Ken Nelson

Ken Nelson (born January 19, 1911 , Caledonia , Minnesota , † January 6, 2008 in Somis , California ) was an American music producer in the field of country music .

Life

Childhood and youth

Nelson's childhood, spent in a Chicago orphanage , coincided with the development of radio. In 1925, at the age of 14, he first appeared as a singer on the radio and played in various bands over the next few years. In 1935 he was set as an announcer by the WAAF radio station in Chicago . During the Great Depression, the record industry also got into difficulties, but the radio business continued to develop. Chicago became the second largest radio market alongside New York City , and Nelson was slowly becoming known as an announcer and presenter. New York was the most important radio market for country music at the time.

Nelson first switched to the station WJJD (now WYLL), where he soon became music director, and then to WIND, where he developed the program " The Suppertime Frolic ", which soon achieved high audience ratings and a top ranking there. Due to the success he developed further programs in the area of hillbilly music in the following years . One of his guests at the time was the aspiring musician “ Rhubarb Red ”, which was actually a pseudonym of Les Paul .

Career

Nelson came to California in 1946 through his former bandmate Lee Gilette . Gilette worked for the newly formed record label Capitol Records in Hollywood in the A&R area . Through him Nelson got a job in the broadcast department in 1948, where radio recordings were prepared for records. Together with Gilette and Cliffie Stone he founded the company " Central Songs ". Stone was both a senior manager of Capitol Records at the time and a radio producer through whom a large number of emerging talent signed up with Capitol Records. In 1951 Nelson was also transferred to the Country and Western A&R department . He took over the managerial post of Gilette, who was transferred to the pop department.

Nelson remained employed there for the next 20 years. He discovered and produced talents such as Jean Shepard , Roy Clark and Buck Owens and Wanda Jackson . Two of his greatest discoveries were Sonny James and Gene Vincent . Also Ferlin Husky and Merle Haggard were sponsored by Nelson and published. Brian Wilson was put through him to the producer Nick Venet , so that The Beach Boys could continue their career at Capitol. His other clients included Merle Travis , Hank Thompson , Glen Campbell, and Tennessee Ernie Ford . In addition to these artists, he produced the parodist and comedian Stan Freberg .

In 1971, Ken Nelson resigned as Head of the Country Music A&R Department. Even after his time at Capitol, Nelson continued to produce Merle Haggard, among others, until he retired in 1976. In 2001 Nelson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame . Nelson was a co-founder of the West Coast Music Publishing Company - Central Songs and was also involved in the creation and development of the Country Music Association .

At the age of 93, he wrote his autobiography " My First 90 Years Plus 3 ", which appeared in March 2007. Ken Nelson died in January 2008 at the age of 96.

Web links

• Biography at All Music Guide
• Entry into the Country Music Hall of Fame
• The Times, Jan. 21, 2008
• Entry in Country Houd