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Remembering Ralph Emery

davideduardo

davideduardo

Moderator/Administrator
Staff member
From RAMP at RAMP for Monday, January 17, 2022

"Ralph Emery, legendary radio and television broadcaster and best-selling author who has rightly been called "the Dick Clark of Country Music" and the dean of Country Music broadcasters, died Saturday, January 15. He was 88.
With a career that spanned more than half a century, Emery rose to fame during the late-night hours on Nashville's WSM, where he allowed many new artists a chance to be heard for the first time. Throughout his career, Emery also hosted Pop! Goes The Country, Nashville Now, Ralph Emery Live, and Ralph Emery's Memories.
"Ralph Emery was often better known than the stars he introduced to larger and larger audiences over the years as Country Music's foremost ambassador," said Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA). "Our format had no better voice over the years than Ralph, who treated Country Music and its stars -- many of whom went on to become his friend -- with the kind of dignity and respect they deserved for decades."
 
News release from AdkinsPublicity.com:

Nashville, Tenn. (January 15, 2022) - Country artists are remembering Country Music Hall of Fame member Ralph Emery who passed away today, January 15. The legendary Nashville broadcasting personality was 88 years old.

"We admired Ralph Emery, the voice and face of country music for the last five decades. He was always a gentleman to us with great respect. We salute a true legend. We will miss you."
-ALABAMA / Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen

"Ralph Emery understood artists as human beings, and if Ralph liked you, chances are you were gonna make it in Nashville. I loved him on WSM, and every TV show he ever had on the air." -Ronnie Milsap

"Ralph was one of the best friends country music ever had. He loved the music but also brought to life the stories surrounding the singers and the songs through his interviews and TV programs. He really helped take our format into people’s living rooms and broaden the fan base with integrity for the art and humor." -John Anderson

“We always loved appearing on Ralph's TV show. One of my favorite memories of him was interviewing Toy Caldwell. He always wanted him to sing ‘This Ole Cowboy.’ The lyrics say, ‘This won’t be the first time this ole cowboy spent the night alone.’ Now, Ralph will never be alone. Today and for eternity. May God bless you!” -Doug Gray, The Marshall Tucker Band

"Sad to hear the news of the passing of country music legend Ralph Emery today. Ralph was kind enough to let Shenandoah play on not only his ‘Nashville Now’ show on TNN but also his early morning show on WSM TV. He was always kind to us and was a big supporter of our career. He was that way with a lot of new country music acts. We are sad to see him go. RIP Ralph. We will miss you." -Mike McGuire, Shenandoah

"Ralph was like a father to me. When my dad died, he took me under his wing. He was hard on me when he needed to be and very praising of me when he thought I deserved it. He was a great friend and a lover of real artistry of any genre of music. If Ralph approved you, you were in and respected. I will miss my good friend and all the laughs. I love you, Ralph."
-Lorrie Morgan

“The country music world has suffered a great loss today with the news of Ralph Emery’s passing. No one ever in our history promoted our music and country music artists as faithfully and generously for as long as Ralph. He made a huge difference in my career throughout the ‘90s, as well as every single artist who came on the scene. He truly crossed over country music into television and we all benefited greatly. People trusted Ralph’s opinion. Viewers were drawn to him and comfortable with him. He will remain an icon in our business. And even more importantly, he was a very nice, kind man. There will never be another. I’m quite confident he is with the greats from the past as we speak. He’s laughing and telling road stories. We will miss you, my friend.” -Collin Raye

“Ralph Emery was, for decades, an encyclopedia of country music and an authentic voice for country music. He will be missed.” -Leroy Van Dyke

"I am so devastated. He was such a important figure in our music. I am so blessed that I got to be one of his many friends. Rest in peace, my friend." -Moe Bandy
 
I read earlier something about Emery hating Folk Rock and specifically The Byrds. What was that all about?
 
landtuna said:
I read earlier something about Emery hating Folk Rock and specifically The Byrds. What was that all about?
Click to expand...

Correct. I posted this earlier:

TheBigA said:
Because they were commercially successful in the pop world. That was a threat. They were young, had long hair, were politically against the war, and smoked weed. What was there for the country music world to like? Country radio was mainly old southern men. They also crucified Willie Nelson. The Byrds got boo'd off the stage of the Opry. Afterwards, they went over to WSM to ask Ralph Emery to play their latest single from Sweethearts, and he refused. In response, McGuinn wrote "Drug Store Truck Driving Man" about Ralph. Years later, Hillman returned to Nashville as the Desert Rose Band. They had a bunch of hits on country radio. Gram Parsons' girlfriend Emmylou Harris was embraced by Dolly Parton and the rest of Nashville, and she's a member of the Country Hall of Fame.
Click to expand...

Here's a version of the story from Variety:

 
Devastating loss to Nashville. In my years of VHS collecting, I've found Nashville Now episodes several times, and I could tell how professional he was on the air, interviewing the best stars of country music. Many of those stars he interviewed are too, now up in Heaven, and now Ralph is back up in the arms of the Lord. Condolences to the Emery family, friends, those who worked with him on WSM(V) and TNN, and the country stars who were honored to know this man.
You will be missed, Ralph. :cry::cry::cry:
 
Wonder what he thought about The Eagles? Oh hell, no I don't. Emery represented Country Cow Pie to me back then. Although I did have a small library of Country favorites (which is much larger now) I didn't like the hayseed approach to selling the music back then and still don't.

I was living in Tucson then and, AFAICR, never heard WSM. Our go-to flamethrower was KOMA. Our local country station(s) (KHOS and KCUB IIRC) would have never played The Byrds (or any folk-rock AFAIK).

Anyway, very interesting story. Kinda reminds me of the anti-rock outbursts of Mitch Miller.
 
CTListener said:
I remember vividly when Ralph had Roger McGuinn as a guest on Nashville Now in the '90s. I strongly suspect Roger was stoned. The interview after his song -- "Chestnut Mare" -- was brief and unfocused.
Click to expand...

Here's an article about their Nashville Now meeting:

news.yahoo.com

Remembering Nashville Legend Ralph Emery: How He Dissed Country-Rock Pioneers the Byrds — and the Night They Buried the Hatchet

Left out of most obituaries about renowned country music talk-show host Ralph Emery, who died Saturday, was his infamy among many rock fans for having gotten into a tiff in the late 1960s with the Byr...
news.yahoo.com news.yahoo.com
 
TheBigA said:
Here's an article about their Nashville Now meeting:

news.yahoo.com

Remembering Nashville Legend Ralph Emery: How He Dissed Country-Rock Pioneers the Byrds — and the Night They Buried the Hatchet

Left out of most obituaries about renowned country music talk-show host Ralph Emery, who died Saturday, was his infamy among many rock fans for having gotten into a tiff in the late 1960s with the Byr...
news.yahoo.com news.yahoo.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for that! Looks like I missed that historic 1985 show and instead caught the later appearance during which McGuinn sang "Chestnut Mare." I tend to forget that I was watching Nashville Now fairly regularly even before the New Traditionalist explosion of the late '80s and experimentation of the early '90s. In retrospect, there were plenty of hints in the mid-'80s and before that country music was on the verge of major changes.
 
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