Bill Cody, well known and loved deejay on WSM Radio with several shows including “Coffee, Country and Cody,” passed away yesterday. Cody welcomed guests from genres of music that bordered country music, including bluegrass, western, Americana and more, to his show. The artists below who contributed their thoughts about Cody are just a sampling of how much he loved music and the people who sang the songs, and how much they loved, respected and admired him.
“His smile, sincerity and heart will be so missed…anyone who knew him is feeling the loss.
— Dale Ann Bradley, six time Female Vocalist, International Bluegrass Music Association
“Bill Cody was no doubt one of the nicest people in mainstream country radio. His kindness and knowledgeable support of those of us in the Western genre was greatly appreciated. He will be missed by many.”
— Randy Huston, Spur award for Songwriter of the Year from the Western Writers of America
for his song “Way of the Cowboy”
“Bill was one of the great voices in a tradition carrying the spirit of WSM, the Opry, and country music. Artists in this town never had a better friend than Bill Cody. He loved the songs, the stories, but most of all the people who made them. And he was always in our corner. He was always interested in the music we were making and graciously featured us. He was usually one of the very first people to play anything new we put out. You never knew where an interview with Bill would go. Something would get mentioned and suddenly we’d be down a rabbit hole talking about Archie Bell & the Drells, Norro Wilson or growing up on the ranch. But the conversation was always filled with laughs.”
— Jesse Bellamy of the duo Jesse and Noah