Bennie Shipley: From Small-Town Radio to Country Music Legends :: Ep 27 Circling the Drain Podcast

About this episode

Bennie Shipley shares his journey from small-town radio to becoming a voiceover pro, discussing the evolution of country music and the impact of AI on voice talent.

Radio veteran and voiceover pro Bennie Shipley joins Johnny B, Jay and Jim for a deep dive into the golden age of radio, the rise of country music superstars, and the evolving world of voiceover in the age of AI. Starting as a 15-year-old kid at WLCK in Scottsville, Kentucky, Benny went on to WCDS, became a hometown celebrity in high school, and eventually made the massive leap to powerhouse Nashville station WSM. Along the way he worked alongside legends like Harold Hensley, Ralph Emery, Marty Robbins, Lefty Frizzell, Alabama, Reba McEntire, and many more. Bennie shares hilarious and heartfelt behind-the-scenes stories: stars tossing pebbles at the studio window to get on the air, Marty Robbins prank-calling the station, early days of Alabama before their first hits, and the creative chaos of producing a full “Country Christmas Carol” with country stars on reel-to-reel tape. He also opens up about building a successful national voiceover career, losing part of his vocal range, rebuilding it with help from Vanderbilt’s voice clinic, landing a huge McDonald’s campaign, and his honest take on how AI is impacting human voice talent today. If you love classic country, radio history…

People in this episode

Hosts: Johnny B, Jay, Jim

Guest: Bennie Shipley

Topics covered

• radio history
• country music
• voiceover industry
• AI impact
• personal stories
• music legends

Keywords

• Bennie Shipley
• country music
• radio
• voiceover
• AI
• Nashville
• music industry
• personal stories
• Marty Robbins
• Reba McEntire

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WLCK, WCDS, WSM, Vanderbilt’s voice clinic, McDonald’s

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