Music City mourns the loss of legendary talent booker Billy Deaton; funeral to take place Friday

November 5, 1:23 PMNashville Entertainment ExaminerJonathan Pinkerton

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Nashville Entertainment Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Music Row legend, Billy Deaton/billydeaton.com

Famed booking agent Billy Deaton, better known around Music City as The Deacon, died this past Saturday at the age of 74 after a lengthy illness.  A son of sharecroppers who raised corn and cotton, the Ruleville, Mississippi native worked the fields alongside his parents and siblings until he got his first taste of the entertainment business when he landed a job as janitor and projectionist at the Delta Theatre in Ruleville at the young age of 15.  While working at the theatre, Deaton continued his high school education even finding time to serve as class president for Ruleville High School's Class of 1953.  Following his high school years, Deaton signed up to serve his country and was initially stationed at the Lockland Airforce Base in San Antonio, TX. HIs military training led to an assignment in Iceland.  While stationed in Iceland, Deaton's early interest in music came to fruition when he formed a band with some of his fellow airmen.  During his military service, Deaton also worked as a DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Network.  Once discharged from the military, Deaton returned to San Antonio where he sold advertising time for a local radio station.  In 1959, while working for the radio station, he got his introduction to country music by way of a burgeoning friendship with singer Charlie Walker.  Walker would later go on to become a fixture at the Grand Ole Opry with such hits as Pick Me Up On Your Way Down.

His association with Walker lead to Deaton being signed with the San Antonio-based TNT label, where he pursued his own music career. Deaton gained notoriety with the release of several regional hits, including his 1961 cover of I'll Step Down.

An early publicity shot of recording artist, Billy Deaton 

As a result of those recordings, Deaton became the first country artist signed to Chicago-based Smash Records, and early division of Mercury Records. Over the years, Smash Records roster also included: James Brown, The Caravelles, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roger Miller and others.

Following his brief career as a recording artist, Deaton launched the career that would garner him financial success and legendary notoriety, as a talent booker and agent.  At the urging of his friend and first client, Faron Young, Deaton moved to Nashville in 1969 to set up The Deaton Agency where he serve as manager for Young, beginning what would become his longest-lasting business relationship.  His professional partnership with Young would continue an impressive near-three decades, until Young's death in 1996. In 1972, he was instrumental in Young's contract renegotiation, as Deaton oversaw the singer's signing of a multiyear contract for a reported $400,000.  Deaton also rubbed elbows with heads of state, accompanying another famous client, Ray Price to Dallas, where Price was being honored at a Dallas Press Club dinner and dined alongside special guests, Former President and Mrs. Lyndon Johnson.   In addition to Young and Price, Deaton booked some of the biggest names in country music, including: Miss Kitty Wells, Jim Reeves, my friend Stella Parton, WIllie Nelson, Connie Smith, Tom T. Hall, Donna Fargo, Jim Ed Brown, Mel Tillis, Jean Shepard, Merle Haggard, Johnny Russell, Bill Anderson and my ultimate idol, Miss Wanda Jackson--to name a few.  

Cover art for Faron Young's Wine Me Up

 As if a hugely successful career as a booking agent weren't enough, Billy Deaton also wrote or co-wrote a number of songs for equally talented artists.  Along with Doug Kershaw, Deaton co-wrote Louisiana Man.  Over the years Louisiana Man has been recorded by everyone from Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Kershaw himself to Connie Smith, and Bobbie Gentry.  He teamed with Young to co-write the title track from his 1970 release, Wine Me Up.  Tanya Tucker recently covered the classic country tune on her latest CD, My Turn, where she covers a number of classic hits previously recorded by country's legendary men.

Tanya Tucker isn't the first woman to record a song co-written by Billy Deaton.  Back in 1984, just as she was making a name for herself, Reba McEntire included the song He's Only Everything, penned by Deaton  & Young on her  second album to be released by  Mercury, My Kind Of Country.  While other songs on Reba's album may have enjoyed more success, The Deaton/Young track, He's Only Everything contains that classic country feel that Reba still embraces today.

Over the years, Deaton was recognized for his life's work, having twice been named Agent of The Year by The Nashville Association of Talent Directors, where he had served as a former officer, and continued to be an active member. He was also honored with the Hubert Long Manager of The Year Award, and in 1998 he was once again honored by NATD when the organization established the Billy Deaton Scholarship Fund in his name.  The fund offers financial assistance to students enrolled in the music business curriculum of Belmont University.

Mr. Deaton is survived by son, David Deaton and David's mother, Barbara Deaton Von-Haberstroh. Visitation will be held  from 4-7p this afternoon, Thursday November 5, in the drawing room of Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204; (615) 383-4754. An hour of visitation will be held Friday, November 6, 2009 at 10:30-11:30 with Funeral Services immediately following in in Woodlawn's Dignity Hall, with his fellow agent and friend, Tandy Rice officiating. Pallbearers for Deaton's burial are: Tandy Rice, Tommy Cash, Tom LeGard, Tony Conway, Dave Barton, Rod Harris, Marty Martell, Robin Young, Bonnie Sugarman, Dick Beacham and Kerry Moore. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Opry Trust Fund or MusiCares in memory of Mr. Deaton. 

Connie Smith's cover of Louisiana Man

Faron Young perfoming WIne Me Up in 1971

 Tanya Tucker sings the classic Faron Young/Billy Deaton hit, Wine Me Up