Voice of The Grand Ole Opry and Radio Hall of Famer Bill Cody Has Died

Arguably nobody had a more recognizable voice in country music over the last 30+ years who wasn’t a singer himself. He might have not penned the tunes that send shivers down our spine, or sing them with grand eloquence, or picked the guitar behind them. But Bill Cody was the person we would invite into our homes, our cars, our ears, and our hearts to deliver all those heartfelt songs from our favorite country stars. He was one of the voices of the Grand Ole Opry, and one of the voices of our lives.

Along with announcing countless shows for the Grand Ole Opry over the years, most people know Country Radio Hall of Famer Bill Cody through WSM 650‘s long-running flagship morning show Coffee, Country & Cody. For many, those three words of the title were essential for getting their mornings started off right for three decades. But this was just the centerpiece of his career. For some 54 years, Cody appeared all over radio and television, including, GAC TV’s Master Series, Tennessee’s Wildside on PBS,  Ray Stevens’ Nashville on RFD-TV, Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirius-XM, and so many more.

Born in Lebanon, Kentucky on December 16, 1954, and growing up in towns like Gravel Switch, Crab Orchard, and Junction City, radio loomed large for Bill Cody because it gave him a window to the bigger world. His dad was a Baptist preacher, and would broadcast his sermons on the 1,00-watt station WLBN out of Lebanon every Sunday. That is where Bill Cody would officially start his broadcast career at the ripe age of 12.

Cody immediately became enamored with the radio format, and started sitting in with the country DJ, Frank Kemp. One day Kemp called in sick, so the 12-year-old Cody took the reigns, playing his first song, Wanda Jackson’s “I’ll Sing in the Sunshine” on an album at 45 rpm, so it sounded like the Chipmunks. He would get a better hang of the job as time went on.

When Cody turned 18 and could begin his career in earnest, he started working at WVLK in Lexington, Kentucky. Cody would continue to bounce around stations in Louisville, KY, to WHOO in Orlando, Florida, down to KKYX in San Antonio, and other locations until he finally made it to his dream job at the mother ship of country radio WSM-AM in 1994. He also appeared on WSM-FM from 1996-2000.

It wasn’t just the presence and voice of Bill Cody, but his personality, his musical knowledge, the way he could disarm performers when they came into the studio and make them feel like they were right at home that ultimately proved how irreplaceable Bill Cody really was. That is why long-time fans and listeners were so heartbroken to hear that he had been admitted to the ICU in May, and was suffering from heart and kidney failure. He was waiting for a heart and kidney transplant when he passed away on Tuesday, June 9th.

Bill Cody was also a champion of traditional country artists, up-and-comers, legends and independent performers who others in radio would sometimes ignore, but Bill would give them a voice on one of the most important radio stations in country music.

“Bill was incredibly kind to me and, truthfully, was one of the first people to believe in me in this town,” said independent artist Addison Johnson at the news of Bill’s passing. “It was always such a huge deal for me to be on the air with Bill, talking about an upcoming project. My dream was to have Bill Cody announce me at my Grand Ole Opry debut, and if I’m ever given the opportunity to step into the Circle, he will certainly be on my mind.”

Garth Brooks said, “There might be someone somewhere in the world who loved Country Music as much, but nobody loved Country Music more than Bill Cody.”

Bill Cody might have spinned them, announced them, and interviewed them as opposed to being one himself. But he was the facilitator, the fulcrum for so many country music doings, the de factor mayor of the country music airwaves. He was also officially a Country Radio Hall of Famer, a Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Famer, and an honoree of the Music City Walk of Fame.

Bill Cody leaves behind his high school sweetheart who he married, Rebecca, as well as three children. He also leaves behind dead air that will be difficult to impossible to properly fill.

He was 67 years old.

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