Ralph Emery: The Dick Clark of Country music who broke racial barriers

Ralph Emerson was beloved

Ralph Emery was a beloved radio-television broadcaster and author who passed away on January 15, 2022, in Nashville at the age of 88. The Country Music Association announced his demise but at this time no cause of death has been given. In a statement that was made shortly after Emery's death Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO, said the following:

"Ralph Emery was often better known than the stars he introduced to larger and larger audiences over the years as country music's foremost ambassador,"

Emery a television host and disc jockey began his career in 1955 and it spanned 6 decades until 2015. He started out as a late-night DJ in Nashville and became so popular that he earned the nicknames "the Dick Clark of country music" and "the Johnny Carson of country. Thanks to the station's clear-channel nighttime broadcasting range, Emery's country music show could be heard throughout most of Eastern and Central America. The all-night show became popular with many overnight long-haul truck drivers, who often were fans of country music.

Ralph Emery believed in inclusion

From 1983-93 Emery hosted local broadcasts and also "Nashville Now" on the Nashville Network cable channel. Country music star Tex Ritter who was a close friend of the DJ would at times drop by unannounced and another acquaintance, singer-songwriter Marty Robins would co-host from time to time. Emery believed in inclusion and his eye for talent gave national exposure to many previously unknown and up-and-coming music singers, who owe their careers to him.

This includes younger African Americans singers during a time when there were not a lot of Black Country music singers. Two of those who owe their careers to Emery are Frankie Staton and JP Netters who became a part of his studio band during the 1980s. Emery, also known as "the dean of Country music" has authored several best-selling books detailing his memories of the many Nashville musicians and singers who appeared on his various Tv and radio shows.

Ralph Emmerson's stellar accomplishments

Emery is credited with developing the broadcasting style of NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip, who during his early days of racing in Nashville was frequently a guest on the DJ's late-night radio show. In 1989 Emerson was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame and a 2007 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In 2001, Emery decided on a television comeback on the Nashville Fox affiliate WZTV. His show, Mornings with Ralph Emery, only lasted 7days on the air due to two events the host could not foresee. He was first sidelined by the continuing coverage of the September 11 attacks and then he lost time on the air due to an illness. Emery was replaced and the show went on with new host Charlie Chase. The name was changed to Tennessee Mornings.

Emery launched The Nashville Show, a free weekly webcast with Shotgun Red as co-host in October of 2005. He made a return to television in 2007 conducting interviews on the Ralph Emery Live show on the RFD-TV cable network. The show ran for 8 years airing live on Monday evenings at 7:00 at PM EST. At some point, the name changed to Ralph Emery's Memories, and the finale came in October 2015.

Ralph Emery, a legend in his own time was one of the 2007 inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2010 he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. He was married three times and his second wife was Opry star Skeeter Davis.