Obituary: 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 Feb. 3, 2011, of complications from

Parkinson’s disease. He had just celebrated his 60th birthday.

Ron is survived by his wife, Cheryl;

their sons, John (wife, Jenny) and Marc (wife, Kennon); and four

grandchildren, James, Kate, Finley and Cooper. He is also survived

by his brother, Rick (wife, Louann) and brother, George (wife,

Connie) and four nieces.

Ron formed his first band when he was

in the second grade, marking the beginning of his lifelong career

in music. Ron worked for the Jim Halsey Agency where he 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.

The Jim Halsey Agency was purchased by

The William Morris Agency where Ron worked until opening the

Nashville office for CAA in 1991. The one-man operation started in

Ron’s house and 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. 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. Ron

retired in 2004.

Ron was an extraordinary man whose

dedication to his family and passion for his clients and colleagues

alike have long inspired those who knew him. He had a great love

for his sons, Marc and John, his wife, Cheryl, his home state of

Montana, and his music. Ron had a heart of gold and a generous

spirit, and it is those qualities that will be the legacy of this

wonderful soul. It was an honor to know him and have him in our

lives.

Ron was born and raised in Bigfork and

maintained close ties to his home state throughout his life. In

college, he participated in the junior year abroad program in

Heidelberg, Germany, and was a graduate of the University of

Montana in Missoula. He was also an Eagle Scout, and an avid skier

and outdoorsman, often taking backpacking trips in Glacier National

Park.

Please join Ron’s family for a

celebration of his life on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, from 5 p.m. to

7 p.m. at Hillwood Country Club (6201 Hickory Valley Road,

Nashville, Tenn).

Contributions may be made to Vanderbilt

Parkinson’s Research Fund (www.giving.vanderbilt.edu), the Lewy

Body Dementia Association (www.lbda.org), the Salvation Army

(www.salarmy-nashville.org) or the Glacier National Park Fund

(www.glaciernationalparkfund.org).