Chet Flippo(1943-2013)

Chet Flippo was born on October 21, 1943 in Forth Worth, Texas. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. Chet has both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in journalism. Flippo joined the staff of "Rolling Stone" magazine as a contributing editor while attending graduate school at the University of Texas in Austin. He became the bureau chief for "Rolling Stone" in 1974. In 1977 Chet became a senior editor for "Rolling Stone." Among the famous artists and musicians Flippo interviewed and/or wrote articles on for the legendary rock magazine are the Rolling Stones, Tom Wolfe, Bob Dylan, the Who, Jimmy Buffett, Waylon Jennings, John Lennon, Dolly Parton, Joseph Heller, Tanya Tucker, and Willie Nelson. Other publications Chet wrote articles for include "The New York Times," "TV Guide," "Gallery," "New York," and "Texas Monthly." He's the author of the book "Your Cheatin' Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams" and the compilation "Everybody Was Kung-Fu Dancing." Moreover, Chet penned scripts for VH1, CBS, and CMT. Flippo has an uncredited bit part as a cowboy zombie in George Romero's horror cult classic "Dawn of the Dead." He was a lecturer in journalism at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville from 1991 to 1994 and was Billboard's Nashville bureau chief from 1995 to 2000. Flippo joined Sonicnet.com in 2000. In 2001 Chet became the editorial director for CMT and CMT.com. He's the recipient of the Country Music Association's 1998 CMA Media Achievement Award. In 2006 Flippo was honored with the Charlie Lamb Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism from the International Country Music Conference. Chet died from pneumonia at age 69 on June 19, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee.