CMA 50TH ANNIVERSARY: Fourth Decade 1989-1998
Deborah Evans Price
October 16, 2008
As the 1980s wound down and the '90s began, Country Music enjoyed an explosion in popularity, which was mirrored in the continued growth of the Country Music Association. During this decade, the organization supported the County Music community by donating to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, marketing artists to major advertisers, subscribing to Simmons Research, launching CDX International Service to provide the latest singles to more than 130 international radio broadcasters in 18 countries and showcasing America's favorite music at the annual CMA Awards and Fan Fair in addition to producing two television specials commemorating CMA's 35th and 40th anniversaries, both of which aired on the CBS Television Network.
"Things were booming," said former CMA Executive Director Jo Walker-Meador, who retired in 1991 after 32 years of service to CMA. "It was really an exciting time for Country Music."
"Sales were good and life was good back in the late '80s and early '90s," added Connie Bradley, Senior VP, ASCAP. "That's when Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson both skyrocketed. We were sponsoring the Country Radio Seminar lunches back then, and we actually showcased Garth and Alan on the same ASCAP luncheon in 1990. Garth went first, Alan went next and both received standing ovations. And of course, they both went on to become superstars and take Country Music to a new level."
To make sure Madison Avenue advertisers were aware of Country Music's increasing appeal, the CMA Board approved hiring Bob Lobdell, owner of the consulting firm Cold Spring Harbor Group in New York, to help spread the word. "The early '90s were the best sales that Country Music ever had," recalled Bradley, who served as CMA Board President in 1989 and Chairman in 1990. "CMA had an active publicity department that was constantly putting out news releases. And CMA hired Bob to go to New York, Chicago, L.A., Dallas and Atlanta to sell Country Music to all the big advertisers. That's how the national sponsors came to realize that Country Music was a major force."
As Country Music became a more dominant force on the national cultural landscape, CMA increased its presence on Music Row by building its own headquarters. After considering the purchase of one of several houses that were available at that time, the decision was made to buy a lot that became available on Music Circle South. Architect Tom Bulla was recruited to design the first building that CMA would own.
"It is a beautiful building," said Walker-Meador. "And Tom did a good job. The builder was Buchanan Construction Company. Bonnie Manson, President of Interior Design Associates, designed the atrium and all the décor inside. She's so creative and she continues to work with CMA."
Even with all these exciting developments, Walker-Meador was contemplating retirement before the new building was completed. A friend, however, persuaded her to stay longer. "I was talking to [former President and CEO, BMI] Frances Preston," she recalled. "And she said, 'Jo, you can't retire now. You have to spend some time in the new building.' So I stayed on another couple of years. And then I retired on Dec. 31, 1991."
"Jo's contributions to CMA are beyond measure," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese, who was serving as Director, Administrative Services at CMA at the time of Walker-Meador's departure. "She set a standard of excellence, often against very difficult odds, that continues to guide and inspire me - and I treasure her friendship more than ever with each new day."
"Jo was such an inspiration to all with whom she came in contact, either board members or staffers," said former CMA CSO Ed Benson. "She had committed her life to CMA, and it was always her number one priority. We all should hope to ever become half as devoted to something as Jo was to CMA. Her strong love for the organization remains, and her influence is still felt among us who had the privilege of working with her."
Poignant as it was to leave CMA, Walker-Meador is enjoying her retirement. "I felt a lot of sadness thinking about how much I would miss it, but you know, it wasn't bad at all," she said. "I thought I would have all this free time after I retired, but that never did happen. I've stayed so busy. What I thought I'd miss the most was the people, but everybody in the industry has been so kind to invite me back to their events. Of course I go to all the CMA events, and other folks in the industry invite me to parties and events, so I get to see people a lot."
"There would not be a CMA if it had not been for Jo Walker-Meador and Frances Preston," Bradley insisted. "Jo was the backbone of the organization. I've heard stories about how Jo used to borrow typing paper, pencils and other things for CMA because they didn't have enough money to buy their own. Times were tough and most people probably would have given up and gone home, but not Jo. She was very determined and she tackled problems herself. She didn't look for other people to do the work. She rolled up her sleeves and she would have taken on an 800-pound gorilla. She wasn't scared of anything."
As Benson stepped up from his position as CMA Associate Executive Director to succeed Walker-Meador as Executive Director, he inherited the challenges that she had been battling. "The biggest problem we had back in the late '80s and early '90s was piracy," said Bradley. "Truck stops would be loaded up with illegal CDs and cassette tapes. So CMA hired a lobbyist to represent us in Washington."
CMA raised the profile of Country Music on national television through its relationship with Vince Gill, whose casual elegance and quick wit captivated audiences during the 12 years he hosted the CMA Awards. Looking back, Gill had no trouble remembering his most lingering impression of his first year as host in 1992: "How big everyone's hair was," he said, with a laugh. "I was pretty nervous. The first year I co-hosted with Reba [McEntire], and I was smart enough to not try too hard. I didn't have any expectations of doing well at it because I had never done it before."
After one more year as co-host, with Clint Black in 1993, Gill took over the job solo. "They were crazy enough to let me do it and I had fun," he said. "It was important to me for everybody to be well represented. I wanted us to be viewed as a great experience musically, and I didn't want to embarrass anybody. The majority of the time, the jokes were at my own expense. The spirit of it was always kind. It was easy in the sense that I knew the audience, a majority of them, so it wasn't like an audience of strangers. That gave me great comfort, and I had fun when it was time to be fun."
Gill's working relationship with longtime CMA Awards Producer Walter Miller made his duties even more pleasurable. "There was a trust factor between the two of us that was great," Gill said. "He knew he could count on me, and I knew I could count on him. It wasn't rocket science we were trying to create up there, it was a good time. I think if you're not too uptight, all that translates to the person watching it too, that comfort."
Were there any embarrassing moments? "One thing that I remember that really went wrong was when I changed clothes one break too early," Gill said, chuckling. "We thought we had a window between when I had to be back out, but they came to the dressing room and said, 'You're on right now!' And I had no clothes on! I said, 'This isn't going to work.' That was the time I came running out in my stocking feet and probably slid about 10 feet to the microphone."
As the decade wound to a close, CMA prepared to commemorate its 40th anniversary by making a monumental donation of $2 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "CMA's generous donation to our capital campaign was much appreciated," said Kyle Young, Director, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "It was among the major gifts that allowed us to construct a new, $37 million state-of-the-art facility, which includes the Hall of Fame Rotunda, a reverent space in keeping with the honor of Country Music Hall of Fame membership."
The close ties between the two organizations endure to this day. "Nothing better symbolizes the synergy between our educational organization and the Country Music Association than CMA's invitation, last year, to make our Medallion Ceremony stand as the official rite of induction for new members of the Country Music Hall of Fame," said Young.
When asked to explain CMA's longevity and continued viability, Young responded, "First and foremost, I would say that much of CMA's success has been rooted in the spirit of cooperation demonstrated by its members. The organization was formed by competitive industry leaders who came together and worked in harmony for the good of the industry. They have always gone to great lengths to prove this music's popularity and broaden its audience."
2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
"Things were booming," said former CMA Executive Director Jo Walker-Meador, who retired in 1991 after 32 years of service to CMA. "It was really an exciting time for Country Music."
"Sales were good and life was good back in the late '80s and early '90s," added Connie Bradley, Senior VP, ASCAP. "That's when Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson both skyrocketed. We were sponsoring the Country Radio Seminar lunches back then, and we actually showcased Garth and Alan on the same ASCAP luncheon in 1990. Garth went first, Alan went next and both received standing ovations. And of course, they both went on to become superstars and take Country Music to a new level."
To make sure Madison Avenue advertisers were aware of Country Music's increasing appeal, the CMA Board approved hiring Bob Lobdell, owner of the consulting firm Cold Spring Harbor Group in New York, to help spread the word. "The early '90s were the best sales that Country Music ever had," recalled Bradley, who served as CMA Board President in 1989 and Chairman in 1990. "CMA had an active publicity department that was constantly putting out news releases. And CMA hired Bob to go to New York, Chicago, L.A., Dallas and Atlanta to sell Country Music to all the big advertisers. That's how the national sponsors came to realize that Country Music was a major force."
As Country Music became a more dominant force on the national cultural landscape, CMA increased its presence on Music Row by building its own headquarters. After considering the purchase of one of several houses that were available at that time, the decision was made to buy a lot that became available on Music Circle South. Architect Tom Bulla was recruited to design the first building that CMA would own.
"It is a beautiful building," said Walker-Meador. "And Tom did a good job. The builder was Buchanan Construction Company. Bonnie Manson, President of Interior Design Associates, designed the atrium and all the décor inside. She's so creative and she continues to work with CMA."
Even with all these exciting developments, Walker-Meador was contemplating retirement before the new building was completed. A friend, however, persuaded her to stay longer. "I was talking to [former President and CEO, BMI] Frances Preston," she recalled. "And she said, 'Jo, you can't retire now. You have to spend some time in the new building.' So I stayed on another couple of years. And then I retired on Dec. 31, 1991."
"Jo's contributions to CMA are beyond measure," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese, who was serving as Director, Administrative Services at CMA at the time of Walker-Meador's departure. "She set a standard of excellence, often against very difficult odds, that continues to guide and inspire me - and I treasure her friendship more than ever with each new day."
"Jo was such an inspiration to all with whom she came in contact, either board members or staffers," said former CMA CSO Ed Benson. "She had committed her life to CMA, and it was always her number one priority. We all should hope to ever become half as devoted to something as Jo was to CMA. Her strong love for the organization remains, and her influence is still felt among us who had the privilege of working with her."
Poignant as it was to leave CMA, Walker-Meador is enjoying her retirement. "I felt a lot of sadness thinking about how much I would miss it, but you know, it wasn't bad at all," she said. "I thought I would have all this free time after I retired, but that never did happen. I've stayed so busy. What I thought I'd miss the most was the people, but everybody in the industry has been so kind to invite me back to their events. Of course I go to all the CMA events, and other folks in the industry invite me to parties and events, so I get to see people a lot."
"There would not be a CMA if it had not been for Jo Walker-Meador and Frances Preston," Bradley insisted. "Jo was the backbone of the organization. I've heard stories about how Jo used to borrow typing paper, pencils and other things for CMA because they didn't have enough money to buy their own. Times were tough and most people probably would have given up and gone home, but not Jo. She was very determined and she tackled problems herself. She didn't look for other people to do the work. She rolled up her sleeves and she would have taken on an 800-pound gorilla. She wasn't scared of anything."
As Benson stepped up from his position as CMA Associate Executive Director to succeed Walker-Meador as Executive Director, he inherited the challenges that she had been battling. "The biggest problem we had back in the late '80s and early '90s was piracy," said Bradley. "Truck stops would be loaded up with illegal CDs and cassette tapes. So CMA hired a lobbyist to represent us in Washington."
CMA raised the profile of Country Music on national television through its relationship with Vince Gill, whose casual elegance and quick wit captivated audiences during the 12 years he hosted the CMA Awards. Looking back, Gill had no trouble remembering his most lingering impression of his first year as host in 1992: "How big everyone's hair was," he said, with a laugh. "I was pretty nervous. The first year I co-hosted with Reba [McEntire], and I was smart enough to not try too hard. I didn't have any expectations of doing well at it because I had never done it before."
After one more year as co-host, with Clint Black in 1993, Gill took over the job solo. "They were crazy enough to let me do it and I had fun," he said. "It was important to me for everybody to be well represented. I wanted us to be viewed as a great experience musically, and I didn't want to embarrass anybody. The majority of the time, the jokes were at my own expense. The spirit of it was always kind. It was easy in the sense that I knew the audience, a majority of them, so it wasn't like an audience of strangers. That gave me great comfort, and I had fun when it was time to be fun."
Gill's working relationship with longtime CMA Awards Producer Walter Miller made his duties even more pleasurable. "There was a trust factor between the two of us that was great," Gill said. "He knew he could count on me, and I knew I could count on him. It wasn't rocket science we were trying to create up there, it was a good time. I think if you're not too uptight, all that translates to the person watching it too, that comfort."
Were there any embarrassing moments? "One thing that I remember that really went wrong was when I changed clothes one break too early," Gill said, chuckling. "We thought we had a window between when I had to be back out, but they came to the dressing room and said, 'You're on right now!' And I had no clothes on! I said, 'This isn't going to work.' That was the time I came running out in my stocking feet and probably slid about 10 feet to the microphone."
As the decade wound to a close, CMA prepared to commemorate its 40th anniversary by making a monumental donation of $2 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "CMA's generous donation to our capital campaign was much appreciated," said Kyle Young, Director, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "It was among the major gifts that allowed us to construct a new, $37 million state-of-the-art facility, which includes the Hall of Fame Rotunda, a reverent space in keeping with the honor of Country Music Hall of Fame membership."
The close ties between the two organizations endure to this day. "Nothing better symbolizes the synergy between our educational organization and the Country Music Association than CMA's invitation, last year, to make our Medallion Ceremony stand as the official rite of induction for new members of the Country Music Hall of Fame," said Young.
When asked to explain CMA's longevity and continued viability, Young responded, "First and foremost, I would say that much of CMA's success has been rooted in the spirit of cooperation demonstrated by its members. The organization was formed by competitive industry leaders who came together and worked in harmony for the good of the industry. They have always gone to great lengths to prove this music's popularity and broaden its audience."
2008 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.