James Rae Denney (later Denny; 28 February 1911 – 27 August 1963) was an American executive in the country music recording and broadcasting industry in the 1940s and '50s.
He was head of the Artists Service Bureau for powerful Nashville-based radio station WSM beginning in 1946, served as general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, and launched Cedarwood Publishing Company with country star Webb Pierce in 1954.
[2] Denny started his career at the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1929, working in various departments including mail and as an actuary.
[2] The insurance firm had launched WSM radio in 1925, and its signature program, the Grand Ole Opry, had become a national platform for country artists.
Denny hired multiple songwriters to write for Cedarwood, including Marijohn Wilkin and Carl Perkins.