Born 114 Years Ago Today in Indiana, the Man Who Produced Some of Country Music’s Biggest Post-WWII Stars, Including Merle Travis and Tennessee Ernie Ford
Lee Gillette, born in Indianapolis on 30 October 1912, helped shape post-war country music as Capitol Records’ country A&R chief and producer. His work helped establish artists including Merle Travis and Tennessee Ernie Ford, while his later partnership with Nat “King” Cole connected him to Capitol’s jazz-pop success.
Gillette moved to Hollywood in 1939 after singing and drumming in local bands, then joined Capitol when it was founded in 1942. He produced country performers including Jimmy Wakely and Tex Ritter, and continued working with Ford after moving to Capitol’s pop division in 1950, producing the 1955 hit “Sixteen Tons”. He produced most of Cole’s records from the early 1950s until Cole’s death in 1965; Gillette retired that April and died in Los Angeles in 1981, aged 68.
In short
- Lee Gillette shaped Capitol’s post-war country roster.
- He produced Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons”.
- He worked closely with Nat “King” Cole until 1965.
Explained simply
In the years after the Second World War, country music reached a wider audience through records and radio. Capitol Records, founded in 1942, was one of the companies recording and promoting performers in the United States.
Lee Gillette worked at Capitol as a producer, helping artists such as Merle Travis, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jimmy Wakely and Tex Ritter make records. Producers worked with performers and musicians to shape how a recording sounded.
Gillette later moved to Capitol’s pop division and also worked closely with singer Nat “King” Cole. His career links the growth of country music on Capitol with the label’s success in other styles of popular music.
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