Born in Virginia 101 Years Ago Today, the “Voice With a Heart” and Bill Monroe’s Sideman Who Co-Founded the Country Music Association

On this day (May 23) in 1925, Malcolm Wiseman was born in Crimora, Virginia. Fans of country music and bluegrass remember him as Mac Wiseman. His career, which spanned seven decades, began in the 1940s. Wiseman played with Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe in the early days of bluegrass. In the 1950s, he kicked off his solo career with a string of hit singles and co-founded the Country Music Association.

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Wiseman’s musical career began in the 1940s. He played bass and sang with Molly O’Day. Then, in 1948, when Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs left Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys to follow their own musical path, Wiseman joined their backing band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, on guitar. After leaving the Foggy Mountain Boys, he joined the Blue Grass Boys.

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According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Wiseman signed a deal with Dot Records and kicked off his solo career in 1951. His early recordings included “Going Like Wildfire,” “I Saw Your Face in the Moon,” and “Waiting for the Boys.” Later in the decade, he had a pair of top 10 hits with “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” and “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy.” During this time, a DJ called him “The Voice with a Heart,” and the nickname stuck.

In the 1960s, Wiseman saw another spike in popularity as the folk revival made old-time, bluegrass, and folk music popular again. His clear tenor voice and airtight band, the Country Boys, made him a favorite on the festival circuit at the time.

Mac Wiseman and the Preservation of Country Music

In 1958, rock and roll was gaining popularity across the United States. As a result, many on Music Row worried about the future of country music. To ensure that the genre stayed relevant, a group of music industry professionals founded the Country Music Association. It was the first trade association created to promote a music genre.

Mac Wiseman co-founded the CMA and became the organization’s first secretary. When he died in 2019 at the age of 93, he was the last living inaugural member.

Wiseman also co-founded the International Bluegrass Music Association in 1985. The IBMA’s goal is to keep the traditions of bluegrass alive.

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