James (Jim) Albert Halsey

Class of
2015
James (Jim) Albert Halsey

James (Jim) Albert Halsey

"Halsey deserves a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records."
Joe Delaney, Las Vegas Sun

Biography

For more than 60 years, artist manager, agent, and impresario Jim Halsey has been guiding the careers of music legends, including Roy Clark, Hank Thompson, Wanda Jackson, Minnie Pearl, Reba McEntire, Jody Miller, Jana Jae, Brenda Lee, The Judds, Clint Black, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, Lee Greenwood, Mr. James Brown, Roy Orbison, Leon Russell, Freddy Fender, Jimmy Dean, Conway Twitty, Don Williams, Mel Tillis, Woody Herman, and, for over 40 years, The Oak Ridge Boys.

These stars broadened the international scope of Country Music with their appearances on major television and in movies. His artists not only headlined Las Vegas showrooms, his country artists were the first of the genre to play the strip. Halsey also was the first to book the entire strip at once with his artists. He was the first to present country music at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and Carnegie Hall. His artists have played Royal Albert Hall, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and Wembley. In 1976, he orchestrated a ground breaking cultural and diplomatic tour of the Soviet Union with Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys.

An author and educator, Halsey created a music and entertainment degree program at Oklahoma City University for which he received the Governor’s Excellence in Education Award. He is now focused on the introduction of a cutting edge online educational program.

Other awards bestowed on Halsey include the Wembley Award from the International Festivals of Country Music, numerous awards from the Academy of Country Music, the National Music Council’s American Eagle Award, the American Legion’s Patriot Award, and induction into the International Entertainment Buyer’s Association Hall of Fame.

Jim Halsey resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his wife Minisa Crumbo Halsey. He is father of the late Sherman Halsey, Gina Halsey, Woody Carter, and Crissy Rumford.

Fun fact

At age 12, Halsey organized the Junior Marines (ages 9-12) to help stimulate war bond sales. They drilled every Saturday and dues were 2 cents per member.

Oklahoma connections

Halsey moved his home office to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1971.

Hometown

Tulsa

Profession

Agent, Manager

Presenter

Born

1930

Died

Relevant Exhibits

Green Country: From Lenapah to Prague

Green Country: From Lenapah to Prague

This exhibit features the lives of 18 Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductees from the 18-county region in northeast Oklahoma.