Jack Hurst was the first full-time music writer for The Tennessean, the first Nashville contributing editor for Country Music Magazine and originated the country music beats at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Chicago Tribune. In 1981, the Maryville, Tennessee, native was the first recipient of the Country Music Association media achievement award. Hurst used recorders such as this one to record the interviews he conducted with musicians, often referring to them later for exact quotes from the artists.