"KEEP IT COUNTRY" by TOM PERRYMAN

87 year old  Tom Perryman is celebrating the release of his book, "Keepin' It Country."

The event took place Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Depot Museum, located at 514 N. High St. in Henderson, Texas.
 

Tom Perryman  started his career  in radio in the 40s at KEBE in Jacksonville, TX. He then went on to promote such acts as Jim Ed Brown, Hank Thompson, and even Elvis Presley as a DJ at KSIJ in Gladewater, TX , where he served in all capacities possible from 1949 to 1956. Jim Reeves was DJ at KSIJ for some time there too and a life long friendship between the two men commenced there.

TOM PERRYMAN AND FRANK PAGE

From 1956 to 1958 Tom  was the first regular DJ to do an all night country show at WSM in Nashville, TN.  And from 1959 to 1974, he was co-owner with Jim Reeves, (and after Jim's death with his widow Mary Reeves) and general manager of KGRI-AM & FM in Henderson, TX, one of the first full-time country stations in America.  From 1967 to 1978 he was co-owner with Mary Reeves and general manager of WMTS AM & FM in Murfreesboro, TN. Since 2001, Tom is manager of sale and DJ at KKUS, Tyler, TX.

Perryman's broadcasting awards include inductions into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1988, the Texas Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Western Swing Music Hall of Fame.