Biography

Radio executive. Born 1927. Business associate of recording artist Jim Reeves. Early in career worked as a disc jockey at KSIG in Gladewater, Texas. Purchased KGRI in Henderson, Texas, with Reeves. Owned and managed WMTS Murfreesboro, Tennessee with Reeves’s widow, Mary, until the late 1970s. Member, Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.

Interview Summary

1990 June 21
(2 hours)
Radio executive Tom Perryman gives an overview of his career, with a focus on his experiences during the 1950s. Discussion includes comments about various artists he worked with, including Johnny Horton, the Browns, and Jim Reeves; experiences booking shows for Louisiana Hayride artists; experiences working at the radio station KSIJ in Gladewater; the formation of the Country Music Disc Jockey Association (CMDJA); his hiring by WSM Nashville; his experiences as a WSM disc jockey; his move to the WSM office as talent coordinator and assistant manager for the Grand Ole Opry; forming the All-Star Talent Agency with Don Pierce and Pappy Daily; purchasing radio station KGRI Henderson, Texas with Jim Reeves; the impact of rock & roll on country music; the contrast between the country music industry of the 1950s and the industry of the 1980s; and memories of the Opry during his tenure as assistant manager.