Ronald Huntsman
Saturday
9
July

Visitation

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Saturday, July 9, 2022
Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet
2229 N. Mt. Juliet Road
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, United States
(615)758-5459
Saturday
9
July

Memorial Service

3:00 pm
Saturday, July 9, 2022
Sellars Funeral Home (Mt. Juliet)
2229 N. Mt. Juliet Road
Mount Juliet, Tennessee, United States
(615) 758-5459

Obituary of Ronald Lee Huntsman

HUNTSMAN, Ron, age  of Gallatin, passed away on July 2, 2022. Ron was a visionary and a difference maker. In 1973, Ron launched Ron Huntsman Promotions and Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Cryin’ In the Rain” was the first of many No. 1 singles he promoted. Others included Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Old Hank Done It This Way,” Billy Swan’s “I Can Help” and Charlie Daniels’ “Uneasy Rider,” “Long Haired Country Boy” and “The South’s Gonna Do It (Again).”

 

Then in 1988, Ron and his wife, Vivian opened Huntsman Entertainment which produced over 30 Live From Nashville and Live from Hollywood multi-station remote broadcasts during CMA and ACM awards weeks. Ron oversaw production of over 160 album and product release radio specials for virtually every record label in Nashville. He was asked by Country Cares for St. Jude Kids to produce “story songs” used by over 200 Country radio stations. Also, in 1988, he was awarded the esteemed CMA Founding President’s Award. In April of 1994, their weekly syndicated radio show Country HitMakers debuted and at its peak aired on over 600 stations.

 

While at WKDA FM from 1971 to 1973, he instituted a hybrid format designed to attract the hip FM crowd as well as those who favored AM. He presided over the move from 20,000 watts of stereo signal to full power 100,000 watts. He was a great supporter of local and regional artists and one of his main success stories was the Charlie Daniels band but also Barefoot Jerry, Diane Davidson, and many more. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Lucille Huntsman. He is survived by his wife, Vivian Huntsman; children, Katie (Boomer) Herndon and Traci Huntsman; sibling, Kathi (Kurt) Graves; and grandchildren, Isaiah and Jordan Herndon.

 

The Memorial Service will be on Saturday, July 9th at 3pm at Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet. The Visitation will be held from 12pm until time of service at 3pm on Saturday, July 9th.

 

Arrangements by Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet, 2229 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122, 615-758-5459, obituary line 615-758-8818, www.sellarsfuneralservices.com.

 

 

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