Before the 1920s, country music as we know it today existed primarily in the hills and hollers of places like Appalachia. Then known by the less flattering “hillbilly music,” it referred to the long-standing folk traditions passed down between generations. And while you’ve likely never heard his name, you have Connie B. Gay to thank for the cultural and commercial force that country music has become. In fact, the renowned entrepreneur is credited with coining the term “country music” in the first place.
Today, we’re exploring the life and career of Connie Barriot Gay, born in Lizard Lick, North Carolina, on this day (August 22) in 1914.
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As founding president of the Country Music Association (CMA) and co-founder of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, he transformed “hillbilly music” into a multi-faced, multi-billion dollar entertainment empire. He also discovered early country superstars Jimmy Dean and Patsy Cline.
How Did Connie B. Gay Go From Farming to Music?
Growing up in North Carolina, Connie B. Gay always expected to one day take the helm at his parents’ 17-acre tobacco farm. Fortunately for generations of country music fans, his life took an unexpected turn.
Earning his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from North Carolina State University in 1935, Gay held various jobs, including working for the U.S. Farm Security Administration.
It was in this capacity that he got his start in radio, working for the FSA’s National Farm and Home Hour.
The Transition to Radio and the Beginning of an Empire
Deciding to pursue a career in media, Connie B. Gay left his government job in 1946 and convinced the Arlington, Virginia radio station WARL to let him do a half-hour show at noon each day.
Thus began the wildly successful program Town and Country Time. By 1954, it had moved to a Washington, D.C.-area TV station in addition to the more than 1800 radio stations syndicating the audio version.
Thanks to Gay, country music suddenly had a national audience.
By 1956, Town and Country Time had hit more than 50 urban markets, including Spokane, Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Houston, Texas.
To manage his expanding assets — which included radio stations he now owned and artists he promoted and managed — Gay formed his own company, Town and Country Enterprises.
Shaping Country Music
As Jimmy Dean’s manager, Connie B. Gay helped develop his singing and TV career. He also discovered Patsy Cline, who got her start on Town & Country, along with Roy Clark and George Hamilton IV.
In 1958, Gay also helped found the Country Music Association, serving as its first president. The CMA now hands out the Connie B. Gay Award to honor outstanding service from a member not currently serving as officer or director.
Retiring in 1972, Connie B. Gay died from cancer on December 3, 1989, in McLean, Virginia. He was 75 years old.
Music historian Charles K. Wolfe once praised Gay’s forward-thinking insight, saying, “He had a synergistic vision of how country music was going to work in the modern age and he was exactly right.”
A 2002 Washington Post piece christened Gay “the greatest country music visionary you’ve never heard of.”
Featured image courtesy of Facebook
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