Jerry Bradley, Influential Country Music Executive and Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 83

Music executive and Country Music Hall of Fame member Jerry Bradley has died. Country Aircheck confirmed Bradley died at his home in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, on Monday (July 17). He was 83 years old.

Born on January 30, 1940, Bradley quickly followed in the footsteps of his father, famed producer and musician Owen Bradley. After serving two years in the Army, the younger Bradley returned to his home state of Tennessee and joined forces with his father, learning the ropes while working alongside him in their “Bradley Barn” recording studio.

Located just outside of Nashville, the studio welcomed some of music’s most acclaimed artists during their early years, including Joan Baez, Loretta Lynn, and Gordon Lightfoot. After forging a friendship with Chet Atkins, influential guitarist, and then-head of RCA Records, Bradley found himself ready for a new challenge.

He accepted a position at the record label and soon became Atkins’ own assistant. Three years later, a cancer battle forced Atkins to refocus his creative work, allowing Bradley to step in and take on his role at the helm of RCA Records.

Over the next decade, Bradley led the label to major successes, elevating the careers of Charley Pride, Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, and more. One of his biggest accomplishments was the creation of Wanted! The Outlaws, the historic 1976 compilation album that helped legitimize “outlaw country” as a musical movement and subgenre.

He stepped away from his role at RCA in 1982, then served as the head of the Opryland Music Group music publishing companies from 1986 until 2002. He retired the following year, but the impact of his accomplishments didn’t fade with time. In 2019, Bradley’s achievements earned him an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, further solidifying his place in history.

“Jerry Bradley grew up in Nashville’s music business, and then he helped shape it,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “He learned from the best: his father, Owen Bradley, and his first RCA Records boss, Chet Atkins. Once Jerry took the reins at RCA, he innovated—wresting marketing budgets and album cover control from New York; expanding country’s reach to entice pop and rock fans; and nurturing dynamic artists like Alabama, Waylon Jennings, Ronnie Milsap, Dolly Parton and Charley Pride, enabling their Hall of Fame careers. The album compilation Wanted! The Outlaws epitomizes his genius: entirely conceived by Bradley, it supercharged Waylon, Willie, and the Outlaw movement and earned country’s first platinum sales certification. Thanks to Jerry, country music gained newfound respect and commercial clout.”

Bradley was preceded in death by his wife, fellow country music industry executive Connie Bradley. He is survived by their son, Clay Bradley. Funeral arrangements are currently pending.

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)