Wednesday night at the
Oklahoma History Center in
Oklahoma City, longtime music impresario
Jim Halsey warmly welcomed an array of music, political, sporting and history fans to a new exhibit celebrating his career -- and the musicians he helped to make famous -- "
Starmaker: Jim Halsey and the Legends of Country Music."
Halsey's worked from his home base -- a ranch near Mounds -- for decades to book, promote, manage and inspire dozens of country music acts. He's also now a public speaker, author and teacher.
Oklahoma History Center's
Bob Blackburn welcomed "an overflow crowd" to the exhibit debut -- and announced plans for a proposed pop culture museum in Tulsa.
Guests Wednesday included former Sooners coach
Barry Switzer, Woody Guthrie historian
Guy Logsdon, Tractors frontman
Steve Ripley, former Governor
George Nigh, Secretary of State
Susan Savage, executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation
Ken Levit, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce member
Mike Neal, rockabilly queen
Wanda Jackson, the
Oak Ridge Boys, folk singer
Jody Brooks and hundreds of others packed into the history center and museum on Wednesday night.
The list of music stars that Halsey's worked with is even longer, and includes six decades of hitmakers and musicians like
Reba McEntire, the
Oak Ridge Boys,
Conway Twitty,
Hank Thompson,
Wanda Jackson,
Roy Clark,
Roy Orbison,
Willie Nelson,
Ronnie Milsap, the
Judds,
Waylon Jennings,
Brenda Lee,
Dwight Yoakam,
Jana Jae,
Ricky Nelson,
James Brown, Clint Black,
Glen Campbell,
Ronnie Dunn,
Porter Wagoner,
Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys and dozens more.
Halsey said he hopes the things he's kept for decades will soon be on display at a proposed "
Pop Museum" in in Tulsa that will showcase arts, musicians, culture and events in Oklahoma history. The center would cost $33 million, said Blackburn. That announcement was followed by the declaration by Levit that the Kaiser Family Foundation would "get the ball rolling" by donating $1 million to the museum, proposed for Tulsa's historic
Brady District.
Roy Clark, who has lived in Tulsa for decades, said "Because of Jim, because of Wanda (Jackson), I'm a proud Okie today." Oak Ridge Boys singer
Joe Bonsall said his band has played "every major -- and minor -- venue in this state," saying their career wouldn't have been possible without Oklahomans. "We're Okies, too," he said.
Wanda Jackson also spoke kindly of Halsey. She first met him when he and country music great Hank Thompson formed a bond while Thompson worked on a radio and TV show and lived in Oklahoma City. "Jim was 20. ... This was probably the most important decision and relationship of each of their lives."
She leaned in close to Halsey and patted his shoulder. "He is the most unforgettable person I've ever met. ... He is a visionary."
Oaks singer
William Lee Golden agreed, reminding the audience that, while Nashville may be a mecca for musicians and songwriters, "There was no revolutionary manager in Nashville. You had to get with Jim Halsey as a manager and booking agent if you wanted to go anywhere in your career."
At times, tears welled in Halsey's eyes and his nose reddened with emotion. "My life is filled with gratitude for being able to realize when I was in the right place at the right time."
The exhibit is included with paid admission to the Oklahoma History Center. For more information, visit
OKHistoryCenter.org/.
