Grant Turner

Grant Turner (May 17, 1912 – October 19, 1991) was an American disc jockey known as the long time host of the Grand Ole Opry and on WSM AM radio in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1981, Turner was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the first announcer or disk jockey to achieve that honor.

Early life Born Jessie Granderson Turner in Baird, Texas, near Abilene, he was the son of a banker and the grandson of a rancher. In 1928 while in high school, Turner performed on KFYO-AM in Abilene and performed as Ike and His Guitar before becoming an announcer for the station that same year. After majoring in journalism in college and then worked in newspapers both in Texas and Louisiana during the 1930s, Turner returned to radio at KFRO-AM in Longview, Texas. Turner performed this until the night before he died in Brentwood, Tennessee in October 1991.

Legacy Known for his diction, ingratiating personality, and professionalism, Turner was among the first three inductees in the Country Disc Jockey Hall of Fame (now Country Radio Seminar On-Air Hall of Fame Inductees) in 1975. Six years later, Turner was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame along with Vernon Dalhart.

Turner was the first radio host or announcer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The other two announcers inducted were Ralph Emery in 2007 and Kix Brooks (as part of Brooks & Dunn) in 2019 (Brooks succeeded Bob Kingsley as host of American Country Countdown in January 2006 and hosted until the end of 2024.).