Ken Nelson (American record producer)
Ken Nelson | |
---|---|
Birth name | Kenneth F. Nelson |
Born | Caledonia, Minnesota, U.S. | January 19, 1911
Died | January 6, 2008 Somis, California, U.S. | (aged 96)
Occupation(s) | Record producer |
Years active | 1948–1976 |
Kenneth F. Nelson (January 19, 1911 – January 6, 2008) was an American
Early life
Born in Caledonia, Minnesota, Nelson made his radio debut as a singer, at the age of 14, in 1925.[1] and performed in various bands during his teen years, working with musician Lee Gillette several times.[1]
Career
Nelson, who was in charge of the A&R division of Capitol Records and head of country music
Nelson was primarily involved with country music acts, although he was responsible for signing comedy star Stan Freberg, who was 25 at the time, with Capitol Records.[1] He produced nearly all of Freberg's comedy recordings during the 1950s, one of the most notable being "St. George and the Dragonet."
According to an extensive chapter on Nelson, Rich Kienzle's book Southwest Shuffle (Routledge, 2003) based on interviews with the producer, Nelson produced the first live album ever done by a country singer, Hank Thompson's Live at the Golden Nugget in 1961.
Nelson was inducted into the
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Bruce Eder. "Ken Nelson Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ a b Friskics-Warren, Bill (2008-01-10). "Ken Nelson - Obituary - New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
- ^ Bill Friskics-Warren (2008-01-10). "Ken Nelson – Obituary". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
References
- Ken Nelson at Country Music Hall of Famepage.
- Ken Nelson, Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 96
- Whiteside, Jonny (1998). "Ken Nelson". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 373–4.
- Obituary in The Times