In the News

Pictures tell Bradley's story
Patsy Bradley's life celebrated by Hall of Fame
http://www.tennessean.com/section/MICRO0207
By Angela Patterson • THE TENNESSEAN • March 4, 2009

Black and white photos line the walls of Patsy Bradley's den, and she can tell you the story that goes with each of them.

She points to one photo of ladies with big hair and short skirts all grouped around one man — that was the time she and all the other women who worked at BMI came to the same office so they could get their picture taken with John Wayne.

And there's the photo of Bradley and a friend flanking a young guy in a baseball uniform — that's when she met Dallas star Patrick Duffy. It was only weeks before the world would find out who shot J.R., and he refused to tell them early.

And there are the pictures with famous country stars, songwriters and producers — including her father, Owen Bradley — each one documenting a time during Bradley's four-decade career at Broadcast Music Inc, better known as BMI.

The 1957 graduate of Hillsboro High School followed in family footsteps and blazed a trail on Music Row, becoming one of the few female executives in Nashville's growing music industry.

And on March 10, Bradley will be one of three Metro Nashville Public Schools graduates to be inducted into the Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame, acknowledging her contributions to both Nashville and the music business.

School office helps in career

The Green Hills that Patsy Bradley lives in today is not the one she remembers from childhood.

When the Bradleys moved into their home on Hemingway Drive, it was the first on the block and still surrounded by woods.

Many areas now filled with subdivisions were still large farms. Bandywood Drive was lined with small wooden homes. The only businesses were a couple of grocery stores and service stations.

Bradley remembers staring out the windows of many Hillsboro High School classrooms and seeing Green Hills Mall go up brick by brick.

It only takes one glance at Bradley's yearbook to see that she was popular. Pictures show her as a cheerleader, a homecoming attendant, a Girls' State delegate, treasurer of the Home Economics Club and winner of the "Best Personality" award.

"I was just an average student," Bradley said. "I was never on the honor roll or anything like that. I was just happy to make it through."

But she said one of her most formative experiences at school was working on the staff in the main office.

"You'd greet people, and do filing and answer the phone," Bradley said. "We didn't have an intercom, so you went around to each class and read the announcements. I learned so many skills that would help me later in life by having those extracurricular activities."

But when she graduated, she had no idea what she wanted to do.

"I was the girl who never had a plan," Bradley said. "Back then, you got a high school education, and if you were fortunate, you went to college. But you just went there to get a man.

"I'd never been away from home, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville had a two-year business course. So I went, and going there was the smartest thing I've ever done. I really learned to be on my own.

"In grammar school, I was very shy. So it was an accomplishment to make it to high school, and then to college. Those were big steps for me."

Career spans decades

After college, Bradley returned to Nashville and, on recommendation of Hillsboro High staff, got a job at the telephone company. She worked there for three years, before one of her father's friends, Frances Preston, asked if she'd like to come work for her in the music business.

"And so I started as a receptionist in a two-person office on the 23rd floor of the L&C Tower," Bradley said. "I had a little typing table where I did my work. There were three people in the office at that time.

"I worked there for a while and then left for a year. They were already in the new BMI building on 16th Avenue South, and Mrs. Preston again offered me a job. I told her I didn't know if I wanted to be a career girl, and I'd just do the job for three months until she found a replacement. We both forgot about that three-months deal, and I retired from BMI 42 years later."

Preston eventually became CEO, and BMI Nashville grew from that three-person office to a staff of 450 people, working with publishers and songwriters from all over the country. Bradley ultimately became the head of publishing administration.

"There weren't a lot of women executives in the business then, but BMI's office was mostly women," Bradley said. "I remember one guy came in and asked me, 'Are there any men in this office? Because I can't do business with a woman.' I replied that if he wanted to deal with BMI then he'd have to do business with me."

Time for volunteering

Incidents like that were few and far between, however, and Bradley enjoyed her time as a music business executive. But after 42 years, she retired to focus more on volunteer work.

"I've always been active with volunteer work with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital and the Country Music Hall of Fame and the American Cancer Society," Bradley said. "I've also worked for 36 years with the Music City Tennis Invitational, and all the money goes to the Child Development Center at the children's hospital. It's really my big passion."

Bradley believes that all the things she's been able to do in life have been the result of a good education, strong relationships and hard work.

"All the opportunities I had in school, the guidance of the teachers, the lifetime friendships, it all played a big part in the success of my future," Bradley said. "I had a wonderful opportunity to watch the music business grow. I was so lucky to be in it from the beginning."

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