From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sat Jan 19, 2002  2:09 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Ken Nelson
 
KEN NELSON

Born 19 January, 1911, Caledonia, Minnesota

Producer for Capitol Records.
Nelson grew up in Chicago, where he got his start in the music
business. Capitol producer Lee Gillette introduced him to record
producing. Nelson moved to California to work for Capitol in 1948.
He would stay with the label until he retired from his post as vice
president of the country division at age 65. When Capitol decided
to put Gillette in their pop division, Nelson took over as head of the
country department (1950). "At that time", Nelson remembers,
"record companies weren't giving records to radio stations." He was
one of the first to realize that they could sell more records by giving
radio stations records. After Capitol introduced this new trend, other
companies started giving records away as promotion.
During his 28 years at Capitol he produced more than 170 acts,
among them Gene Vincent, Merrill Moore, Esquerita, Wanda Jackson,
Stan Freberg, and of course many country acts, like Buck Owens
(one of his favourites), Faron Young, Tex Ritter, Merle Haggard, Sonny
James, Ferlin Husky and Hank Thompson. Nelson's work with Owens
and Haggard helped shape the Bakersfield sound, although he declines
credit ("No, it was the musicians who created the sound.").
Now in his nineties (he is the oldest living member of the Country
Music Hall of Fame), Nelson is still in good health and played golf
games with his grandson until quite recently.

Further reading: http://www.rockabillyhall.com/KenNelson.html