Hubert Long

Hubert Long (December 3, 1923 – September 7, 1972) was an American music executive known for his promotion of country music artists from the early 1950s to his death in 1972. Long created a talent agency named for him in 1952 and one of Nashville's first independent talent agencies, Stable of Stars, three years later. A founding board member of the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Country Music Foundation (CMF), Long was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1979.

Early life Long was born in Poteet, Texas, but grew up in Freer where he graduated from high school in 1942. Long served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945 before returning to Corpus Christi, Texas, to work in a record store. When Long's supervisor left Decca for RCA Records, he followed. Among the stars under his agency included Skeeter Davis, Ray Price, Chet Atkins, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ferlin Husky, Don Gibson, Bill Anderson, Jan Howard, Mel Tillis, and Brenda Lee.

Role in establishing CMA and CMF Long would be a founding member of the CMA and the CMF in the late 1950s, becoming the president of both organizations. He served as CMA President in 1968 and was its chairman in 1972 when he had medical issues. Funeral services were held two days later in Nashville with honorary pallbearers including Nashville Mayor Beverly Briley, Jerry Bradley, Jo Walker-Meador (listed as Jo Walker), Frances Preston, Howard, Ken Nelson, Huskey, Tex Ritter, Arnold, Parker, Bud Wendell, Atkins, Jack Stapp, Young, and Jimmie Davis while actual pallbearers included were Anderson and Owen Bradley (All names mentioned except for Briley, Howard, and Parker are Country Music Hall of Fame inductees as of 2026.).