Join Ken Mansfield on a road trip through the canyons of Hollywood, the outlaw alleys of Nashville, and the backstreets of his soul as this Grammy Award-winning producer recreates his journey through the lush landscapes of success and the deserts that led him home.
For three decades, Ken Mansfield lived the heady life of a record executive and friend to such cultural icons as the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings. He not only adventured through the parties of the Hollywood canyons, the backstages of Nashville honky-tonks, and the executive meetings of Savile Row in London, he helped create the music that would shape a generation. Along the way, he collected a Grammy, number-one albums, and a disquiet that he pushed soul-deep as he drove his Mercedes through long nights and lost days in search of an elusive truth. Between Wyomings invites readers to travel with one of the most intriguing music executives of the twentieth century on a tender journey through the sixties and beyond. Ken calls readers to reflect on the highways of their own lives, the turns and deserts that press them into the heart of a Creator who has been there all along. As Ken discovers, sometimes when we see how lost we are, we can finally begin to find home.
Raised in the northern Idaho Panhandle, Ken Mansfield has experienced a life that most people can only imagine. He was in the heart and heat of the music industry when it was young--back when creativity and passion made the music.
As a top ten graduating senior from San Diego State University, Ken entered the space industry in a classified position on the Saturn and Surveyor space programs. Music was his first love, though, and he became the leader of the successful southern California folk group the Town Criers. His experience as an entertainer, coupled with a B.S. degree in marketing, soon led him to his role as a top music industry executive and producer in Hollywood and Nashville.
In his executive roles, Mansfield not only observed the music of the time; he also helped shape it. He had the great fortune of being part of the classic era of pop and jazz, working with artists such as Stan Kenton, Peggy Lee, George Shearing, the Four Freshmen, Nancy Wilson, Judy Garland, Lou Rawls, Glen Campbell, Bobbie Gentry, and Al Martino, as well being a part of the early careers of legendary country artists Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Sonny James. Later years led him to work with the Beach Boys, the Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Bob Seger, Eric Burdon and War, Ray Stevens, Hank Williams Jr., Michael Parks, Petula Clark, David Cassidy, Don Ho, Flying Burrito Bros, Andy Williams. Claudine Longet and eventually Waylon, Willie, and the boys during the exciting "Outlaw movement."
It was while he was a Capitol Records executive that Mansfield found himself propelled into the center of a rock 'n' roll whirlwind. The Beatles asked him in 1968 to help them plan the worldwide launch of their record company and to come aboard as United States manager of Apple Records. He was eventually asked to serve as their personal liaison between the U.K. and the U.S. Ken was "the" person in America when it came to matters related to the Beatles throughout the rise and phenomenal popularity of the band.
When the Beatles breakup seemed inevitable, Ken moved on to become a vice president at MGM Records and then president of a CBS label owned by Andy Williams. In 1973 he left CBS/Barnaby to set up his own company, Hometown Productions, Inc., where he began producing artists such as Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Don Ho, David Cassidy, and the Flying Burrito Bros.
Then Ken entered a barren era in which the money, servants, family, career, and health that he took for granted went away, leaving him with little but a sense of confusion and despair. That is where he found Jesus - and from ashes came a beauty that led him on a whole new journey. As Ken writes, "Every day I thank God for loving me so much that He allowed all my worldly possessions to go away and in exchange gave me the one true gift of value--eternal life through His Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. God is a loving Father who was kind enough to allow me to become broke so I could be broken."
In time, Mansfield was commissioned to produce the renowned Imperials and eventually earned a Grammy and a Dove Award when he produced the Gaither Vocal Band's classic Homecoming album. Mansfield now takes these business experiences and spiritual insights on the road as he shares his stories through speaking engagements and writing.
PRODUCER AWARDS
Grammy Award Homecoming (Gaither Vocal Band, 1991) Dove Award Homecoming (Gaither Vocal Band, 1991)
Two No. 1 singles "Amanda" (Waylon Jennings, 1974) "I'm Not Lisa" (Jessi Colter, 1975)
Five No. 1 albums I'm Jessi Colter (Jessi Colter, 1975) Diamond in the Rough (Jessi Colter, 1976) Are You Ready for the Country? (Waylon Jennings, 1976) Waylon and Willie (Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, 1978) Waylon's Greatest Hits (Waylon Jennings, 1979)
One RIAA-certified gold album Are You Ready for the Country? (Waylon Jennings, 1976) Two RIAA-certified platinum albums Waylon and Willie (Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, 1978) Waylon's Greatest Hits (Waylon Jennings, 1979)
Record World's No. 1 Country and Western album of the year Are You Ready for the Country? (Waylon Jennings, 1976)
ARTISTS PRODUCED
David Cassidy Jessi Colter The Flying Burrito Bros. Gaither Vocal Band Don Ho The Imperials Waylon Jennings Claudine Longet Andy Williams and many more...
TELEVISION
700 CLUB (2 appearances)
EO Television Network Netherlands. Mansfield/Beatles Documentary
Fox Network News-Lauri Dhue George Harrison Special
MSNBC-Rita Cosby Live John Lennon Special
Fox Network News-David Asman (three appearances)
CNN Sunday Morning Show
Fox Network News-James Rosen Special Edition- Wash DC
ABC Network News Now "What's The Buzz"
Associated Press TV (300 TV stations)
Fox Business Channel Scoreboard
Fox Business Channel Happy Hour
ABC News-Don Sanchez San Francisco (two appearances)
CBS-Harry Chapman "Talk of the Town" Nashville, Tennessee
WPIX in NYC Morning News
KTLN-Dave Scott "Bridges" San Francisco, CA
ABC-KXLY Good Morning Northwest Spokane, WA
Fox 59 Morning Show Indianapolis IN
Cornerstone TV "Focus Four" Pittsburgh, PA
Cornerstone TV "Getting Together" Pittsburgh, PA
11th Hour TV Modesto, CA
RADIO
Westwood One Dennis Miller Show
Janet Parshall's America
Prime Time America
Moody Broadcasting
Usa Radio Network (Nationally syndicated)
CNN Radio
CBS WCCO Brad Scott Show (4 Appearances)
ABC Radio Network A&E
Mancow's Morning Madness (3 appearances)
Allstar Radio Network (Nationally syndicated)
Associated Press Radio (Nationally syndicated)
XM Radio Fine Tuning Channel
United Stations/PULSE Radio
Premiere Radio Satellite Radio Tour
National Radio Network Frankie Boyer Show
KABC America's Earliest Morning Show
Bloomberg Radio Joe Franklin Show (Nationally syndicated)
WOR Joey Reynolds Show (Nationally syndicated)
Allan Handelman Show - Rock Talks (Nationally Syndicated)
Breakfast With The Beatles (Nationally syndicated)
This review is from: Between Wyomings: My God and an iPod on the Open Road (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
I couldn't put this book down, and never wanted it to end. I'm not a Christian, but reading through the events and true tales of this man's life with stories about finding God interspersed throughout made me want to become one! Plus the stories from the old "rock 'n roll" days brought home so many things for me. I loved how he relates all these tales through his travels literally and figuratively in his cross-country road trip down Memory Lane, a trip we all want to take one way or the other.
Many happy memories and lots of confirmations that I did the right thing by turning away. God bless the author and his crew! Can't wait to read the other book he has out, and hope he writes many, many more. What great turns of phrases he uses here.
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This review is from: Between Wyomings: My God and an iPod on the Open Road (Paperback)
Between Wyomings: My God and an iPod on the Open Road by Ken Mansfield is an interesting book part biography part spiritual memoir. You ride along with Ken and his wife as they take a road trip cross country. And like all trips you have your highs and your lows, your exciting points and your "Are we there yet?" moments too. You get an inside look into the music industry of the 1960's and 1970's with almost all the big name players at the time. From Ringo jumping from house to house cutting turkey on Thanksgiving day. You also see some sad points too and some very really funny parts too.
As you travel with Ken you see how God has changed him and his outlook on life. Overall, I would say this is a good book especially if you are a fan of music of the 60's throughout the 90's some big names and some not so big. It could have been better I think 10,000 miles was a little too long of a trip. Yet overall it is an interesting journey with a man, his God, and an iPod full of music.
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This review is from: Between Wyomings: My God and an iPod on the Open Road (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program(What's this?)
Ken Mansfield lived the "charmed" life as a Music Producer for 30 years or more during the 60,70 and 80's. In this book he and his wife, Connie head out from there home on the Northern California coast for a trip down memory lane. He travels to all his old haunts and recalls those times in his life with such people as The Beatles, Waylan Jennings, DonHo and Dolly Parton just to name a few.
He captures the time with such vividness and you can imagine the images and things that took place. In his business of music he traveled around the country and even England in regards to the Beatles. He was involved in and changed many lives, he also eventually spiraled out of control and hit rock bottom. It is at this time in his life that he meets Connie and begins to climb out of his hole and begins to worship His Saviour, Jesus, instead of all the fame and fortune.
His message is genuine and as a child of the 60's myself, I enjoyed the telling of his story. As a Christian I enjoyed his journey and testimony, he is a beautiful Witness to our Lord.
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