Charlie Monk, a member of the Country Radio Hall of Fame who became known as The Mayor of Music Row in the Nashville music business, passed away on Monday, December 19 at the age of 84. The reason for the death of the music producer, composer and radio personality is unknown. However, his family informed Variety that Monk died quietly at home.
Monk was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 2019 and has hosted SiriusXM’s country channels, including Prime Country and Willie’s Roadhouse. Monk was known for his shameless sense of humor and innocent ridicule of great musicians. In a statement to Country Aircheck in 2019, Monk remarked about his many work experiences:
“I’ve had a number of professions – voice work, acting, music, publishing and I’ve managed talent. I have told so many untruths about my job that I am not sure which one to focus on.”
Charlie Monk, known as “the mayor of Music Row” during his more than fifty years in Nashville, passed away on December 19. The early music publisher hosted SiriusXM shows from 2004 to 2022. Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, and Randy Travis are among the many artists whose careers helped Monk. pic.twitter.com/z9rh3Zjs1N
— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) December 20, 2022
Charlie Monk’s childhood and career
Born on October 29, 1938, in Geneva, Alabama, Monk had a difficult upbringing. As a youngster, according to The Tennessean newspaper, he worked placing advertising flyers on windshields for the town’s cinema. In high school, he swept floors at a small radio station in his hometown for $5 a week, then worked as a DJ. He then served in the US Army, but it was short-lived as he soon became a DJ on WTBF radio while attending Troy State University.
Charlie Monk married Royce in 1968 and moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to program WMTS, one of Tennessee’s first full-time country format stations. He eventually found his way to Music Row, where he worked for the royalty-collecting organization ASCAP. Throughout his career, he sponsored a number of country musicians, including Randy Travis and Kenny Chesney. In 1969 he also helped launch the Country Radio Seminar. Monk propelled the careers of country music artists such as Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton.
In the year 2020 he told the Tennessean:
“I have helped many people achieve their goals. I discovered that I was better at praising others than I was at praising myself. I finally accepted the truth that I’m not a superstar. In the end I became the greatest Charlie Monk ever. That’s fantastic. That’s exactly how I feel.”
Charlie Monk’s achievements over the years
Monk is inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame, and the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame, in addition to the Country Radio Hall of Fame. He was also honored by the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award. A roadway in his hometown was named “Charlie Monk Lane” in his honor.
Monk has received several awards, including the CLIO Award for commercial voice work, an Addy Award, and recognition from the Mobile Press Registry, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and the Nashville Association of Talent Directors. He also earned the 2021 Joe Talbot Award from the CMA for “exceptional leadership and dedication to the preservation and growth of country music’s values and traditions.”
