Nan Kingsley, wife and business partner of the late radio broadcast legend Bob Kingsley, has donated their personal archival collection documenting Bob’s six-decades-long career to the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Frist Library and Archive. This donation includes the Kingsley’s audio collection, comprising more than 700 fully produced Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 shows as well as 3,200 interviews conducted with artists and country music influencers spanning nearly five decades.

“As a fan himself of country music and the people who created it, Bob never took for granted the platform that allowed him to share the magic of this genre with listeners around the world,” said Nan Kingsley, president, KCCS Productions. “Bob’s mission was to help preserve this music’s legacy and advocate for its future. I am proud to bring this collection to its rightful home.”

The museum will preserve this extensive archive, which includes interviews with nearly 50 Country Music Hall of Fame members, for museum and third-party use in the future.

“We are grateful that Nan has entrusted the museum with the care of the substantial audio archive she and Bob developed and preserved,” said Kyle Young, CEO Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “The Kingsley Collection adds an essential chapter in country music history to the museum’s archival holdings, showcasing the contributions of one of country radio’s most esteemed figures and its longest-serving syndicated host.”   

Bob Kingsley, a member of both the National Radio Hall of Fame and the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame, began his radio career in 1959 as an announcer on the Armed Forces Radio Service while serving in the United States Air Force. Following his military service, he worked at Los Angeles radio stations KFOX, KGBS, KFI and KLAC.

In 1974, he became the producer of the nationally syndicated American Country Countdown; he added hosting duties in 1978. With Bob at the helm, the show was named Billboard’s Network/Syndicated Country Program of the Year for 16 years in a row. In 2006, Bob and Nan launched Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, which he hosted and executive produced until his passing in October 2019.

Bob received numerous industry accolades throughout his career including: Academy of Country Music’s (ACM) Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year (1966 and 1967); Country Music Association’s National Broadcast Personality of the Year (2001 and 2003); ACM National Broadcast Personality of the Year (2007); Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Aircheck Awards National Air Personality of the Year (2011, 2012, 2017 and 2020 [posthumously]); and the Country Radio Broadcasters President’s Award (2012). In 2014, he was the inaugural recipient of the Opry Trust Fund’s Living Legend Award, which was later named for him. He also received the ACM Mae Boren Axton Service Award in 2017 for 50 years of ACM board service.

About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Collection

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum safeguards an extensive collection that documents country music history from the late 1800s through the present. The museum’s unparalleled collection includes sound and video recordings, photographs, print materials, instruments, oral histories, books, documents, manuscripts and additional objects illustrating the lives and careers of musicians, industry figures and the culture of country music. This collection serves as a resource for scholars, students, the general public and other researchers interested in exploring the American experience through history and culture.