Dub Allbritten

William Dumas "Dub" Allbritten Jr. (December 26, 1916 – March 19, 1971) was an American talent manager, music promoter, and executive based in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating through his entertainment complex, One-Niters, Inc., he is best known for launching and directing the international career of Brenda Lee, discovering rockabilly musician Ronnie Self, and managing country music stars Red Foley and Bobby Lord during the mid-20th century.

Career

Albritten initially worked as the manager for country music artist Red Foley. In 1955, Albritten met unsigned singer-songwriter, Ronnie Self, and arranged his first recording session in April 1956 backed by the Nashville A-Team and released on ABC-Paramount Records in June 1956.

In March 1956, he discovered an 11-year-old Brenda Lee and booked her onto Foley's nationally broadcast ABC-TV series, Ozark Jubilee. Recognizing her potential, Albritten negotiated her recording contract with Decca Records and became her official personal manager in 1957, a role he maintained until his death.

As a manager, Albritten was known for aggressive and creative promotion. When booking a young Brenda Lee on international tours, he famously created a publicity stunt by starting a rumor with European promoters that Lee was actually a 32-year-old midget, ensuring mass media coverage and curiosity.

One-Niters, Inc. and expansion

Albritten established his independent talent corporation, One-Niters, Inc., which became a major hub for managing, booking, and promoting regional and national package tours. In March 1964, Albritten orchestrated a major international expansion by finalizing a global talent amalgamation between One-Niters, Inc. and London-based Don Arden Enterprises Ltd. The resulting joint venture, Anglo-American Artists, fused their management rosters to cross-promote British acts in the United States and Nashville country artists throughout Europe.

In 1970, he also signed the Canadian group The Poppy Family to a management contract just as they achieved international chart success.

Death and legacy

Albritten died unexpectedly in 1971. Following his death, his partner and booking agent, Grover "Shorty" Lavender, took over the management operations of One-Niters, Inc., which later evolved into the Lavender-Blake Agency. Albritten's sudden passing deeply destabilized the career trajectory of his discovery Ronnie Self, who subsequently experienced major personal deterioration.