Jim Denny
Jim Denny (born February 28, 1911 as James Rae Denney in Buffalo Valley , Tennessee , † August 27, 1963 ) was one of the most important men on the Nashville country music scene and manager of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1950s and early 1960s .
Born in rural Tennessee , Denny began his professional career at the age of sixteen with Nashville-based National Life & Accident Insurance. Over the course of two decades, he worked his way up from the errand boy to the senior manager of the insurance company Grand Ole Opry . In his capacity as head of the artist service, he was responsible for selecting programs and artists. He initiated a careful modernization of the aging show and thus contributed significantly to its later success. He achieved musical historical importance in 1952 when he fired Hank Williams because of his alcohol-related unreliability and, according to legend, a few years later, after a performance, he recommended the young Elvis Presley to work better as a truck driver again.
In 1953 Denny, who had meanwhile acquired a reputation as a tough and cunning businessman, founded the music publishing company Cedarwood Music together with Webb Pierce . Thanks to his good contacts to the scene, the start-up quickly developed into a lucrative company. Conflicts of interest with his position as Opry manager were inevitable and he was fired in September 1956. Together with the promoter Ernest "Lucky" Moeller, he then founded the artist agency Jim Denny Bureau , which soon looked after almost all the stars of country music and also made an outstanding contribution to promoting talent.
Jim Denny died in 1963. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame three years after his death .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Denny, Jim |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country music producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 28, 1911 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Buffalo Valley , Tennessee |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 27, 1963 |