Ron Baird
Ron Baird, former head of CAA’s Nashville office and agent to many of country music’s leading artists, died in Nashville on February 3, 2011, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 60.
A celebration of his life will take place on Wednesday, February 9, 2011, from 5 – 7 p.m. at Hillwood Country Club (6201 Hickory Valley Road, Nashville, TN). In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Lewy Body Dementia Association (www.lbda.org); The Salvation Army (www.Salarmy-Nashville.org); and the Glacier National Park Fund (www.glaciernationalparkfund.org).
Ron is survived by his wife Cheryl, their sons John (and wife Jenny) and Marc (and wife Kennon); and four grandchildren, James, Kate, Finley and Cooper.
Ron joined CAA in 1991 to open the company’s Nashville office. The one-man operation that started in Ron’s garage grew into the 55-person team it is today. In his 13 years as a CAA agent, Ron oversaw the careers of Clint Black, Billy Dean, Jennifer Hanson, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Joe Nichols, Olivia Newton John, Little Texas, Jamie O’Neal, Julie Roberts and Shania Twain, among many others. He retired in 2004.
“Ron was an extraordinary man whose dedication to and passion for his clients and colleagues alike have long inspired us,” said Rob Light, managing partner and head of the music department at CAA. “He had great love of music, a heart of gold and a generous spirit, and it is those qualities that will be the legacy of this wonderful soul. Ron will always be the cornerstone of CAA Nashville. It was an honor to know him and we extend our deepest sympathies to Ron’s beloved family.”
Ron was born and raised in Bigfork, Montana and maintained close ties to his home state throughout his life. He was an avid skier and outdoorsman, often taking backpacking trips in Glacier National Park.
Ron formed his first band when he was in the second grade, and played his first paying gig when he was in the fourth grade, marking the beginning of his lifelong career in music. Upon high school graduation, he went on the road full-time and toured the Western United States before attending Culver Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, and Schiller College in Heidelberg, Germany. He graduated from the University of Montana, with a degree in Philosophy.
In 1975, Ron put his touring days behind him and took a job as an agent at Good Music Agency, a small rock-and-roll agency based in Missoula, Montana. He accepted a job in 1977 at Jim Halsey Co., at the time the largest country music agency in the world, and relocated to their headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At Jim Halsey, Ron booked artists including Roy Clark, Donna Fargo, Merle Haggard, George Jones, The Judds, Brenda Lee, Ronnie Milsap, Rick Nelson, Oak Ridge Boys, Mel Tillis, Conway Twitty, Don Williams, Tammy Wynette and Dottie West, among others.
By 1987, Jim Halsey Co. had moved its headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee, and Ron was elevated to senior vice president and general sales manager. A year later, the firm was acquired by the William Morris Agency. Ron accepted a position with CAA in 1991.
Ron served as Chairman of the Board for the Country Music Association in 2003 and was President of the Country Music Association in 2002. He was also an associate board member of W.O. Smith and an alumnus of Leadership Music. Voted Country Agent of the Year for three years (1996-1998) by Performance Magazine, he was named Third Coast Agent of the Year in 1999 by Pollstar.
