Grelun Landon

A native of Marion, Ohio (born on November 19, 1923), Grelun Landon and his older brother, Cancel, were the sons of Gideon Landon and Sarah Lambert Landon. The Landons moved to California where Grelun attended elementary and high school.  

 After serving in the military during World War II, Landon attended the University of Southern California, graduating with a degree in Journalism.

By 1950, he began working in the music industry. In the 1950s, as vice president of Hill & Range Music, he worked with many of the top stars of the Grand Ole Opry.

Landon went on to work for RCA Records, becoming the label’s liaison with Elvis Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Along with Presley, Landon also handled publicity for many top RCA recording artists, including Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Hall & Oates, David Bowie, and Jefferson Airplane.

Landon was one of the main forces behind the creation of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and served as one of its trustees for more than 20 years. Word is he kept Presley’s ‘solid gold’ Cadillac Fleetwood 75 secreted away in his garage before persuading Colonel Tom Parker to donate it to the Museum. 

Museum Director Kyle Young said, "Early on, [Grelun] had a vision for what the Museum could be and made important contributions to our development ....  He was a great friend to the Museum and an inspiration to the staff.”

 With Irwin Stambler, he co-wrote ‘The Encyclopedia of Folk, Country, and Western Music’. First published in 1969 and updated several times, it covers a broad range from bluegrass and honky-tonk to western swing and country gospel. Unlike other encyclopedias, it includes original first-person interviews with many of the stars of country music.