Senator Merle Kilgore
was a
business man bridging his early music experience with
today’s growing country music industry. He was voted by
his peers as CMA’s first Manager of the Year in 1990.
His vast knowledge stems from his involvement in every
facet of show business… he was an accomplished singer,
songwriter (inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’
Hall of Fame in 1998) and actor. All inventories taken,
Merle turned opportunities into successes as both a
manager and an entertainer.
Merle began his career in Shreveport, Louisiana at the
age of 14, carrying Hank Williams Sr.’s guitar.
Entering professional show business at 18, Merle wrote
his first number one hit, “More and More”, which became
a million-seller for Webb Pierce in 1954. Not long
after, young Merle wrote a 10 million seller, “Wolverton
Mountain”, recorded by Claude King, and then co-wrote
“Ring of Fire” with June Carter-Cash, as recorded by
Johnny Cash. The song sold more than 16 million
records. Merle continued to write hit after hit making
his song catalog over 300 songs, and all sold close to
50 Million records.
Merle’s first Top Ten record
was self penned “Dear Mama”, followed by “Love Has Made
You Beautiful” on Starday Records and then on Mercury,
"42 in Chicago" on Mercury, and "Fast Talking Louisiana
Man" on Columbia. His last chart record before turning
music executive was “Guilty” on Warner Bros., but his
favorite record was “Mr. Garfield” by Merle Kilgore and
Friends on Elektra Records, recorded with long-time
friends Hank Williams Jr. and Johnny Cash.
As an actor, Merle
was featured in the box office hits Coal Miner’s
Daughter, Robert Altman’s Nashville, W.W.
and the Dixie Dance Kings, Roadie, and the
CBS-TV movie, Willa. His biggest role co-starred him in NBC-Telelcom’s Living Proof,
the life story of Hank Williams Jr., where he played
himself.
Merle moved to Nashville
in 1962 and began his management career by representing
the prestigious Shapiro Bernstein and Al
Gallico music companies. In 1969, Merle became the
general manager of Hank Williams Jr. ’s music publishing
companies. On April 7, 1986, he was named Executive
Vice President and head of management of Hank Williams
Jr. Enterprises. Merle was affiliated with Hank
for more than 30 years, serving as his personal manager
for the last 16.
In addition to managing
Hank’s career (along with that of Hank’s Bama Band),
Merle had a number of successful business ventures and
held numerous leadership positions. Merle’s
prominence in the country music community grew through his involvement as Vice President
of the Country Music Association and as a member of the CMA Board of Directors . Also
contributing to his success was his position as
President of both the Nashville Songwriter’s Foundation
as well as the Nashville Songwriter’s Association
International. These positions Merle cited as part of
his lifelong dream. In 1987, he was named an honorary
State Senator for Tennessee. In 1993, Merle was
inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in Lafayette,
Louisiana and was also inducted into Shreveport’s Byrd
High School Hall of Fame. In 1998, Merle received the
Legendary Songwriter’s Award from the North American
County Music Association. He also hosted and
performed at NSAI's Tin Pan South Legendary Songwriter's
Acoustic Concert and was presented a prestigious award
honoring him as “One of the world’s outstanding
songwriters.” Merle also served two terms as
President of ROPE, International (Reunion of
Professional Entertainers, Int.).
Merle was a long-time
member of the Academy of Country Music and an active
member of the Screen Actors Guild. As well as belonging
to the NSAI and the American Federation of Musicians,
Merle served as a board member for several organizations
including the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery,
Alabama, the Texas Hall of Fame and the Tex Ritter
Museum, both in Carthage, Texas. He also directed the
operations of two offices, Hank Williams Jr. Enterprises
in Paris, Tennessee and Merle Kilgore Management in
Nashville, where he managed several other artists.
Despite a rough 2004, which included heart surgery, back
surgery, and a lung cancer diagnosis, Merle stole the
show at the International Entertainment Buyers
Association dinner where he was awarded the Lifetime
Achievement Award.
On
February 6, 2005, Merle Kilgore passed away at the age
of 70. Kilgore was survived by his wife, Judy,
sons Steve and Duane Kilgore, daughters Pam Compton, Kim
Pomeroy and Shane McBee, eight grandchildren, and a
great granddaughter. Family and friends gathered
at the Ryman Auditorium for an unprecedented celebration
of Merle's life. Kilgore would have taken great
pleasure in the great music and the stories told by
family and friends. Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt
hosted the memorial service, and there were musical
performances by Kid Rock, Big & Rich, Wynonna, and
others. Hank Williams Jr. fought back the tears as
he read a message to Merle:
"Brother:
I went to the office today,
But found out you weren't there.
And yet the more I searched,
I realized that you were everywhere.
'64, '79, '80s, 90s, Mellennium too.
There were so many pictures,
So many memories,
Together me and you.
You carried Dad's guitar in Shreveport.
You were my link to him.
Like a brother, like a father,
And always, always no matter what ... my friend!
I had a dream so beautiful and serene,
Do not grive, for from Heaven He's called.
"Brother you won't believe ... I've made the biggest
deal of all!"
Guests
were left with a final request by Merle himself.
Talent agent Greg Oswald explained, "One announcement:
On our trip to the graveside, there will be no
carpooling." Just as Merle had wanted, the streets
of Nashville had never seen a longer funeral procession.
Merle was laid to rest in the Hendersonville Memorial
Gardens.
MAJOR HIT RECORDS
WRITTEN BY MERLE KILGORE
Song/Recording Artist
* “Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash, Frank Zappa, Social Distortion, Mark
Collie, etc.
* “Johnny Reb” Johnny Horton
* “Wolverton
Mountain” Claude King, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong,
etc.
* “More and More” Webb
Pierce, Charlie Pride, Guy Lombardo
* “Folk Singer” Eddie Arnold, Tommy Roe
“She Went A Little
Bit Farther” Faron Young, Lou DeWitt (Statler
Brothers)
“Tiger Woman”
Claude King
“Old Records” Kay
Starr, Maggie Singleton
“Let Somebody Else
Drive” John Anderson
“She Understands Me”
also called “Dum De Do Wha” Sammy Smith,
Bobby Vinton
* “Old Enough to
Love” Ricky Nelson
* “The Easy Way” Eddy Arnold
* Denotes Million
Seller
These selections are
those of a catalogue of more than 300 songs written by
Merle. Some he recorded and others were recorded by
different popular artists of the time. Some even
crossing the lines of Country and Pop music.
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