2005 Obit: Don Pierce (Starday Records)

Subject: Obit: Don Pierce (Starday Records)
From: RangerSteve
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:31 PM

My country music education came from the Wheeling Jamboree (in its better days) and Starday Records. Long before there was County and Rounder, Starday was where old-time country music could be found, along with some of the best bluegrass and country/western music.
Don Pierce, the founder of Starday passed away at the age of 93.
The funeral info is in Tuesdays Nashville Tennessean newspaper, which is on the internet, but I still haven't figured out how to provide a link.

Anyway, thanks Mr. Pierce for the great recordings.

Steve

Subject: RE: Obit: Don Pierce (Starday Records)
From: open mike
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 12:58 AM

http://www.tennessean.com/
this might be him? (different age, but definitely a musician)
Donald Fredcrick PIERCE
Sumner
Age 89
April 3, 2005
Of Gallatin, passed away on April 3, 2005, at the age of 89. He is survived by his wife, Vadis Larrabee Pierce; daughter, Victora Pierce Turner, and granddaughter, Vadis Lloyd Pierce Turner. Visitation will be 6 p.m. till 730 p.m. Thursday, April 7, 2005, at Hendersonville Funeral Home. A Memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday, April 8, 2005, at Hendersonville Funeral Home, with Tandy Rice giving the eulogy. Honorary Pallbearers Eddy Arnold, George Jones, Tandy Rice, Carl Smith, Chuch Chellman, Roger Sovine, Mike Curb, Nathan Gibson, John Sippel, Dee Kirkpatrick, Tom Perryman, Ralph Emery, Eddie Stubbs, Ernie Fitzgerald, and Keeling Turner. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Country Music Retirement Center, 1 Music Square South, Nashville, TN 37203. HENDERSONVILLE MEMORY GARDENS [phone].

Subject: RE: Obit: Don Pierce (Starday Records)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Oct 19 - 06:30 PM

Subject: RE: 2005 Obit: Don Pierce (Starday Records)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Oct 19 - 06:58 PM

Country Music Television has this obituary:

http://www.cmt.com/news/1499833/funeral-services-held-for-country-music-pioneer-don-pierce/

<Funeral Services Held for Country Music Pioneer Don Pierce
Starday Records Executive Turned $333 Investment Into $2 Million Sale
by cmt.com staff 4/8/2005

Funeral services were held Friday (April 8) in Hendersonville, Tenn., for country music pioneer Don Pierce. The former record label executive died Sunday (April 3) at age 89.

Born in Ballard, Wash., Pierce served as sales manager of Four Star Records after his military discharge in 1945. In 1953, he invested in Starday Records and eventually ascended to president of the company. Moving from Los Angeles to Nashville in 1957 when the label partnered with Mercury Records, he gained full control of Starday a year later and began to compile and market albums on bluegrass and old-time music artists — acts that had been largely overlooked by major country labels. Highly regarded for his marketing skills, Pierce built Starday’s sales base by releasing the albums with flashy and colorful cover photos and designs.

According to The Encyclopedia of Country Music, Pierce’s share of Starday, originally purchased for $333, was worth $2 million when he sold it to Lin Broadcasting in 1968. In later years, Pierce worked as a real estate developer in the Nashville area.

Each year, an organization known as the Reunion of Professional Entertainers (ROPE) presents its Don Pierce Golden Eagle Award to honor individuals for lifetime career achievements in country music. Its recipients include Dolly Parton, Jimmy Dean and the late Patsy Cline and Merle Kilgore.

Pierce is survived by his wife and a daughter. Pallbearers included Country Music Hall of Fame members Eddy Arnold, George Jones and Carl Smith.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starday_Records

Bluegrass Today review: https://bluegrasstoday.com/the-starday-story/