MOUNT JULIET, TN — Beverly “Bev” Porter, the co-founder and chief financial officer of Nashville-based soundco Spectrum Sound, died peacefully on August 15, 2023. She was 67.
Born in June 1956, Bev had an interest in music from an early age. She learned learned to read music and play piano at age 3, beginning her lifelong passion for music. Bev was the salutatorian of Mt. Juliet High School’s class of 1974 and as a teenager, she attended Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, taught piano lessons and played for numerous churches. She enjoyed being able to use her spiritual gift of music to serve the Lord and others.
With her musical talent, she became a valued arranger in the Nashville music scene, writing lead sheets and arrangements for many artists. On stage, she played keyboards and sang background vocals with groups including The Belmont Reasons, Opryland park shows, Bill Anderson’s Po’ Folks band, and most recently The Blues Brokers. Additionally, she appeared on numerous Nashville Network shows including “You Can be a Star” and “Country Kitchen.”
In the late-1970s, Bev was among the first to graduate from Belmont University’s prestigious music business program, where she met Ken Porter. They married in 1978. A year later, in 1979, the two founded Spectrum Sound, which was the first live audio company in Nashville.
The company started off fairly small, with its first sale being six Shure SM58 vocal microphones, but with a lot of hard work and determination, Spectrum Sound grew into a successful company, picking up its first large arena tour for Conway Twitty in 1982. Since then, Spectrum has supported tours and events for a wide range of top artists, including well-known names as Eric Clapton, Kelsea Ballerini, OneRepublic, Thomas Rhett, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, George Strait, and a papal tour in Mexico — among many others. And as the business expanded, Bev took on a key role as the company’s chief financial officer.
In addition to serving as CFO of Spectrum Sound and contributing greatly to its growth and success over the years, Bev was passionate about teaching and helping others. She spent 20 years as a La Leche League leader counseling new mothers. She was involved with the homeschooling community for 14 years, educating her own children as well as others. Bev also helped others heal and thrive, sharing her knowledge of natural health & nutrition.
Bev Porter is survived by her husband Ken; four daughters Brooke, Kenna, Adriel, and Layne; granddaughter Alexis; siblings Ted Arnold (Regina) and Susan Garrison (Thom); as well as many other beloved family and friends. Her positive light and energy will be missed by all who knew her. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bev’s honor; two of her favorite non-profit organizations were:
https://www.nashvilledancecollective.org/
https://www.empowermecenter.com/
