George Moffett from Variety Attractions Passes

George Moffett, one of the entertainment industry’s most respected and beloved talent buyers passed away on Sunday, May 14 at Genesis Hospital in Zanesville. George was a unique individual, and in the country music community and county fair industry, thousands of people considered him a friend. It would be hard to access the number of lives he touched in his 55-year career.

“George, you put a lot of meals on the tables of the boys in the band and crew and diapers on their babies over the years.” said Toby Keith.

“George, you fed my kids with all the dates you booked.” stated Trace Adkins.
“George was a great friend.” said Randy Owen, member of the country group, ALABAMA.

George was a fan of entertainment, and his life story is a testament to that.

He attended The Ohio State University his freshman year, majoring in business. While there, he played trumpet with a dance band and got the idea to secure dates for other dance bands. His sophomore year he transferred to Muskingum College where he started to book local bands on the side at fraternity parties and social clubs. When he graduated, he realized the need for a booking agency, which lead to the founding of Variety Attractions in 1961. Little did he know at the time that Variety Attractions would eventually become a brand that is one of the most respected, trusted, and honored companies in the entertainment world.
He booked artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins and more from the beginning of their careers and throughout them. To date, Variety Attractions has booked over $1.2 Billion in contracts since its inception and now operates in 24 states.

Not only a fan of music, George also had a love for the circus world, with all of the animals, the high wire performers, the daredevils, and the excitement the circuses brought to small towns. He recognized this and

started booking the animal acts and the high wire acts at local and county fairs across the country.

Over the years, as Variety Attractions grew, George was honored on numerous occasions by the Country Music Association, naming him the SRO Promoter/Talent Buyer of the Year 4 times. He was also the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Talent Buyer of the Year 3 times. He received honors from many state fair associations, including being inducted into the Ohio Fair Managers Hall of Fame. He served 3 terms as a director on the Country Music Association Board of Directors and visited the White House under President Jimmy Carter. George was one of the founding members of the International Country Music Buyers Association in Nashville, along with his colleagues Don Romeo and Hap Peebles.

Today the organization is known as the International Entertainment Buyers Association and is recognized as the premier organization for talent buyers of all genres. He served on the IEBA board of directors for 30 years, received the Founders Award in 2010, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2018.

George was a man who found his passion and lived it daily, as he dedicated his entire life to the entertainment business. He had a natural sense of caring for his clients and colleagues. Those who knew him can attest to that.

Surviving is his wife Shirley (Williams) Moffett; daughter Amy (Rob) Gray; 2 granddaughters Megan (Gray) Van-

Dyke; and Elaine Gray.

His legacy will live forever with the George Moffett Scholarship that is endowed at Belmont University in Nashville and awarded annually to a deserving student majoring in an accredited music business class.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the George Moffett Scholarship Fund by going to https://www.ieba.org/educational-outreach or contacting Pam Matthews at 615-670-9601.