Jerry Bradley

Music executive Jerry Bradley, the song of legendary Owen Bradley, died July 17, 2023. He was 83. A Nashville, Tennessee native, Bradley served two years in the U.S. Army, and soon after began working with his father and watching artists such as Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, and Webb Pierce record in the legendary “Bradley’s Barn” studio.

Bradley began working with Chet Atkins and would eventually go on to serve as the head of RCA Records in Nashville from 1973 to 1982. In this position, Bradley worked with a long list of Country greats including Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, Dolly Parton, and Charley Pride. He also played a pivotal role in the career of Elvis Presley, who released a series of CountryMusic songs such as “Moody Blue” and “Way Down.” Following his work on the label side, Bradley was named the head of the Opryland Music Group, where he would stay until his retirement in 2003.

In 1980, Bradley received an ACM Award nomination for “Album of the Year,” serving as a producer on Charley Pride’s album “There’s a Little Bit of Hank in Me.” Bradley was later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.

Courtesy of ACM