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NSAI Shares Additional Details Of Partnership With Bob Kingsley Estate
by Phyllis Stark
December 16, 2021 at 6:23 AM (PT)
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NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL (NSAI) has shared additional details of its new partnership with the estate of the late COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAME member BOB KINGSLEY. The partnership, first announced during a DECEMBER 9th show celebrating KINGSLEY at the NASHVILLE’s THE BLUEBIRD CAFE (NET NEWS 12/10), is designed to ensure his legacy, as well as fund preservation and distribution of historic songwriter performances.
Under the stewardship of KINGSLEY’s wife and business partner, NAN KINGSLEY, the estate made a financial donation to NSAI, a significant portion of which will underwrite the digitization of a selection of historic BLUEBIRD CAFE shows that were recorded over the last 40 years in a variety of recording mediums in use at the time. Additionally, video interviews with songwriters featured during the venue 40th anniversary season in 2022 will also be part of the partnership. THE BLUEBIRD is owned and operated by NSAI.
The news comes in conjunction with the opening of THE NAN AND BOB KINGSLEY BUILDING at WEATHERFORD COLLEGE in WEATHERFORD, TX (NET NEWS 12/15). The building — the couple's former BLUESTEM STUDIOS where the COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAMER hosted his nationally-syndicated countdown show - was largely donated by the KINGSLEY ESTATE, and will house the college's new audio engineering program and a future mass communications program. Also through a KINGSLEY estate endowment, the school will partner with the BLUEBIRD to have its students involved in the digitization of the venue’s historic shows.
“The goal is to begin airing some of the iconic shows when THE BLUEBIRD CAFE celebrates its 40th birthday next JUNE,” said GM ERIKA WOLLAM-NICHOLS.
Additionally, NSAI recently launched a Top 40 song page at NashvilleSongwriters.com in honor of BOB KINGSLEY. Explains NSAI Executive Dir. BART HERBISON, “Each quarter NSAI is posting a playlist of the best 40 songs from our non-professional members, songs that come through our programs and services from songwriters around the world. We just launched our second such playlist, and this has been very popular among our members. It is a great way to honor BOB’s legacy and a method to recognize and inspire a new generation of professional songwriters.”
“BOB loved and supported the NASHVILLE songwriter community,” said NAN KINGLSEY. “From his early experiences with HANK COCHRAN and JOHN HARTFORD to establishing BOB KINGSLEY’s Acoustic Alley at the annual COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR, BOB had a passionate appreciation for songwriters. He supported them on the air, too, by using his platform to recognize and promote the individuals behind the songs. It is only fitting that I continue to honor his legacy with these partnerships.”
Earlier this year, the KINGSLEY estate donated more than 700 full countdown shows and 3,200 interviews with songwriters, artists and others to the COUNTY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM in NASHVILLE.