Mr. Audie Ashworth This is Me

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   www.tulsamusic.com/news/index. - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/8/2000   Last Visited: 10/25/2000

   Audie Ashworth Audie Ashworth
   
   Audie Ashworth was a man whose warmth and infectious smile endeared him to the Nashville music community.
   
   Friends also say that Mr. Ashworth, 63, who died around noon Thursday in Baptist Hospital after suffering a heart attack, touched the lives of many people by encouraging those desiring a chance in the music business.
   
   He devoted countless hours in studio time and counseling to aspiring musicians, Sam Hale, a longtime friend, said of Mr. Ashworth.
   
   Mr. Ashworth was a publisher of numerous hit songs, including 1979's Song of the Year, The Gam- bler.
   
   After completing a broadcast training program with the legendary John Richbourg, Mr. Ashworth began a radio career at WKSR in Pulaski, Tenn. He later moved to WBMC in McMinnville, Tenn., where he worked with Hal Durham, who later became president of the Grand Ole Opry.
   
   In 1959, Mr. Ashworth became one of the WKDA Good Guys, a group of disc jockeys who created No. 1 ratings here. He at one time held the distinction of capturing the highest individual ratings ever accorded a Nashville radio personality.
   
   He later held an executive position with WMAK radio.
   
   Mr. Ashworth grew up in the Goodlettsville area in the shadow of many Nashville music legends and as a teen-ager performed as a singer/guitarist under the guidance of such music giants as Eddie Arnold and Boudleaux Bryant.
   
   His love of music grew stronger during his radio days and he became the prodigy of Hubert Long, owner of the Moss Ross organization. That organization was among the premier music publishing and artist management firms in Nashville.
   
   In his capacity as executive vice president, Mr. Ashworth directed placement of material written by Bill Anderson, Ferlin Husky, David Wilkins, Buck and Marijohn Wilkin, Kris Kristofferson, plus dozens of other writers.
   
   He was also credited as music director of three country music-oriented motion pictures.
   
   Upon Hubert Long's death and during a stint as producer and artists and repertoire administrator with Capitol Records, Mr. Ashworth formed Audigram Inc. Under that umbrella, he developed an entertainment complex world renown in ASCAP and BMI music circles.
   
   ...
   Services for Mr. Ashworth will be at 2 p.m. today at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home and Memory Gardens, 9090 Highway 100. Visitation with the family will begin at noon.
   
   Survivors include his wife, Bonnie, and two daughters, Maggie Ashworth and Aubrey Ashworth, all of Nashville.
   
   The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.