Bessemer (Buzz) Rider, the founder of the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame, was born in Wellston, Ohio, in 1925. His parents were Herbert and Ethel Rider. There were eight children in the family. The family moved to Van Lear Kentucky where Herbert became a coal miner. Here through family and friends, they made acquaintance with the Lynn family who later gained fame due to Loretta Lynn's rise to fame. In 1936 the Riders moved to Montrose, Michigan. His interest in country music led to forming "The Michigan Hayride" the forerunner of the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame.
Buzz Rider was inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame on October 12, 1975.
