Buddy Killen, 73, Nashville Music Promoter
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Buddy Killen, a music publisher, songwriter and record producer who helped launch the careers of Dolly Parton and Bill Anderson, died October 25. He was 73.
In 1951, Killen joined forces with Jack Stapp, founder of Tree International, to create a music publishing firm that grew into an empire. He recruited such songwriters as Parton and Roger Miller. He sold it in 1989 to CBS, now Sony/ATV, then created his own company, the Killen Music Group.
As a record producer, he worked with Parton, Miller, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Tex, Dottie West, George Jones, Carol Channing and Fats Domino.
Killen himself wrote dozens of hits. His most recorded was “Forever,” a hit for the Little Dippers in 1960. Conway Twitty had a no. 1 country hit in 1979 with Killen’s “I May Never Get to Heaven” and Buck Owens hit no. 1 with “Open Up Your Heart” in 1966.
“He was one of the very first people to see my dream. And not only did he see it, he tried to help make it come true,” Ms. Parton said in a statement. Referring to one of her most famous songs, she added, “Buddy, I will always love you.”
Parton was 15 when Killen produced her first record, and even played bass on it.
He started his music career playing bass at the Grand Ole Opry music hall. He went on to work numerous road shows with Hank Williams Sr., Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, and Ray Price.