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Tandy Clinton Rice Jr. (August 16, 1938 – August 3, 2015) was an American talent agent who was instrumental in propelling and managing the careers of many well-known country stars including Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall, Porter Wagoner, Jim Ed Brown, Jeannie C. Riley and comedian Jerry Clower.[1] He served as president of the Country Music Association and was the first inductee into the Nashville Association of Talent Directors Hall of Fame.[2][3]
Born in Franklin, Tennessee, he was a star athlete at Franklin High School winning a state championship in the mile relay and is a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame;[4] after briefly attending Vanderbilt University he graduated from The Citadel in 1961 and was commissioned into the United States Air Force serving for two years as a Public Affairs Officer with the Strategic Air Command. He was encouraged to enter the country music business by a distant cousin, country star Minnie Pearl;[5] he began as a publicist representing artists such as Waylon Jennings, Chet Atkins, Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr. As a salesman for Show Biz, Inc. he convinced TV stations to carry syndicated country music shows, most notably “The Porter Wagoner Show” which was the launching pad for Dolly Parton's career; in 1971 he became president of Top Billing International, which he developed into one of Nashville's leading talent agencies representing many well-known country stars. Rice launched the career of Jerry Clower, who became one of the best-known American comedians of the 1970s, selling millions of albums; he also turned Billy Carter, brother of President Jimmy Carter into a major national celebrity.[6]
In addition to his talent management, Rice served as the longtime host of radio and TV shows in Nashville, served twice as a judge for the Miss America pageant and was profiled in numerous major publications, including People Magazine, The Washington Post, Playboy, Newsweek Magazine and The New York Times. He served as a member of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and for many years hosted the annual United Cerebral Palsy Telethon.[7]
Rice received a master's degree from Vanderbilt and an honorary doctorate from The Citadel; he also served as an adjunct professor of music business at Belmont University and member of the business advisory council at Lipscomb University.[8]
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