Cliffie Stone
b. Clifford Gilpin Snyder, 1 March 1917, Burbank, California, USA. In the early '30s Stone played bass and trombone in dance bands before becoming a country music compere and disc jockey in 1935. During the '40s he was bandleader and host of the CBS network HOLLYWOOD BARN DANCE and from 1943-47 he compered almost thirty other country radio shows weekly. He joined Capitol in 1946, working on production as well as recording and had chart hits in 1947-48, including Peepin' Through The Keyhole and When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again. In 1949, he hosted the famed HOMETOWN JAMBOREE and, from 1953 to its closure in 1960, the radio and television show TOWN HALL PARTY. These shows did much to popularize country music over a wide area and many artists benefited from their appearances on them. One prominent regular on HOMETOWN JAMBOREE was Stone's father, a banjo playing comedian who performed as Herman The Hermit. Stone discovered Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1949 and was his manager for many years; he also worked with many other artists including Spade Cooley, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Thompson and Molly Bee. During the '60s he cut back on his own performing, concentrating on management, a booking agency and several music publishing firms including Central Songs, which he sold to Capitol in 1969. Throughout the '60s-70s he was involved in production, formed Granite records, did committee work for the Country Music Association and ATV Music before retiring in the late '70s. Over the years he wrote many songs and worked with Merle Travis on such classics as Divorce Me C.O.D, So Round So Firm So Fully Packed and No Vacancy. During his career Stone rarely left his native California. He was elected to the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1989 for his services to the music in the non-performer category.