Earl Wade "Bud" Wendell (born 17 August 1927) is an American country music executive.
As an adult, Wendell served in the United States Navy during World War II.
[2] For his post-secondary education, he completed a Bachelor of Arts at the College of Wooster in 1950 specializing in economics.
[6] In 1978, Wendell held his first leadership positions as chief executive officer and president of WSM.
As Gaylord's president, Wendell expanded the Country Music Television channel's broadcast globally into parts of Latin America and Asia in the early 1990s.