Country Exec Stone Dies

01/21/1998 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Bruce Haring

(1/21/98) - Cliffie Stone, a key executive who pioneered country music on the West Coast, has died at the age of 80. Stone had a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, his publicist said Monday.

In over 50 years in country music, Stone did nearly every job imaginable. His resum&ecute; lists stints as a musician, singer, songwriter, comedian, disc jockey, publisher, manager, record company executive and producer.

Stone is best known for his Hometown Jamboree Show, which ran on radio and television from 1946 through 1960, giving boosts to the careers of such eventual stars as Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Cash, Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves and Tex Ritter. He also spent five years as executive director of NBC's Tennessee Ernie Ford Show.

Later, Stone was president and director of the Academy Of Country Music, and was the academy's historian at the time of his death. He also had been a vice president of the Country Music Association.

Stone was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Academy Of Country Music in 1972, and was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall Of Fame in Nashville in 1979.