Grady Nutt
Encyclopedia
Grady Lee Nutt was a Southern Baptist minister, humorist
, television personality, and author. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism
and earned him the title as "The Prime Minister of Humor."
, the oldest of four children (three sons and a daughter) born to Grady C. and Doris (née Rickman) Nutt. Raised in a family of devout Baptists, Nutt was a licensed minister by the age of 9.
Nutt briefly attended Wayland Baptist College
in Plainview, Texas
before transferring to Baylor University
. Immediately after graduation, he married Eleanor Wilson and served as youth minister of the First Baptist Church of Waco
and later at Gaston Avenue Baptist Church in Dallas.
In 1960, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky
to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
, where he simultaneously pastored churches in the Louisville metro area. Following his graduation in 1964, he served as director of alumni affairs and assistant to the president of Southern Seminary.
, the producer of the popular TV series Truth or Consequences and This Is Your Life. He was soon a semi-regular on The Mike Douglas Show
.
In 1979, he was added to the regular cast of Hee Haw
, a position he held until his death. During his stint on Hee Haw, he was given 90 – 120 seconds in which he would do an improvisational routine.
In 1981, he was cast as Rev. Grady Williams in a pilot for an NBC
sitcom
called The Grady Nutt Show. The episode dealt with Rev. Williams being called to preach the funeral of man disliked by the entire community, and dealing with his teenage daughter's foray into dating. The 30-minute pilot was broadcast on NBC, but had not yet been put into production as a series at the time of his death.
During his career, he published several books, including The Gospel According to Norton and an autobiography entitled So Good, So Far; he also released several comedic records and one Southern Gospel album, Give the World A Smile.
, Nutt boarded a chartered flight (a Beechcraft Baron
55, aircraft registration
number N18411). The plane crashed immediately after takeoff, killing Nutt, the pilot and copilot. The cause of the crash was undetermined; however, weather conditions (fog and rain) were cited as contributing factors in the accident. He was buried on the Wilson family farm in Fayette County, Tennessee.
Following his death, the Gospel Music Association
established the Grady Nutt Humor award to excellence in Christian comedy.
His widow has established the Grady Nutt Endowment Fund at the University of Louisville
, which offers an annual prize of $400 to the most creative fine arts project. and a Grady Nutt memorial collection was established in the student center at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.
Also, Alice Lloyd College
in Pippa Passes, Kentucky
named the Grady Nutt Athletic Center in his honor.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, television personality, and author. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and earned him the title as "The Prime Minister of Humor."
Childhood and Early Career
Grady Lee Nutt was born on September 2, 1934 in Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, the oldest of four children (three sons and a daughter) born to Grady C. and Doris (née Rickman) Nutt. Raised in a family of devout Baptists, Nutt was a licensed minister by the age of 9.
Nutt briefly attended Wayland Baptist College
Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University is private, coeducational Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas, U.S.A. Wayland Baptist has a total of fourteen campuses in four additional Texas cities, five other states, and the country of Kenya. On August 31, 1908, the university was chartered by the state of...
in Plainview, Texas
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
before transferring to Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
. Immediately after graduation, he married Eleanor Wilson and served as youth minister of the First Baptist Church of Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
and later at Gaston Avenue Baptist Church in Dallas.
In 1960, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
, where he simultaneously pastored churches in the Louisville metro area. Following his graduation in 1964, he served as director of alumni affairs and assistant to the president of Southern Seminary.
Entertainment career
While serving as a minister and seminary administrator, Nutt began accepting speaking engagements. His speeches were blended with humor, and he came to the attention of Ralph EdwardsRalph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was an American radio and television host and television producer.-Early career:Born in Merino, Colorado , Edwards worked for KROW-AM in Oakland, California while he was still in high school...
, the producer of the popular TV series Truth or Consequences and This Is Your Life. He was soon a semi-regular on The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
.
In 1979, he was added to the regular cast of Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
, a position he held until his death. During his stint on Hee Haw, he was given 90 – 120 seconds in which he would do an improvisational routine.
In 1981, he was cast as Rev. Grady Williams in a pilot for an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
called The Grady Nutt Show. The episode dealt with Rev. Williams being called to preach the funeral of man disliked by the entire community, and dealing with his teenage daughter's foray into dating. The 30-minute pilot was broadcast on NBC, but had not yet been put into production as a series at the time of his death.
During his career, he published several books, including The Gospel According to Norton and an autobiography entitled So Good, So Far; he also released several comedic records and one Southern Gospel album, Give the World A Smile.
Death and legacy
On November 23, 1982, following a speaking engagement in Cullman, AlabamaCullman, Alabama
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, State of Alabama. Cullman is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, and about south of Huntsville. According to the U.S...
, Nutt boarded a chartered flight (a Beechcraft Baron
Beechcraft Baron
|-See also:- Further reading :*Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK:Airlife Publishing, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.*Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.*Taylor, John W. R....
55, aircraft registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
number N18411). The plane crashed immediately after takeoff, killing Nutt, the pilot and copilot. The cause of the crash was undetermined; however, weather conditions (fog and rain) were cited as contributing factors in the accident. He was buried on the Wilson family farm in Fayette County, Tennessee.
Following his death, the Gospel Music Association
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
established the Grady Nutt Humor award to excellence in Christian comedy.
His widow has established the Grady Nutt Endowment Fund at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, which offers an annual prize of $400 to the most creative fine arts project. and a Grady Nutt memorial collection was established in the student center at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.
Also, Alice Lloyd College
Alice Lloyd College
Alice Lloyd College is a four-year liberal arts work college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It was co-founded by the journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts and June Buchanan, a native of New York City, in 1923, at first under the name of Caney Junior College, as an...
in Pippa Passes, Kentucky
Pippa Passes, Kentucky
In the census of 2000, there were 297 people, 48 households, and 30 families in the city. The population density was 557.3 per square mile . There were 50 housing units at an average density of 93.8 per square mile...
named the Grady Nutt Athletic Center in his honor.
External links
- "Interview with Grady Nutt, 1981 interview on Kentucky Educational TelevisionKentucky Educational TelevisionKentucky Educational Television, also known as KET: The Kentucky Network, is Kentucky's non-commercial educational public television state network...
's Bywords - "www.gradynutt.com" Official Rev. Grady Nutt Tribute Website