three singles and two music videos failed to gain traction on the charts, the label let him go—a setback that left him ready to give up music altogether and return to medical school in 1999. He re-enrolled in Oklahoma, but just two days into classes, he got word that Faith Hill had recorded his song “Love Is a Sweet Thing.” Within the next seven months, 28 more of his songs were recorded by country artists, pulling him firmly back into Nashville’s music scene.

Reinvigorated, Brett signed with Arista again and notched top 40 hits with 2002’s “Chasin’ Amy” and 2003’s “After All.”

Brett’s legacy as a professional songwriter kicked off with his co-written Jessica Andrews’ hit “Who I Am,” which became his first No. 1 in 2001. “Blessed” by Martina McBride quickly followed. Then came Rascal Flatts’ “Love You Out Loud,” Josh Gracin’s “I Want to Live” and Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker’s “When the Sun Goes Down.” The chart-topping “Jesus Take The Wheel,” sung by a new American Idol star Carrie Underwood, earned Brett the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, as well as the 2005 ACM Single of the Year, the 2006 ASCAP Country Song of the Year and the 2006 NSAI Song of the Year.

Brett became a first-call songwriter on Music Row, with such hits as “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “The Truth” by Jason Aldean, “It’s America” by Rodney Atkins, “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts, “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young, “Bottoms Up” by Brantley Gilbert and “I Hold On” by Dierks Bentley, among many more. He had many more hits with Chesney, including “Out Last Night,” “Reality,” “Trip Around the Sun,” “This Is Our Moment,” “Flip-Flop Summer,” “You Save Me” and “Knowing You.” He also had success in other genres, like Kelly Clarkson’s chart-topper “Mr. Know It All” and Paulina Rubio’s latin hit “The One You Love (Todo Mi Amor),” as well as songs recorded by Bon Jovi, Steven Tyler, Jessica Simpson, Chicago, Daughtry and The Backstreet Boys.

In addition to his success as a songwriter, Brett also produced records including We Weren’t Crazy by Josh Gracin, Why Wait by Kristy Lee Cook, Do You Know by Jessica Simpson, Up All Night by Kip Moore and more.

Brett served as Owner/CEO of Cornman Music, a successful music publishing company in Nashville. He was selected for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, and released his self-written album titled I Am Now the same year.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Brett was a fixture in the Nashville music community. He frequently played songwriter rounds, mentored younger writers, educated the public about the challenges facing professional songwriters and devoted his time to industry organizations and charity events. Friends and colleagues often described him as generous with his talent and knowledge, always eager to lift up the next generation.

It was revealed following the crash that Brett was flying with his wife, Melody Carole Wilson, and step daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, who also perished.

Iconic Santa’s Pub Owner, Denzel Irwin, Dies

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Photo: Courtesy of Santa’s Pub

Elmer Denzel Irwin, the genial owner of Nashville’s famed dive bar Santa’s Pub, has died at age 75. The cash-only bar, constructed of a railroad car and shipping containers, has long been known as a premiere karaoke destination.

The beer joint with year-round holiday decor was a favorite of regular customers Kacey Musgraves, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bell, Margo Price and Jack White. Several music videos have been filmed there, including one by Jon Bon Jovi, “Christmas Isn’t Christmas.”

Santa’s Pub does not allow profanity or violence and insists on respect for women. For many years, it was a rare venue that permitted cigarette smoking. Irwin’s all-are-welcome philosophy, the cheap beer, the charming Santa murals and the friendly vibe made the place an iconic Nashville experience.

Denzel Irwin, as he was known, was a Nashville native. One of 10 children, he grew up in Nashville’s Flatrock neighborhood along Nolensville Road, not far from where Santa’s Pub now stands on Bransford Avenue. After his parents divorced, he attended Tennessee Preparatory School, which is where he met his wife, Angelina Stillings. The two were married in 2016.

After time spent in the Army, he drove ambulances, was a Lower Broadway bartender, ran a house painting business for 45 years and briefly worked as a Pentecostal preacher. He and Stillings opened Santa’s in 2011 so that he would have something to do in his retirement. One of his 18 grandchildren nicknamed him Santa when he grew out his white beard.

The place’s format was always the same — karaoke six nights a week. Around 2022, the classic-country cover band Ice Cold Pickers began to entertain weekly on Sunday nights. A group of country-music hopefuls gained early stage experience by singing on Sundays with the pickers. They include Kristina Murray, Logan Ledger, Runner of the Woods, Emily Nenni, Hannah Juanita, Wade Sapp, Eliza Thorn and band frontman Griffith McMahon.

The news of Irwin’s death led to an outpouring of condolences on social media. Other celebrity fans of “Santa” include Ed Sheeran, Elle King, Desmond Child, Noah Kahan, Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock, Kelsea Ballerini, Jelly Roll, Jon Pardi, Billy Ray Cyrus and Kesha.

 

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The family will continue to operate Santa’s Pub in his honor.

A visitation for Irwin will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Williamson Memorial (3009 Columbia Ave., Franklin, TN 37064). A graveside servie will be held on Friday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. at Nolensville Cementary (9636 Clovercroft Rd., Nolensville, TN 37135).

A celebration of life for friends and fans of Santa’s Pub will be announced at a later date and held at the bar.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Wounded Warrior Project or Shop with a Cop in Irwin’s honor.

Lighting Director Steve Fallon Passes

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Steve Fallon

Longtime lighting director Steve Fallon passed away on Sept. 12.

Fallon got his start doing lights in the 1980’s in Ireland, working with Van Morrison, Swim, and Mary Coughlan, among others. He went on to become a crew member on the Michael Jackson “Bad Tour,” which led him to the U.S. where he had the opportunity to work with Leann Rimes, Reba, Garth Brooks, Andrea Bocelli, INXS, Oasis, Aerosmith, Ringo Starr, Paul Simon and many more. He also worked on the television shows Nashville and 911: Nashville. 

A  Go Fund Me has been set up to help the family with the unexpected financial burden of funeral expenses, with all donations directly supporting his family during this difficult time.

The Turtles Co-Founder Mark Volman Passes At 78

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Mark Volman, a founding member of the 1960’s pop group The Turtles, passed away in Nashville on Friday (Sept. 5) after a brief illness. He was 78.

Best known for their chart-topping evergreen smash “Happy Together,” the Turtles also released songs like “She’d Rather Be with Me,” “You Know What I Mean,” “She’s My Girl” and “Elenore” throughout their career. The group disbanded in 1970 but Volman and friend/co-founder Howard Kaylan continued to tour and record as the comedic duo Flo & Eddie. The duo toured with Alice Cooper, offered vocals on T. Rex’s album Electric Warrior, and were recruited to sing on Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart,” according to the L.A. Times.

Mark Volman (middle) is recognized at Belmont University in 2019

In his 40’s Volman graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a masters in screenwriting and in 2018 was on the faculty of Belmont University’s music business department, but two years later learned he had Lewy body dementia, according to People. He nevertheless went on to release his memoir Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures with the Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More” in 2023, and returned to the road on a music festival tour that same year.

He is survived by his daughters Sarina Marie and Hallie Rae Volman and his brother, Phil Volman.