Biography

Director of the Country Music Foundation (CMF), 1971-1998. Born September 6, 1944. As CMF director was responsible for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and its related library, publications, and educational programs. Chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts, 1997-2001. Later served as director of the Curb Center for Arts and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University.

Interview Summary

1983 March 18
(1 hour, 35 minutes)
Country Music Foundation (CMF) director, Bill Ivey, talks about the evolution of the CMF organization. Discussion includes CMF staff members during the early 1970s; his initial responsibilities as director of the CMF’s library and media center; his appointment as CMF director; the relationship of the CMF and the Country Music Association (CMA); the development of the Hall of Fame; his early experiences as CMF director; his emphasis on developing the museum; and comments on CMF’s structural reorganization.