Bob Kingsley

What can you add, after...

• Garth Brooks says:  "All of our greatest memories have his name attached to them."
   
• David Nail:  "It was a great thrill to hear Bob introduce one of my songs.  I guarantee there was never a happier person to have the No. 40 record in the country."
   
• Reba:  'Your countdown is such an important part of the DNA of country music."

And so many more luminaries added their tributes?

USA Today:  Merle Haggard's If We Make It Through December was the first song to top the country chart when Kingsley became producer of American Country Countdown in 1974. Kingley took over as host of the program, which had been created as a country-music counterpart to the Casey Kasem-hosted American Top 40, in 1978. He hosted that show until 2006, then launched Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 in 2006.  In all, 1,307 songs have topped the charts during Kingsley's run on the two countdown shows, and Garner presented Kingsley with "the world's largest No. 1 plaque," representing every one of those singles.

All Access:  Because KINGSLEY is also one of the most humble of radio legends, his wife, NAN and GRAND OLE OPRY VP/GM PETE FISHER had to trick KINGSLEY in attending, under the guise of the OPRY’s 89th anniversary celebration.

As usual for the always-giving Bob, the event was a benefit for a wonderful charity.  The Opry Trust Fund.

I am fortunate to say that Bob has been my friend for at least 35 of those 40.  In fact, for 25 years he and I talked new music each Monday evening starting when we both worked for Drake Chenault in Los Angeles.  He was the programmer and marquee voice of "Great American Country."

When I tell folks that story, they ask why we stopped talking new music each week, and there was only one reason.

Bob Kingsley never said anything negative about any artist or song.