Roy T. Horton, 88, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died Tuesday at his home in Connecticut. He had been battling diabetes and congestive heart failure, as well as the aftereffects of a stroke two years ago, his family said.

Mr. Horton worked for the pioneering Southern Music Publishing Co. for 49 years, promoting the songs of country music legends Jimmie Rodgers, Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, The Carter Family, Floyd Tillman and Lefty Frizzell.

He was born Nov. 5, 1914, the fifth son of coal mining superintendent George Horton and Eunice (Waite) Horton, in Broad Top City in the Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania. After a period in the mines, he and his brother, country songwriter Vaughn Horton, toured the country making music.

Mr. Horton began working at Southern as a ''song plugger'' in 1947, promoting some of country's earliest hits, and worked his way up to head the country music division, said Kevin Lamb, vice president of music publisher peermusic Nashville.

''This guy lived and breathed country music,'' Lamb said. ''He loved the music and the art form. You could tell it was a passion for him.''

While Nashville was the creative base for country music, Mr. Horton spent his career based in New York, where he helped influence decision-makers in the recording business.

''To have someone in New York was a great asset … it was the nerve center of the music publishing world,'' said Kyle Cantrell, country music historian and radio host of Classic Country Gold, who called Mr. Horton ''one of the kindest people I have ever met in the music business.''

''He was the guy who got songs heard, played and recorded when the business was in its infancy. He seemed to know everybody.''

Peermusic, founded by Ralph Peer, holds the rights to some of country music's earliest songs. Peer discovered The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers (known as the father of country music) during his historic 1927 Bristol recording sessions in Bristol, Va., on the border of East Tennessee. The next year he founded Southern Music Publishing Co., the precursor to peermusic.

Mr. Horton also was a bass player who continued to play long after he had established himself in business. With Vaughn Horton, he formed the Pinetoppers, a band best known for its 1951 single Mockin' Bird Hill, which hit No. 3 on the country chart. He made numerous friends in country music, including many Hall of Famers and Grand Ole Opry members, throughout his musical and business careers, his family said.

Mr. Horton was a founding member of the Country Music Association and was its board chairman April 1, 1967, when he cut the ribbon on the original Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum near the Music Row roundabout.

He had helped raise funds for the building by persuading record and publishing companies to forgo royalties on a special compilation album that was one of the first to be offered on TV.

He later became president of the Country Music Foundation, which operates the Hall, and in 1982, he was inducted.

''Roy was a selfless and tireless promoter of country music, of building up the industry,'' said John Rumble, senior historian for the Hall of Fame and Museum.

''He worked for its visibility and acceptance as a vital part of American culture and remained dedicated to the end of his life, always ready to help out with advice or some piece of his immense historical knowledge.''

Mr. Horton's brother, Vaughn, died in 1988. Mr. Horton is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lillian (Petri) Horton; daughter, Lola; son, Travis, and his wife, Nancy; two grandchildren, Michael and Travis; and Travis' wife, Anne. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Broad Top Cemetery, Broad Top City, Penn. Funeral arrangements are being made by Long Funeral Chapel of Saxton, Pa. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Roy Horton Scholarship Fund for the Tussey Mountain School District, P.O. Box 5055, Manchester, Conn. 06040.

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  ~ ~
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  mm   if it ain't got that twang.
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Oh No Not Another One

thats the 4th death of a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003

Bryant Tillman and Cash were the others.

They say these things come in "three's".

I have just had word that Rosalie Allen Champion Gal Yodeler and a singing partner of Elton Britt has just passed on.

Roy and Rosalie and Elton were close friends of mine and I would like to start a thread regarding Roy Horton in Extended family. Elton and Rosalie and Roy were indeed part of my family of memories.

God please rest these departed souls.

Rosalie was born as Julie Bedra..that was her
legal name. Born in Pennsylvania and I think
she would have been about 76 years old at the time of her passing.

She lived with her daughter in Las Vegas during the last 8 years as she had a number of strokes.Prior to that she moved from NY to
Oklahoma until she was no longer able to take care of herself.

I will see what I can do.

and a brief bio here.

Thanks again Joey.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 28 September 2003 at 09:40 AM.]

I appreciate all of you who offered your kind
comments.

There will be a special segment of Roy's music along with Rosalie Allen this Friday night on Swingin West. This will be a tribute
to both Roy and Rosalie.

For those of you who want to stir memories of
a time gone by tune in to my friend Mike Gross at 9 PM Eastern Time until 12 Midnight.
www.swinginwest.com

Thanks to all of you.

bOb you can close this thread if you wish.

edited for spelling.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 02 October 2003 at 06:02 PM.]