Jim Halsey’s 68-year career in music
Over the course of his 68-year career, Jim Halsey has been a pioneer of country music innovation and expansion, transforming a once colloquial commodity into a global force. Halsey played a key role in the direction and management of country music giants. He has guided the careers of some of the most iconic figures in country music, including, Roy Clark, Waylon Jennings, The Judds, Hank Thompson, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Wanda Jackson, Freddy Fender, Roy Orbison, Tammy Wynette, Rick Nelson, Clint Black, Dwight Yoakam, Minnie Pearl, James Brown and The Oak Ridge Boys, who he’s managed for 43 years.
When asked what advice he would give to anyone just starting out on a career in music, he kept it simple. “Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams,” he told me.
World’s biggest country music agency
Halsey’s vision, marketing, and passion were fundamental to the rapid growth of a genre that may otherwise have taken many more years to develop. His leadership and vision resulted in The Jim Halsey Company becoming the biggest country music agency in the world. Halsey’s artists have sold hundreds of gold and platinum records, received countless awards, including Grammy awards and nominations, and sold out shows at The Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, and headlined festivals and performances all over the world.
Halsey has represented 25 of the 125 artists selected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as 10 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has played a pivotal role in bringing country music to television. To date, he is the only producer or manager who has ever presented every artist on a single episode of the Hollywood Squares as well as book his acts in every Las Vegas showroom for an entire week.
Massive archive of musical memorabilia
Currently, Halsey is focused on archiving his enormous collection of musical artifacts collected over the years. Halsey has a specific goal in mind, and rather than simply finding a museum or display room for everything, he wants to provide his archive as a learning tool for anyone interested in getting into the music industry.
Halsey’s archives include more than eighty signed guitars, hundreds of gold and platinum records, original production posters, pictures and signed documents from world leaders and presidents, six to ten-thousand photographs, sixty-thousand contracts, unreleased master tapes and videos from artists spanning several decades, and his numerous awards and recognitions.
Halsey believes that by showing physical evidence of his accomplishments, he may encourage others to follow their dreams.