Bill Cody, one of the most familiar and beloved voices in country music broadcasting, has died after a recent health battle. He passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 9, surrounded by family, at the age of 67.
For more than 30 years, Cody hosted WSM-AM’s flagship morning show, Coffee, Country & Cody, three words that started the day right for generations of listeners. He joined WSM on April 25, 1994, bringing Charlie Daniels in as his first in-studio guest, and went on to forge countless friendships across three decades at the station. He later developed the morning show into a series on the Circle Network and routinely hosted the Grand Ole Opry, including the long-running Opry Country Classics.
Born in Lebanon, Kentucky, Cody fell in love with radio young. His father, a Baptist preacher, recorded his Sunday sermons and dropped the tapes at local station WLBN, and 12-year-old Cody found the place so fascinating he began spending time there. By 17 he had landed a deejay job at Lexington’s WVLK, adopting the name Bill Cody, in honor of his childhood hero “Buffalo Bill” Cody, at his boss’s request. He bounced through stations in Louisville, Orlando, and San Antonio before reaching his dream job at the mother ship of country radio.
Cody was a champion of traditional artists, up-and-comers, legends, and independents that other broadcasters sometimes ignored. Independent artist Addison Johnson recalled Cody as one of the first people in town to believe in him, saying his dream was to have Cody announce his Grand Ole Opry debut. Garth Brooks put it simply, saying that while someone somewhere might have loved country music as much, nobody loved it more than Bill Cody.
His honors run deep. Cody was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008, received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in 2024, and will be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in 2026. In the coming days, WSM will honor him with a marathon of unforgettable Coffee, Country & Cody moments, and the Opry will dedicate its Saturday night show to him.
Cody leaves behind his high school sweetheart and wife, Rebecca, and three children. He also leaves behind dead air that will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill. He was 67.