Bill Ivey, an influential folklorist, cultural policy leader, and advocate for the arts who served as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts under President Bill Clinton, passed away on Nov. 7, 2025. He was 81.

Born Sept. 6, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, Ivey dedicated his life to celebrating and preserving America’s expressive traditions. After studying American history at the University of Michigan, and earning a master’s in folklore and ethnomusicology from Indiana University, he became the first full-time director of the Country Music Foundation and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, positions he held from 1971-98. He transformed the institution from a small tourist attraction to the premier center for the study and preservation of country music.

Throughout his career,

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