Country music has lost a pivotal person in its industry.
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Pat Rolfe passed away peacefully surrounded by family over the weekend. Her husband Mack, her sons John, Jim, and Dick, and her many grandchildren were with her. The family is planning a funeral very soon, allowing for artists and fans alike to remember her life and honor her contributions within the industry.
Pat Rolfe's Impact on Nashville
For the uninitiated, Pat Rolfe is a trailblazing icon within her field. She's one of the first women to head a publishing company. This is a significant role she took on, particularly in a predominantly male dominated industry.
Her career begins with a simple call from Lamar Fike. He was one of the major players in Elvis Presley's career, initially apart of his entourage and blooming into the publishing company Hill & Range. The company oversaw all the record material at the time. Fike calls in a favor from Pat and she hits the ground running. From 1966-1972, she is fundamental in boosting the careers of many of your country all-timers. In addition to Elvis, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, and more all have a measure of gratitude to the work Pat did with them.
By 1972, she cashes in her hard work to become general manager of Hill & Range. When the company is bought out by Chappell Music, Pat stays on board to steady the ship. Her work proves to be pivotal, winning them ASCAP Publisher of the Year seven times.
From there, Pat graduates to vice president until Warner Bros. Music buys out Chappell Music in 1987. By this point, Connie Bradley, head of the Nashville ASCAP, offers Pat a role on board. With Warner in the rearview mirror, Rolfe once again climbs the company ladder until 2010, becoming vice president along the way. In her time at ASCAP, Pat personally ropes in plenty of country's heavy hitters on the writing side of things. Artists like Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Wynonna Judd are all brought in during Pat's reign at the company.
Her career saw several ups and downs, plenty of restarts. But each and every time, she rose back up and elevated artists along the way. The industry certainly misses her impact.
