Summer 2024 Print Special

COUNTRY RADIO HALL OF FAMERS

WHAT ABOUT CHARLIE BOB? COUNTRY RADIO

THE

KERRI EDWARDS ACM WINNERS

We Are Family

ACM Week With Tigirlily Gold

Like ACM radio winners, the Academy of Country Music New Duo of the Year Tigirlily Gold flew into Dallas last month knowing they’d be taking home a trophy. Unlike the broadcasters, Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh had to keep the news on the down low. Notified of their impending win so they could work with show producers on their performance, the sisters didn’t have to wait long to feel the full embrace of country music.

“We both just started bawling our eyes out,” Kendra says of the moment they got the call. “We watched the ACMs every year growing up; so, to have a dream of going into country music and actually winning one is unreal.” Krista adds, “It’s like 11 years of working to make it flashes back in your mind. It validates all the work you’ve put in.”

In another sense, the award validates the Academy’s pandemic relief efforts. “Four years ago we were the first two Lower Broadway musicians who were recipients of ACM Lifting Lives COVID Relief Fund grants, which allowed us to stay in Nashville instead of moving home to North Dakota,” Kendra explains. “Even just a nomination would have been a great fullcircle story, but to win? Amazing.”

Reflection time was limited, however. “It was 30

seconds from ‘oh my gosh we can’t believe we just won our first major award’ to now we get to perform on the ACMs,” Kendra says. Krista: “We got to do the Red Carpet performance, walk the carpet and sit with the other artists last year, which was our first awards show experience. So there is at least some comfort level.”

YES TO ADDRESS

With radio shows the weekend before and the day after the awards (see schedule above), the turnarounds were tight – as is typical for the duo. “We do everything we can because we waited so long for these opportunities,” Krista says. “We tell our label and management, ‘Say yes and we’ll figure the details out later.’” Kendra adds, “The dreams we’ve had for a really long time are starting to come true. We have to start setting our goals a little bit higher every day. We’re still hungry and in full-on hustle mode, which is a really fun place to be.”

Between Portland, OR on Saturday and Frisco, TX on Monday was a quick return to Nashville. “We had a half a day to prepare, get a spray tan and head out to the airport,” Kendra says. The trip was not without incident. “We went to grab our bags and someone took mine. Not on purpose ... similar luggage. American Airlines was no help, but there was a luggage tag so we called her.” Krista: “Her name was Suzanne.” Kendra: “We tracked her down at the rental car place and I got my bag. That’s how it started, but if that’s the only blip this week, we’re all good.”

First stop after checking in to the hotel in Frisco was rehearsals at the Ford Center. “It almost didn’t feel real walking in and seeing the huge stage with a glittering ACM award on those huge screens,” Kendra says. Ahead of their arrival, the duo consulted their team – including producer Pete Good and Monument Records co-founder Shane McAnally – about the best way to shorten their single “I Tried A Ring On” to the two-minute performance slot they’d been given. The main consideration, says Krista, “What’s going to grab attention with that huge audience?” Kendra: “We went back and forth about the best two minutes and decided to start with the second verse and go through

Ring Afire: Performing “I Tried A Ring On” (l-r) are Kendra and Krista

the end of the song. Shane has done a lot of TV stuff; we have not. So it’s good to have people like them in our corner to figure those things out.”

Finding out how they were being introduced was a bit jarring. “We ran it through about four times and the third time they said, ‘We’re going to run it now with your intro,’” Krista says. “And we hear the voices of Little Big Town saying, ‘Here’s ACM New Duo of the Year, Tigirlily Gold!’ No one told us! Holy crap. We’ve looked up to them for so long.” Kendra: “I looked at Krista and was like, ‘Are they introducing us? Is this real?’ That was the only thing that threw me off about rehearsal ... but in a great way.”

“Overall, rehearsal went really smooth and they made us feel so comfortable,” Krista continues. “The stage was well-set, we had great ear mixes and we’ve sang the song a million times. Also, the B stage is not directly in front of all the artists, which will help with nerves. Singing in front of the people you’ve looked up to for so long ....” Kendra: “Staring Reba in the eyes while you’re singing is a little intimidating.” Krista: “It’s very intimidating. Thankfully, I don’t have to look at Chris Stapleton. It’s fine.”

Rock Through: Previewing the red carpet area.

CATTLE CALL

Monday night was a team dinner at the Fort Worth Stockyards. “We don’t get to celebrate very much on the road, obviously,” Kendra says. “We like to take care of ourselves and are always on to the next thing. Lots of very early mornings. The nice thing this week is we’re in Dallas from Monday to Thursday.” Krista: “We signed with Monument Records four years ago, so it was really nice to have a conversation with [GM] Katie McCartney and recap how much we’ve all grown together.”

Kendra: “We danced for a little bit, played pool and had a margarita to celebrate. There’s a place called The Basement Bar with dollar bills all over the walls with people’s names written on them. So we took a bill, wrote ‘ACM New Duo 2024, Tigirlily Gold’ and taped it up. Hopefully no one’s really looking for that there since it’s not been announced yet!”

That changed Tuesday evening during the Amazon Twitch livestream from the Plaza Stage. “We watched from the Plaza last year and it was full, but this year it’s already

Slaubaugh.

No Risk-o In Frisco

z z z ACM Radio winners share stories and photos from their big night z z z

Small Market Station WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA:

“ The sad part of the trip is that it was in and out of Dallas for me on Wednesday,” says OM Jeff Cochran. “I can tell you Corey Kent was great as the host of our party with all the radio people. The artists I got a chance to chat with – Dasha and Randall King – were great. My boss Debbie Patten did stay for the mesmerizing night of country stars and has been gushing about it ever since. And I met a room full of broadcast buddies from all over the country – that was a lot of fun.”

Are Family

packed,” Kendra says. “And we have some fans tagging us saying, ‘Your Oklahoma girls drove down and we’re here!’”

When their win was announced, the emotion began to hit. “We were holding hands, walking up, crying and trying to pull it together,” Kendra says. “You think you know what you’re going to say, then you get up there and just go blank. Whatever comes out, comes out. After, I was like, ‘I hope I thanked everyone I needed to thank.’ Then I watched it back and it was okay. I did. To have to go into playing right after that ... “ “ ... was a whiplash of emotions, but all good ones,” Krista finishes.

“When we saw [New Male winner] Nate Smith, we started bawling our eyes out because he’s worked so long at this as well,” Kendra says. Krista adds. “[New Female] Megan Moroney said we’re going to have to get together for some tequila soon. Sharing that moment with a good group of people was really awesome.”

And because of the livestream, many others got to share the win. “There were like 50 text messages on my phone when we got offstage,” Kendra says. “Friends and family

National Weekly Personality B-Dub, B-Dub Radio

Saturday Night: “I watched the show at home, it flowed well and sounded incredible. Then I went to Disneyland to celebrate!”

Large Market Personality Annie Fox & Cole Dunbar, Annie & Cole, WLHK/Indianapolis: “It was our first time at the ACM Awards,” Dunbar says. “I was blown away by the scale of the event, the huge stage and the unbelievable performances. I left immediately wanting to go back again next year.” Fox adds, “Being in the building when Lainey picked up entertainer of the year and watching the crowd go nuts for her is something I won’t forget.”

Cole

and

Up: WUBL’s Angie

and

Major Market Personality Jason Pullman, KPLX/Dallas: “Lainey Wilson spotted me and walked right over to give me a hug. We looked at each other and burst out laughing like we’ve been doing for years. We met back in 2019 when I was hosting mornings at WUSN/Chicago, and she hadn’t had a hit on the radio yet. Ever since, every time we see each other, we start laughing because we both can’t believe how wildly successful she’s become. She’s still taken aback, and I’m so darn proud of her and all her success. She truly is the salt of the earth.”

Major Market Personality Angie Ward, WUBL/Atlanta: “Winning my first ACM award is proof to anyone reading that you should never give up on something you want to achieve. I’ve been trying for this award for most of my 30-year career and I am so grateful and blessed I finally won.

“After the awards, my husband Tim and I ended up at the bar that Jelly Roll took over for his after-party – a night I will never forget but have no proof I was at, except for the video that has surfaced of Tim hanging with Jason Aldean during the epic Kane Brown, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey beer pong game! It was a who’s-who of celebrities, artists and even Dallas Cowboys football players.”

Medium Market Station WBEE/Rochester: “Accepting the award on behalf of WBEE was way more emotional than I thought it was going to be,” says APD/MD Billy Kidd. “It was a small ceremony – maybe a hundred people there. Corey Kent handed out the awards, and almost everybody who got up to get an award ended up shedding a tear. It was nice to get recognized by the industry, but it seemed like a milestone that a lot of people hadn’t reached before [including us]. I didn’t cry during mine, but I was crying while everybody else was giving their speech.”

... so many people who’ve been supportive for a long time. North Dakota news sites are sharing it, so that’s fun.” Krista: “There have been a lot of slow moving times in our career, and a lot of mountaintop moments, too. This is the first thing we’ve done as a duo that’s permanent.” Being a part of country music history begins to register when they find out the last sister duo to win the award was The Kinleys in 1998, the year Krista was born.

The sisters may be the performers, but they ascribe a family band mentality to their early days – mom booking shows, dad driving and running sound, and sister selling merch. “We were all working for the cause,” Kendra says. “It’s really nice now that we’re at the point where they can sit back, relax and enjoy watching it because they had to put so much work in. It was a lot of free labor.” Krista: “We should probably compensate them.”

“Our mom and my husband Jared are here, but our dad and sister couldn’t take time off of work, sadly,” Kendra says. “They’re having a watch party at home. We actually bought our mom a floor ticket for Mother’s Day. Whether we won or lost, she was coming.”

SHOOT TEQUILA

After their Plaza performance, TG, family and team celebrated with tequila, but not too late. Radio remotes were scheduled bright and early the next day. “We had a

little fun, but then it was right back to focus mode going into awards day,” Krista says. “But it was hard to wind down. We got back to the room and saw all the pictures and videos like, ‘Wow. It really happened.’”

Wednesday’s two rounds of remotes and an Amazon Twitch livestream set up an early night ahead of show day. “We started glam at 9am, and it was my favorite glam we’ve ever done,” Kendra says. “We had all of our favorite people around us – my husband, our mom, our makeup artist. The woman who does our hair has been with us from the beginning. We got to reminisce about what it’s taken to get there.” Krista: “It was very relaxed. We were calm and felt good. There were a couple of butterflies because, who wouldn’t? But we also knew that was the only part of the day that was going to be calm and relaxing. Knowing we’d won took a lot of pressure off.”

Dress rehearsal found female artists sharing a locker room, where Kendra and Krista got to catch up with Lainey Wilson and Kelsea Ballerini. “There were a lot of encouraging words down there, which is super nice from people who’ve done many award shows already,” Krista says. The final run is “outfits and everything, down to a tee,” Kendra says. “Your heels have to be on because the mic stand has to be the exact right height. It’s very particular.” Next was the red carpet, preceded by an outfit change. “The carpet is a blur because there’s so many cameras,” Krista says. “We enjoy it, but we’re still figuring out a few things. Like, never look up when the camera guy at the top says, ‘Hey, look up here!’ We did, then we saw the pictures. So, yeah. Don’t look up.” Kendra: “It was fun feeling very confident walking onto the carpet having already won. Every artist we saw was so gracious and it was nice seeing everyone, but we weren’t celebrating yet with the performance still to come. No tequila yet.” When the show started, they were sequestered backstage. “While we were back there, Jelly Roll walked by,” Kendra says. “We have only met him maybe once or twice. He had done a radio takeover in California and he told us that they’d been playing our single a lot. He goes, ‘From hearing y’all in

History Class: With 2011 ACM New Male winner Scotty McCreery.

Brush With Greatness: Show day glam.

Magic Blingdom: Bryan “B-Dub” Washington celebrates his ACM win at Disneyland.

Tie

Ward

KPLX’s Jason Pullman, who tied for Major Market Personality, and spouses Jen and Tim at the show.

Win-dianapolis: WLHK’s

Dunbar

Annie Fox at the show.

A Little Dasha’ll Do Ya: Alpha/Fredericksburg, VA Market Pres. Debbie Patten and WFLS Dir./ Content Jeff Cochran with Dasha.

All Smiles: Audacy’s Chris Michaels and WBEE’s Billy Kidd.

No Sleep Til Bristol: WXBQ’s Steve

National Daily Personality Katie Neal, Katie & Company: “Ernest and I made a friendly wager. I bet him that he would win Artist/Songwriter of the year and he bet me he would not. The loser had to buy the other a pair of boots. I’ll be picking him out a pair of size 12s!”

WGGY/Wilkes-Barre, PA (Medium Market Station of the Year) and Medium Market Personality Doc Medek & Chewy Medek, The Doc Show, WGGY/Wilkes-Barre, PA:

“After receiving the award for the personality, we were given the opportunity to say a few words,” Doc says. “My goal was to be quick, witty, and thankful. When I saw Chewy holding the award, I started to break down and tear up. For those who don’t know, Chewy is my son and to have the opportunity to not only work with your kid, but also win a national award is incredible. As far as we know, we are the only father and son show in the country, and I’m so proud of having this opportunity.”

Large Market Station WUBE/Cincinnati: “We thought the show was excellent, and the Dua Lipa surprise had us all very excited,” says PD Grover Collins. “They did a great job keeping that one under wraps for sure. The moment that my wife and I loved the most was when they did the flyover of all the radio winners and showed us for a few seconds. Our phones started blowing up, congratulating us, and saying they saw us waving. It was a lot of fun.”

Like

Collins and wife

get their overhead facetime on the ACM awards broadcast.

Major Market Station of the Year WXTU/ Philadelphia: “After struggling with my bow tie for 30 minutes, I decided to go to the show without one,” says PD Mark Razz. “Thanks to MCA VP Miranda McDonald, who apparently packs the whole house while travelling and had an extra bolo tie with an amazing eagle on it. When you need to represent Philadelphia, an eagle is a tremendous accessory. In fact, she had two bolos and lent the other one to Capitol VP Chris Schuler. I can’t imagine what else I could have borrowed.”

California to now playing the ACM Awards?’”

Krista: “He didn’t know we won.”

Kendra: “He said, ‘You won?! Well. You are the ACM New Duo of the Year. So go out there and act like it!’ There were several swear words in there I won’t repeat. (laughs) But it was so awesome to hear that encouragement from one of the top artists in country music.”

Escorted to a holding area on the venue floor, Kendra and Krista were able to hear Mr. Roll’s performance and see the duet by Ballerini and Noah Kahan. “We ran the song two times just in that little waiting area,” Kendra says. “I was trying to hold it together, breathe and remain calm. As Jordan Davis was accepting his award, we walked over to our stage and that’s when my heart started beating a little bit faster. We were performing in front of fans, which was nice. Also, if anything went wrong, I have my sister right next to me onstage and it’s all going to be okay.”

Little Big Town stepped to the mic ...

Kendra: “’Boondocks’ and ‘Pontoon’ are how we learned to do harmony. Hearing them call our name is when it started to hit me. I’m trying not to think about all the extra stuff ... just be in the song, be in the moment

Envelope, Please: Accepting New Duo on the Plaza Stage.

with Krista, be in the moment with the fans in the room.” Krista: “I was very focused on singing and playing guitar the best I could, but Kendra finishes the song with her vocal and I’m off the hook the last 10 seconds. So, when I was finally able to release it I was like, I did it. I did my best. Emotion did overcome me and I really let it sink in. There’s 10 seconds left of this song and holy ... whatever word in my head ... we just played the ACMs.”

Kendra: “Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Krista starting to get a little emotional. We could have played it totally cool at that point ... actually, I don’t think I could.”

Krista: “We got to share a hug onstage at the ACMs. Those pictures will be hanging on our walls till the day we die.”

Kendra: “Right after we came offstage, we saw Risha Rodgers from WME, Katie and Casey [Thomas] from Monument, our glam team, my husband, our mom. I started bawling my eyes out. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Krista: “That’s when it’s okay to fully lose it, I think.”

Kendra: “Our mom was sitting in the artist section and took a video of

all these artists who stood up for us as we performed. Country music is such a family. I hope we never take moments like that for granted.”

Before making backstage press rounds, Kendra and Krista ran into Kahan. “He was so kind and invited us to take a tequila shot with him and Kelsea,” Kendra says.

“Then we ran into Dan + Shay, who we look up to so much. There were so many moments throughout the night that almost felt like they had been planned for a long time. Like they were meant to happen.”

Dinner, a bit more tequila and bed closed out the evening ahead of Friday’s 7am flight to Syracuse for “kind of a food truck festival with a couple hundred people,” Kendra says.

“These girls – roughly eight and 10 years old – came up to us because they’d made us friendship bracelets that said ‘New Duo of the Year.’” Krista: “I’m going to start crying thinking about it. They were so sweet.”

From having Jelly Roll as their own personal hype man, to history-emblazoned fan art – ACMs gave Tigirlily Gold the full-spectrum experience. “This week is a testament to all of the sacrifices our family and team have made to get us to this point,” Krista says. Adds Kendra, “There was so much love from the country music community – even other labels and publishers. Nashville is competitive in every way, but for them to still congratulate us and be kind was really, really sweet. We will never forget it.” CAC

Ernest-ly Yours: Ernest with Katie Neal.

Stroud, Nikki Thomas and Ben Walker in studio the morning after Stroud and Thomas pulled an all-nighter to get home.

Metal Health: WXBQ/Johnson City’s Nikki Thomas and Steve Stroud show off their ACM hardware.

Medek Alert: WGGY/Wilkes-Barre’s Chewy and Doc Medek with Corey Kent.

Fly Over State: WUBE’s Grover

Holly

Bolo

YOLO: WXTU’s Mark Razz and Capitol’s Chris Schuler model their borrowed bolos.

Signal Charts: Radio remotes with The Big 615’s Storme Warren (left) and WUSN/Chicago’s Scotty Kay.

AJ’s Good Time Bar

“Founded by superstar Alan Jackson in 2016 and ‘Keepin’ it Country’ on Lower Broadway. Named No. 1 Nashville honky tonk by Billboard and No. 1 artist-owned bar by Whiskey Riff. Carries on the tradition of the best downtown honky tonks with the kind of country music that made Nashville famous. Three multi-faceted floors include the second floor G.T. Sports Bar, third floor Hullbilly Karaoke Bar and the rooftop Star Bar.”

• SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: “Chattahoochee Mule” – Jackson’s signature Silverbelly Whiskey, sour mix, ginger beer and lime. “Hoochie Coochie Punch” – Silverbelly Whiskey, coconut rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, Sprite and grenadine.

• MOST-HEARD: “Chattahoochee.”

• LOOK FOR: “The neon at the back of the first floor is original from the Square Grouper Tiki Bar in Jupiter, FL where Alan has filmed several music videos. The wheel at the front of the bar is rumored to have been the elevator crank from when the building was a Civil War hospital. The various car parts and sports jerseys and the second floor come from Alan’s personal collection. Can you spot the upside down license plate? There are also several plates that come from Alan’s personal collection located on the license plate wall. Merle the Moose is also from Alan’s personal collection. The Kaw-Liga statue was a gift to Alan from his band. On the third floor are a pair of water skis that once belonged to Alan’s mom – Mama Ruth – as well as a replica of Alan’s Hullbilly Merritt Sportfish. He had the original builders come up from Florida to build the bar onsite.”

• Namesake Involvement: “Alan is extremely involved in the design of the bar as well as the music that is played. He has a rule that only real country music can be played – ‘80s, ‘90s or older. You never know when Alan or someone famous will stop in!”

• Promotional Contact: Abby Busick, abby@alanjackson.com.

Chief’s

“Neon Steeple, the two-story 400-capacity music venue, is in the heart of the building, while the top two floors (including the rooftop) feature whole hog BBQ helmed by James Beard award-winning chef Rodney Scott. Every night is different, just like every Eric Church show is different. We’ve revived every square inch of the iconic Leslie Warner Building’s six floors. From bringing original live music back to Broadway, to recording special content for SiriusXM’s Outsiders Radio in the broadcast studio, our custom interiors and intentional and thoughtful focus can be seen throughout.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAIL: “Whole Hog Plate: The heart and soul of Rodney Scott’s BBQ – seasoned pit cooked whole hog with choice of two classic sides. We recommend the mac and cheese and hush puppies.

Goo Goo Clusters’ Bad Mother Cluster is available in our retail shop. Local partners include ‘Beer In My Hand’ American Lager from Hap & Harry’s and our house wines made by Love and Exile – ‘Break Out The Wine’ and ‘Forget Again.’ Signature ground coffee from Good Citizen is called the ‘Lightning Blend’ and canned nitro coffee is available. Two exclusive liquor partnerships can be found only at our bars – Whiskey Jypsi Tribute Blend to the Chief himself and the Jack Daniels Single Barrel Chief’s edition.”

• MOST-HEARD: “We encourage house artists to play their originals, but covers do sneak in. ‘Drink In My Hand’ or ‘Talladega’ seem to be late night anthems.”

• LOOK FOR: “Two Pink Lines/Lions in the basement. Confessional on the balcony level of the Neon Steeple. Lyrics on chairs in Friendly Shadows. Floor 1 is covered with Eric’s show posters. Sketch stickers in stairwells reference Eric’s songs and life. Twenty stained glass windows in the Neon Steeple depict his biggest inspirations.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “Eric has been intimately involved in every detail

– from design to his residency. He and his partner, Ben Weprin, even went so far as to bring the first James Beard winning chef to Broadway. Eric created Chief’s as a home for his Church Choir to unite and celebrate their shared love of music. He makes it a point to be immersed in the venue with his fans as often as he can.” Residency ongoing.

• BROADCAST PARTNER: “Curated by Church, Outsiders Radio will be begin broadcasting from Chief’s Tavern very soon.”

• PROMOTIONAL CONTACTS: Dir./Programming John O’Neill, joneill@ chiefsonbroadway.com; Dir./Events Sonia Urlich, surlich@chiefsonbroadway.com; GM Heather Otto, hotto@chiefsonbroadway.com.

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row

“The perfect place to enjoy everything that Nashville has to offer. You can expect to enjoy world class musicians, delicious southern dishes and craft cocktails, and the ultimate nightlife experience. All day and night we have the best musicians in Nashville performing, especially if you visit on a Monday or Thursday night when we have Whiskey Jam in house. Two floors inside and the tallest rooftop on Broadway; Whiskey Row opened in Nashville in 2017 and has locations in Arizona and Colorado.”

• SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: “Dierks Lemonade” – muddled raspberries, simple syrup, lemon juice with Jack Daniels in a mason jar topped with lemonade and soda water.

• MOST-HEARD: “What Was I Thinkin’.”

• LOOK FOR: “We suggest heading to the rooftop to see what you’ll find.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “Dierks is actively involved and loves to pop in if he’s ever near one of the locations. You can find him regularly wearing a Whiskey Row hat and even has a portable Whiskey Row bar that he takes on tour with him backstage. He worked closely with Riot Hospitality Group to ensure the overall vision of the concept was understood.”

• PROMOTIONS: “We have hosted a few remote broadcasts and are always open to any activation that enhances our customers’ experience!” Contact RHG’s Sean Frantz: seanfrantz@riothg.com.

Two more opened as this feature was being written. Seriously. The proliferation of artist-themed bars/ venues in downtown Nashville is well known, but what can an on-air personality tell their listeners beyond broad generalities? And what opportunities

Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar

“The country icon and ACM Artist of the Decade brings southern eats and one of the largest rooftops on Broadway to Music City. Three levels of entertainment, Aldean family recipes and an all day and night party with live music.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAIL: “Grandma’s Pot Roast is a crowd favorite inspired by Jason Aldean’s grandmother’s recipe. The hearty meal of braised beef, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes and southern gravy pairs perfectly with a ‘Drowns the Whiskey,’ our take on the espresso martini.”

• MOST-HEARD: “My Kind Of Party.”

• LOOK FOR: Personal items include tour-worn outfits, guitars, and photos. There is also Tractor Bar, an homage to “Big Green Tractor.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “Jason was a great collaborator on the venue planning – menu items, décor and memorabilia. Whether it’s an interview at the invenue iHeart station, a chill night out with his friends and family or a photoshoot, you never know when Jason will pop in.”

• PROMOTION CONTACT: TC Restaurant Group Dir./Marketing Amanda Nava, a.nava@tcrestgroup.com.

JBJ’s Nashville

“A state-of-the-art fusion of rock and roll and country brought to you by the legendary Jon Bon Jovi and BPH (Big Plan Holdings) Hospitality. Jon Bon Jovi has deep roots in Nashville and a strong love for Music City, where his latest album Forever was recorded. Located in the heart of Lower Broadway, this dynamic venue offers an electrifying space full of delicious fares, delectable cocktails and revolutionary live music. As the tallest (five stories) and second-largest Broadway venue (37,000 square feet), JBJ’s Nashville boasts two outdoor rooftops and unparalleled views of downtown Nashville fronting both Broadway and Fourth Avenue.”

• SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: “Slippery When Wet” – Bacardi Superior Rum, Strawberry Sour and Sprite.

• MOST-HEARD SONG: “Livin’ On A Prayer.”

• LOOK FOR: A large 312 sign as a “subtle shoutout” to Jon Bon Jovi’s SiriusXM channel 312.

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “From brand and logo development to stage design, menu curation and interior design, Jon has been a fundamental driver. The partnership between Jon Bon Jovi and BPH Hospitality ... will continue to pave the way for many more exciting attributes to come. Don’t be shocked if Jon and the band pop in when they are in town.”

• PROMOTIONAL CONTACT: Via Big Plan Holdings website.

Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottoms Up

“A celebration of a new era of country music and Lainey’s impact on the industry. An homage to her Louisiana roots, guests can find a piece of the Bayou in Nashville through a stellar menu, fun frozen drinks and a rooftop unlike any other.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAIL: “Fresh salads, seafood and dishes inspired by Lainey’s home state of Louisiana. Group beverages, a variety of frozen drinks and craft cocktails are featured.”

• MOST-HEARD: “’Hang Tight Honey’ has been the anthem, but we expect a ton of her singles to be blasting regularly.”

• LOOK FOR: “Definitely look up – there are so many fun things on the walls and in the venue, including pieces that are direct inspiration from pieces Lainey wears and loves.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT:

“Lainey has been a great collaborator – knew the name she wanted and shared great insight on creating an authentic Louisiana-inspired menu. She wants it to feel like someone stepped into her home. Because of her unique collaboration and touch on the venue, you never know when she might pop in.”

• PROMOTION CONTACT: TC Restaurant Group Dir./Marketing Amanda Nava, a.nava@tcrestgroup.com.

might there be for remote broadcasts or other integrations? Country Aircheck reached out to venue operators for an overview and specifics that can help broadcasters needing talking points or seeking thought-starters and contact info for promotions.

Luke’s 32 Bridge

“The multi-platinum country music artist and American Idol judge invites guests into the six-level restaurant and entertainment venue. With three live band stages, nighttime DJs and an expansive menu, Luke’s 32 Bridge combines everything you need for a great night out on Broadway. Two rooftops offer the best views and a varying experience.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAIL: “The classic cheeseburger is one of Luke’s favorites – all-natural beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and Luke’s signature sauce goes perfectly with the ‘Love You, Miss You, Mean It’–tequila, blueberry puree, lime and mint with Sprite.”

• MOST-HEARD: “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”

• LOOK FOR: “Several of Luke’s personal memorabilia items are in the venue. The lower rooftop floor features large trees inspired by Luke’s favorite area to hunt and fish in Georgia, from which the bar gets its name.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “’Where The Country Girls At’ and Cole Swindell’s ‘Down to The Bar’ were filmed at the venue. Luke led the charge to make sure the venue felt like his music and favorite things. The ‘Nut House’ is a call back to his fan club with the same name. The venue works closely with and sells items in the retail store that support The Brett Boyer Foundation, which was created in loving memory of Luke’s niece, Brett, and to raise awareness for congenital heart disease (CHD) and fund research to advance treatment options. Luke recently hung out with fellow country artist Luke Combs, and the two waved down to people on Broadway from the rooftop.”

• PROMOTION CONTACT: TC Restaurant Group Dir./Marketing Amanda Nava, a.nava@tcrestgroup.com.

Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa

“The first female artist-branded venue on Broadway combines aspects of Lambert’s music and life, her Texas roots, and a menu you won’t find anywhere else in the entertainment district. The Tex-Mex kitchen and fresh margaritas combined with the live music stages make a truly unique experience.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAIL: “Miranda loves the Gringo Tacos and the ‘Automatic Margarita.’ The tacos feature spicy ground beef, shredded lettuce, chipotle ranch, shredded cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and hard-shell tortillas. The drink combines reposado, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, lime, orange and a salt rim.”

• MOST-HEARD: “Wranglers” has been on repeat since it dropped in May.

• LOOK FOR: “The birdcage from Miranda’s ‘Bluebird’ music video is in-venue in one of Miranda’s favorite spots in the venue. Guests can take a look and see a piece of her music history.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “She was very involved in the venue’s curation, including direct input on menu items. She utilized her personal designer for the venue’s signature pink and sparkly décor. [Lambert] actually popped in recently to meet and greet with guests and enjoy some time with friends and family.”

• PROMOTION CONTACT: TC Restaurant Group Dir./Marketing Amanda Nava, a.nava@tcrestgroup.com.

Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen

“Designed to immerse fans in his music and the Tennessee way of life, This Bar pays homage to Wallen’s Eastern Tennessee roots. The menu of southern favorites includes some direct recipes from his family. Six stories of entertainment with the historic Ryman Auditorium next door, This Bar uniquely blends a restaurant, live music venue and celebration of Tennessee.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAIL: “Mamaw Boots’ Biscuits and Gravy is a dish from Morgan’s great grandmother. Paired with one of the several Old Fashioneds on the expansive whiskey menu, it’s a no-brainer.”

• MOST-HEARD: “This Bar.”

• LOOK FOR: “Fun easter eggs all over the venue from Morgan’s music and important times in his career.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “Morgan was involved in everything from menu planning, the name, and how fans get the news about the venue first. This Bar embodies the ‘fans-first’ priority that Morgan wanted pulled through the entire process.”

• PROMOTION CONTACT: TC Restaurant Group Dir./Marketing Amanda Nava, a.nava@tcrestgroup.com.

Ole Red

“A lifestyle and entertainment brand inspired by Blake Shelton’s clever, irreverent third chart hit. The bar, restaurant and live music venues showcase hand-selected country music talent alongside concert-quality production and a Shelton-inspired menu served all day and night. Ole Red entertainment venues and products can be found in Nashville; Tishomingo, OK; Gatlinburg, TN; Orlando and Las Vegas.

• SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: “Cherry Limeade” – Ole Smoky Hunch Punch Moonshine, fresh lime juice and cherry.

• MOST-HEARD: “Ol’ Red” or any song by Shelton.

• LOOK FOR: “The ‘Red Phone’ is a direct line from Blake Shelton, who may call in at any time. The Lookout rooftop features an album wall of all his friends and heroes.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “Every location pays homage to Blake and his musical career with [lyrics] on the wall, personal memorabilia and menu items with a Shelton twist. You never know who you might see!”

• PROMOTIONS: “Yes, we have the ability to host a remote broadcast.”

• CONTACTS: Emily Cunningham, ecunningham@rymanhp.com (publicity); Matt Neifoff, mniehoff@opry.com (paid media).

Redneck Riviera

“Created by John Rich, we honor and celebrate folks who play as hard as they work. It is our honor to serve those who serve this great country.”

• SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: “Saddle Up”

– made with Redeneck Riviera 100% made-in-America blended whiskey.

• MOST-HEARD: “Coming to Your City.”

• LOOK FOR: The Beer Bucket Deal –buy five beers and get two free.

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “John Rich sets the tone and passion for the bar. Broadway could use more patriots like him. He stops by often!”

• PROMOTIONAL CONTACT: GM Kim Tyler, kim@redneckrivieranashville.com.

Tanya Tucker’s Tequila Cantina

“The Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grammy Winner is bringing ‘some kind of trouble’ to the second floor of Nudie’s Honky Tonk. The cantina-style bar reflects her spirit, personality and love for fun. Patrons are surrounded by a number of Tucker’s most iconic moments and memorabilia from her illustrious career.”

• SIGNATURE DISH/COCKTAILS: “The menu features west coast and Mexican dishes curated by Executive Chef Bryan Lareau – street tacos, enchiladas, tacos dorados, choriqueso, albondigas soup and more. We highly recommend the fried ice cream with a churro. Drinks feature Tanya’s own tequila brand, Cosa Salvaje, including the ‘Delta Dawn’ and ‘Tanya’s Margarita.’ For something really different, try the ‘Mother Tucker,’ a 60-ounce, four-guest-minimum version of our cocktails that contains an entire bottle of Cosa Salvaje. There’s even a souvenir shirt to commemorate the experience that says, ‘I Survived the Mother Tucker!’”

• MOST-HEARD: “Delta Dawn.”

• LOOK FOR: “Tanya personally knew Nudie Cohn, the rhinestone designer to the stars, and had her own suits made by him when she started in the business. You’ll see a lot of photos, both professional and family, career defining records and more. A favorite is probably a large poster of her very first Rolling Stone magazine cover at the age of 15.”

• NAMESAKE INVOLVEMENT: “She entrusted founder/CEO Bill Miller with the vision. There is so much attention to detail that even the colorful lanterns hanging above the bar were custom-designed to match her tequila bottles. Her first walk-through seeing the finished Cantina left her in tears of happiness. She said, ‘It’s been a dream for several years to join the big boys on Broadway in Nashville. Thank you Bill and Shannon Miller for making it all possible. They’ve done what no one else could do.’ She plans to pop in when she is in Nashville.” PAGE 9 • JUNE 2024

Blake Shelton

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

Charlie Cook’s Best Stories

Outgoing Cumulus VP/Country Charlie Cook shares favorite tales from more than 50 years in radio, a similar tenure on the Academy of Country Music board, and one poignant moment while volunteering for Musicians On Call.

I was driving a dry cleaners’ truck, going to college, supporting a family and had $300 to my name from my tax return. We were watching one of those fundraiser auctions they do on public television when paid tuition for a broadcast school came up. That’s kind of what I wanted to do. I also wanted to be an attorney, but it seemed kind of hard. Anyway, I bid my $300 and someone else got it for $400. A week later, I got a call that the winner had changed his mind. Did I want it for the $300. So, I went to Specs Howard School of Broadcasting in suburban Detroit. When I finished, they found me a job at WMBN/Petoskey, MI.

My real name is Bob Catalano, which I used on my first job. Then I moved to Denver and the program director there said, “You can’t use Catalano. It’s way too ethnic.” I might’ve argued except his name was Len Archediagano and he had changed it to Len Anthony. We opened the phone book and pointed randomly to someone who lived on Clayton Street. So I picked Bob Clayton, and that’s why Lon Helton still calls me Bob after all these years. When I met him, I was Bob Clayton. When I left Denver for Wheeling, I replaced Bob Knight, but there was also a Bob Berry, a Bob Kane, a Bob Barwick and someone else. Five Bobs. They told me, “You can’t be a Bob.” But that’s my name! They didn’t care. Coincidentally, I had worked for a guy named Bob Koch – pronounced “Cook.” He was a great guy, so I decided to take his name. Meanwhile, Charley Pride and Charlie Rich were at the top of the charts. Charlie Cook sounded like a great name, and I’ve been that since about 1973.

Denver is where Lon and I met in 1973. He was doing overnights and I’d been hired for seven to midnight. He came in early my first night and I stayed late. We’ve been best friends since.

The station had a basketball team. Because I did seven to midnight, I never had to play. At some point, they scheduled a game on my off night – Monday. Well, when you don’t play basketball in mile-high altitude very often ... I ran down the court once and started begging to be put on the bench. I don’t know how the rest of those guys did it.

Lon’s favorite story about me changes depending on if I’m standing next to him or not. We were skiing somewhere near Denver and, if Lon’s not in the room, I explain how I was racing down a hill, tried to avoid a young kid, wrecked and ended up with a bad knee. If Lon’s there when I tell it, he’ll say, “You were standing still, got twisted and fell. You never even went down the slope.”

That was actually a bad day for Lon. I was the first casualty of the season at St. Teresa Hospital and ended up in a cast from my ankle to ... well, if it had been any higher up my leg I’d have had to change my name to Roberta.

I got nominated for Billboard Disc Jockey of the Year. It was me, two guys from Indianapolis, somebody from Houston and someone from the west coast. And this

punk kid in Ypsilanti, MI who was 21 or 22. That got me the job in Denver, quite frankly. Then I won in Wheeling. At the convention, I saw Ed Salamon, who was in Pittsburgh. I walked up, stuck my hand out and said, “I’m in Wheeling and you’re in Pittsburgh, so we’re kind of neighbors. If you let me hang around with you this weekend, maybe I’ll learn something.” He went, “Okay.” I walked him to his hotel room door every night and was waiting for him when he walked back out in the morning. Maybe six months later, he calls me in Wheeling and offers me a job in New York City. I told him no. I was afraid. But about 25 seconds later I called him back and said, “Okay, I changed my mind.”

My first time in New York ever, Ed meets me at the gate. He doesn’t say hello or welcome to New York. He said, “It’s ‘Hows-ton’ Street.” I’m like, “What?” “It’s ‘Hows’ton,’ not ‘Hyoo-ston.’” I’m one step off the plane and he’s already critiquing me.

Back then it took 25 hours to schedule music for a 24-hour day. Literally. Up until going there, I would just pick a record out of a box. “Hey, let’s play this one.” New York is a little different, and I learned so much. I’m not much of a jockey, but I’ve always ridden the right horses.

In 53 years, I’ve only been fired three times. Once was in Denver, when the late Al Brady Law was named GM. The Friday before Labor Day the sales manager asked

All For The Call: With his “Leadership In Music” trophy from Musicians On Call.

With Garth Brooks

With Sara Evans and Terri Clark

With Toby Keith

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

me if I knew so-and-so. I said, “Yeah. I’m getting fired Tuesday.” He said, “What do you mean?” I said, “I know who that is and if you got him a room in town that means he’s going to be the new PD.” Sure enough, I saw Al on the elevator Tuesday and he asked me to come to his office. “Charlie, we’re going to let you go. Would you like to know why?” I said, “I’ve worked for you for 90 seconds. You don’t know why.” He lasted in that job 56 days.

At KHJ-AM/Los Angeles, the acts would come by the station all the time while they were in town to do Barbara Mandrell’s TV show. Steve Wariner, Sylvia, Dean Dillon, Alabama and others used to just hang out at the radio station. They didn’t know what else to do when they were in LA. You really got to know people better back then. Today they travel differently and they’re bigger stars, right? Well, maybe not bigger than Alabama was back then. But the world is different.

Walking around the mall one weekend, I saw a kiosk with paintings of sports figures and other celebrities. They had Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. I stopped in my tracks and thought, “I knew all of them. Did interviews with all of them.” Not many people can say that. Cash was probably the one I was most starstruck around. He was an imposing figure.

I remember asking Conway Twitty why he wanted a career in country music since he’d been right behind Elvis before switching. He said he wanted a 35-year career and thought country was the best place to do that. I said to Mel Tillis, “You probably have a fortune buried in the backyard. Why do you keep doing this?” He said, “If I’m home for two weeks, when I open the refrigerator and the light goes on, I start singing.”

The radio-label relationship is pretty collaborative, but it could be more so. Record companies have a job,

but it’s like being in the market for a car and when you get to the lot, six salespeople come out and want you to buy 10 cars. You say, “I’m really looking for the best car I can afford.” Nope. You can’t leave the lot unless you take 10. There’s a lot of great country music today, but there’s just too much of it. There’s not room until somebody can show us how to get more than 60 minutes in an hour. We trust that radio advertising works on frequency. Well, so does playing the songs. If you have 60 currents, you can’t play a song every two-and-a-half hours. It doesn’t work. That’s something I’m not going to miss.

I was there when Bill and Fran Boyd ran the Academy of Country Music. There were six employees and meetings were held in Fran’s living room. That’s where she’d have all the show tickets spread out all over the floor figuring out where to seat people. If you weren’t nice to Fran, your tickets weren’t even in the living room, they were in the bathroom.

I was board chair and heard that CMA was getting paid for their radio remotes, but we weren’t. I asked why and was told Dick Clark Productions was handling it, so I asked why we weren’t getting more money from DCP. That was the first time I spoke to Mr. Clark, who called me and used some very colorful language about me shutting my mouth. I didn’t realize that people reported back to him what was said at board meetings. ACM really wasn’t much more than a television show in the beginning. Now it’s a significant organization that really does good stuff for the genre and the people in our community.

Among the people who have been instrumental in my career – beyond Lon and Ed, who I’ve already mentioned – are Mike McVay and, believe it or not, John Dickey. He hired me twice: Once in Atlanta and once in Nashville. Ed was my springboard to major markets. And [Cumulus/Nashville’s] Allison Warren is a fabulous

market manager. Not only for me, as OM, but for the whole building.

My charity of choice is Musicians On Call, and there’s a very specific reason. When I first got involved I served as a guide taking acts from hospital room to hospital room. My first one was at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Very difficult. It’s just tough seeing a sick child, but what I also saw was a parent, an aunt, a sibling or a cousin. There was always somebody in the room. The next time I was a guide, it was at a veteran’s hospital and there was nobody in the room. You see people who have served our country admirably, but are in bad shape. They’re old and they’re alone.

Sometimes the performing musicians are big deal country stars, but often they’re Vanderbilt or Belmont kids who can play guitar and sing. So I walked into a room with a young lady and there was a man in his eighties. I asked if he’d like to hear a song, and he said to the young lady, “Do you know ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco.’” She’s 18, so she said, “No, I’m sorry. I don’t.” I said to him, “Do you know it?” He said, “I sure do. It’s my favorite song.” So I said, “Why don’t you sing it for us?” When he was done singing there was not a dry eye in the room. The young lady then sang something and we started leaving. The man called me back and said, “I bet you think you made my day, don’t you?” I said, “No ... we really enjoyed meeting you ...” And he goes, “You made my month. Thank you and thank her.” That’s why I go to the veteran’s hospital.

[Cumulus CEO] Mary Berner was in the building recently and asked, “What is going to be the strength of radio going forward?” I honestly believe it’s the longevity of its people. The willingness of radio professionals to transform themselves as the business transforms and to mentor people who are coming in is how this business is going to thrive for the next 15 or

20 years. DSPs are the hot thing, just like CDs and even cassettes were once. But they lack personality. People still want to know what’s going on in their town. They still want somebody to make them smile. Every other medium is giving people the exact same thing whether you’re in Los Angeles, Atlanta or New York. The only one offering something different is local radio. If you don’t take advantage of that, shame on you.

I had a ball as guest announcer at the Opry earlier this year. Kelly Sutton was hosting and I got to introduce Chris Janson. He was surprised I was there and pulled me out to the center where he said a bunch of really nice things about me and people applauded loudly. Kelly said, “How’d you get started in radio? It was in Michigan, right?” I said, “Yeah, Petoskey.” And there was some cheering. I then said Denver and there was cheering in another part of the crowd. “Then I went to Wheeling, WV,” and another section started yelling. I said, “Hold on, folks. I’m going to cover all of you before we’re done.” So Miami – cheering. Los Angeles – cheering. Atlanta – cheering. I said, “Apparently I can’t hold a job.” CAC

Real Good Man: Cook receives a signed guitar from Tim McGraw commemorating his retirement.

Whiskey Passes: Backstage with (l-r) Ernest, Morgan Wallen, WKDF/Nashville’s Tyler Reese and Hardy.

With Taylor Swift

With Jelly Roll

With Lainey Wilson

ARTIST MANAGEMENT

Roughly seven years ago, the growing number of women successfully managing many of country’s top artists generated multiple headlines and caught the industry’s attention. Today, all of those women are still at the top of their game, and have been joined by numerous others who are instrumental in the careers of leading and rising country artists Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Dan + Shay, Megan Moroney and more. Many in this newer group of managers say they were inspired by those who came before. In interviews with Country Aircheck, nine of them describe how they got their start in the business, the challenges and rewards of the gig, and what special qualities they think female managers bring to the table.

While there have long been successful female artist managers in country music – Louise Scruggs, Elizabeth Hatcher, Denise Stiff, Nancy Russell and others – it was Marion Kraft (Miranda Lambert), Ann Edelblute (Carrie Underwood), Virginia Bunetta (Thomas Rhett), Martha Earls (Kane Brown), Mary Hilliard Harrington (Dierks Bentley), Janet Weir (Maren Morris), Melanie Weatherbee (Jon Pardi) and Kerri Edwards who helped turn a relative rarity into something more common. (Edwards is featured in The Interview, page 41.)

Today, even more of the top artists in the game have women as part of their teams: Wilson is repped by Red Light’s Mandelyn Monchick; Wallen is co-managed by K21 Entertainment’s Kathleen Flaherty, who also runs his foundation; Combs’ day-to-day manager is Sophia Sansone, who additionally serves as Managing Partner at Make Wake Artists; and Dan + Shay’s day-to-day manager is Sandbox Entertainment’s Lisa Ray Some are fresh faces. Others have been at it for quite a while, choosing to keep a lower profile like Flaherty, who steers away from media attention. Also making waves, PunchBowl Entertainment’s Juli Griffith and Hayley Corbett co-manage Moroney and Kristian Bush; 33 Creative’s Tina Crawford co-manages Parmalee and Avery Anna; and Why&How’s Halie Hampton Mosley works with Chase Rice, Danielle Bradbery, Tyler Braden and Kelleigh Bannen. Otter Creek Entertainment’s Haley McLemore manages Brett Young (as well as the SMN-signed Gavin DeGraw). And at Red Light, Kaitlin Madewell manages Kameron Marlowe and Laci Kaye Booth, while Kristen Ashley handles day-to-day for Mitchell Tenpenny.

Other prominent female managers include Crystal Dishmon, who works with Kraft at ShopKeeper Management, Trisha McClanahan (Ryan Larkins),

Taylor Manns (Nate Smith), Blythe Scokin (Ingrid Andress) and Basak Kizilsik (Alana Springsteen). Just this month, industry veterans Kelli Haywood and Leigh Holt partnered to form HSquared Management. Edwards notes that there aren’t just more female managers, but managers in general because there are more artists. Before managing Luke Bryan, she initially tried to find him a manager and recalls there being fewer than 10 options. Now, she says, “Everyone’s in a seat for a reason.”

Management veteran McLemore agrees. “We are seeing a whole new crop of managers, not just females,” she says, adding, “There are many new female managers who are highly qualified and ready to take on the world.”

Heart Like A Truck

Among those doing so is Monchick, who was working as an entertainment law firm assistant when she met Wilson. To assist the fledgling artist, she began helping set up writing sessions, then showcases and “whatever I could do to help move things forward.” Now eight years in with Wilson, she also manages developing artist Meg McRee. “It’s hard to ignore what these women have pioneered to make room for more young female managers like myself,” she says, noting the new generation of artist managers “has been brewing for a while.”

“Because females tend to have especially good attention to detail, I think artists are finding more of what they need in the young female managers of today,” Monchick adds. She also cites keen ability to “understand the potential impact of your next move or decision. Women tend to think things through so thoroughly. It allows them to see around corners others may not consider.”

The most rewarding part of the job for Monchick is “seeing people in our camp feel proud of themselves and their accomplishments.” She also loves watching a show come together. The challenges come from “making sure everyone is communicating,” and from sometimes having to turn down good opportunities.

Ray has spent her whole two-decade career in music, with previous stops on the distribution side at

scenes that most people don’t get to, and I know what goes into all of it, so I take a lot of pride in my everyday role,” she says. “Little victories matter as much as the big ones. Trust is rewarding.”

Job stresses for Ray center around new logistical challenges, such as when Dan + Shay were tapped as coaches on The Voice. “I am by nature a planner, so I’m always working at least a year out – honestly more – and I love minutiae,” she says. “It serves me well in this role. I love my calendar, but a major, year-long TV show, an album (that your artist is also producing), and an arena and amphitheater tour all at once? Let’s go! My job is to keep the car between the lines and provide the best possible path to get there. Creatives will always need to be creative, and being able to find a way to make it all fit is how we roll.”

Ray says there’s a special bond among many of the female artist managers in Nashville. “We all truly root for each other; I can say that with absolute certainty. I consider it an honor to learn from them still, to be able to stand in the room with them, and I will always cheer on hard work no matter where it comes from.”

Ready Set Roll

Mosley was working as a Southeast Regional for Arista in 2013 when a conversation with Kix Brooks about her long-term goals led her to a meeting with his longtime manager, Clarence Spalding. Later that year, Spalding offered her a job, and she’s been in artist management ever since, including a stint with Florida Georgia Line. As COO of Why&How (which has several female artist managers on staff, including Allie Petko), she’s able to work with and support the full roster of artists, in tandem with their lead managers, working on project strategy and execution. “I not only get to watch as the artists grow, but watch as our managers succeed too,” she says.

Mosley enjoys “experiencing the milestones, the ‘firsts’” with her artists. “Working with more established artists, like those I worked with at Maverick Nashville, was always exciting and rewarding, but I am especially passionate about cultivating an artist who is just starting out,” she says. “Hearing about their goals, learning what they want to look and sound like, identifying what they want to say to the world through their music, and then helping to make it a reality is what I love most about management.”

The challenging part of the job is “having to make tough decisions that are in the best interest of the client or company,” including saying no to people with whom she has close working relationships. “I’ve learned to navigate those situations with respect and

It’s hard to ignore what these women have pioneered. –Mandelyn Monchick

grace, because so much of our industry is built on those relationships and trust within them,” she says.

Like many of her colleagues, Mosley was inspired to chase her management dreams by the media attention women including Edwards and Kraft were receiving,

WEA and at Warner Music Nashville, where she did marketing for Dan + Shay. She moved to Sandbox in 2017, just as the duo was about to release “Tequila,” and has also worked with Sandbox client Kelsea Ballerini for the last three years. “I see the hard work behind the

Mandelyn Monchick

Haley McLemore

Lisa Ray with clients Shay Mooney and Dan Smyers

the sense that I still believe we can accomplish whatever we want. I never got into management because I wanted to be a manager, I got into management because I believe in Mitchell.”

The most motivating part of the job for Ashley is that she and Tenpenny are “living out our dream together,” citing moments like watching him tear up coming offstage after playing his first stadium show with Combs, and “pinching ourselves in the studio while cutting a song with country legends.” She hints the latter is coming out later this year. At the same time, “This town can be extremely competitive and political,” she says. “Navigating through that while trying to make a name for myself can be challenging.”

and by the women themselves. She recalls once being happily seated next to Kraft on a plane. “I spent that flight taking in her wisdom and walked away incredibly encouraged by her advice and integrity.”

As a result of seeing others successfully navigate the field, Mosley says, “women who have always wanted to pursue management finally have the confidence to do so, and are speaking up about the unique strengths they can bring to the role. There are also some really successful male managers who recognize and honor the value that women bring to the industry and are being intentional about mentoring and sponsoring new talent.”

But, she adds, “While it does make me proud to be a part of a generation that’s embracing and naming female leadership, it’s important to recognize this rise isn’t solely based on gender. Success is recognized because they work hard, are passionate about their clients and companies, and deserve to be in the positions they are in. We encourage more by simply continuing to do those things and cheering for each other’s successes. There’s room for all of us.”

Girl In The Mirror

Griffith got into management after a three-decade career in publishing when longtime client Bush introduced her to Moroney. After falling in love with the young artist’s voice, and working with her for about a year and a half setting up co-writes, she went all-in as a manager almost two years ago. That move came after consulting with her husband, who encouraged her to quit her “good paying” publishing job to start her management firm by saying, “That’s what savings are for.” She says, “I

took a pretty good risk, but I knew Megan had something.”

Griffith describes the job as “a lot of hard nights, a lot of sleepless bus rides, a lot of people pulling and prodding at you,” as well as “being gone all the time. I have a husband who is very understanding, and two dogs who aren’t.” Challenges also include “having a living room that looks like the bus just threw up on it. Having shower shoes at the age of 50 is tough to comprehend.”

Corbett spent seven years working in management for Fletcher Foster before joining Griffith at PunchBowl. She cites challenges like “missing all of your friends’ major life events,” but says helping Moroney “execute her vision and seeing it come to life” is quite rewarding. For Griffith, the joys come from “seeing Megan move

people with her music, and the audience singing every word with passion.” Griffith adds that women tend to have a “nurturing” side that contributes to being a successful manager “because your artist is going through a hell of a lot all the time – especially on the trajectory that [Moroney] is on.”

McLemore landed her first job working for Stiff in 1995 when the latter was handling the careers of Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch. She went on to work at the CMA and Mercury before finding her way back to management. McLemore’s favorite part of the job is what she calls “the touring puzzle” of developing production and new ideas. The hardest thing is “navigating the increased costs of touring. We’re all trying to figure out how to make [30% cost increases] work.”

Crawford worked at WBCT/ Grand Rapids, Broken Bow Records and publising house

Major Bob before venturing into management with partner David Fanning. “It felt like the next best step,” she says of the 2022 move.

“I love the all-encompassing nature of management, and it felt like the best way to put everything I’d learned thus far into practice. Being at the ground level with artists and songwriters, being a part of their development and watching them take off has always been the most rewarding part.

“I am a Type A control freak, so trying to carve out time to unplug is difficult for me, especially with the 24/7 nature of artist management,” she says. “Also, the industry changes so frequently, so I feel the pressure to stay on top of every new development in terms of streaming platforms, digital technologies, the global landscape, etc.”

Ashley met with Kraft when she was still looking for someone else to manage Tenpenny, and says, “I will never forget Marion telling me the weight that this job can have on you. She told me they had around 100 people on Miranda’s team, and every day she was thinking about ideas to stay relevant and keep it all growing so those employees could feed their families. We may only have 15 people now on the road, but I feel that weight every day now, too.”

As for what qualities make for a good manager, Ashley says, “You have to know your artist better than yourself, what they believe in and what makes them tick – a relationship where you can be honest and vulnerable. When Mitchell has his best or worst days, I’m his first or second call. It’s important to have empathy and awareness in those moments to know how to support them. It’s also crucial to know when to be stubborn or stern, when to push back, and when you’re being too much and need to back down.”

Girl On Fire

Madewell was working at an ad agency where the first account she was assigned was a country music festival. That’s where she fell in love with the business and “found her calling in life.” Meeting Edwards and Bunetta early in her career also stoked that desire, as she recalls thinking, “If they can do it, I can too.”

At 22 years old, Madewell started her own festival marketing company, which she ran for about a year until moving to Nashville in 2019, the same year she first saw Marlowe play live. Three months after she began managing him, he signed his record deal with Sony. Booth landed her deal with Geffen seven months after signing with Madewell in 2023.

Marlowe calls Madewell “a bulldog” with “a different kind of no quit in her. If there is something she wants to get done or achieve, she will not stop.

Crawford believes the tools to being successful in management include great communication skills, empathy and emotional intelligence, as well as attention to detail and the ability to multitask. “Those [skills] may come more naturally to females in some cases, and I believe this personally works to my advantage for sure,” she says.

We Got History

Like Crawford, Griffith and Edwards, Ashley launched her music industry career on the publishing side, as Dir./Creative Dir. at The Song Factory, where she got a taste for developing artists and first met Tenpenny nine years ago. Meanwhile, one of Ashley’s best friends, Chancie Neal, was being managed by Edwards, so she had a front row seat to that relationship, and applied what she was seeing to Tenpenny. Similar to Edwards’ start with Luke Bryan, Ashley was overseeing Tenpenny’s career but had “no intention” of managing him.

When he landed his joint venture deal with Riser House and Sony, Ashley says, “He asked me to officially be his manager. I was naive enough to believe we could do it then, and I guess I still am in

I believe that’s true across the board with all of the female managers that I’ve met. There’s that fight, because they have something to prove.”

For Madewell, the rewarding part of the job includes meeting fans, and “watching them multiply every time you come to that market. I seem to shed a tear at least once when I’m out on the road. No matter how hard the days get or things are not going your way, it’s ultimately about the music and the impact the music has on these people. It’s incredibly special to witness.”

Her challenges include “always keeping cool even when things aren’t” and “keeping all the plates spinning. You have multiple lives relying on you every single day. When the manager stops, it all stops. That sometimes takes a mental toll, but it’s worth it.”

Madewell isn’t surprised by how many female managers are now working in country music. “As our world evolves, there are more fearless women leaders who don’t need the social acceptance of the norm,” she says. “Women make great managers, and artists are taking notice. Regardless of gender, as long as someone is passionate and they have the drive to make the impossible, possible – I’m just excited for the next generation as a whole.” CAC

Kristen Ashley

Kaitlin Madewell

Halie Hampton Mosley

Tina Crawford

MIKE MOORE

A knack for mimicry, and a well-timed Ronald Reagan impersonation, led to what ultimately became a Country Radio Hall of Fame-worthy career for WKHX/Atlanta PD Mike Moore. Through programming jobs at WWKA/ Orlando, WWYZ/Hartford, WSIX/Nashville, KWJJ/ Portland and Entercom’s Dir./ Country Programming, he’s always believed in giving back.

I’m the kind of person who has always been embarrassed by attention. Someone said to me early in my career that if you have success, you should push the people who helped you get there out in front. I so relate to that, because I would much rather be the guy in the background than the one in the limelight. But the great thing about this Hall of Fame induction is that I have heard from people I haven’t talked to in 20 or 30 years. They’ve said really nice things, given me credit for things I might not deserve credit for, or reminded me of things I helped them with. It’s been really nice.

Lon Helton called and said he wanted to talk to me for an article about the effects of Christmas music on Country PPM stations. We got on the Zoom and Joel Raab was there, too. Then they let the cat out of the bag about my induction. I have a long history with both of those guys, so it was nice to get the news from them.

Kind of goofy how I got into radio. I was going to the University of Minnesota and living in my dad’s basement. On a snowy morning in the ’80s I was listening to my favorite morning show – Hines & Berglund on WLOL/Minneapolis – as they were talking about then-Pres. Ronald Reagan. As a kid, I did voice impressions because Rich Little and Johnny Carson were childhood idols. I could do Robin Leach, Howard Cosell, Billy Crystal’s Nando character and Ronald Reagan. I called the station as Reagan and the producer put me on the air! Co-host John Hines put me on hold and, during a commercial break, came back on the line and convinced me to skip class that day to join him for lunch. I got bit by the radio bug and the rest is history. I’d sit on the edge of my bed in the morning, talking to quite a few radio stations as Ronald Reagan and making money. I thought it was the greatest thing ever. That’s how I got into the business, and Hines is still a dear friend to this day. In a bizarre sidebar, WFMS/Indianapolis PD Brooks O’Brian’s dad, Roger [Anderson], was that show’s producer.

I come from a media-oriented family. My dad was in radio and television when I was very young, and then opened an advertising agency. His father worked at the Omaha World-Herald newspaper his entire career. And if you go back even further, I think a great, great grandfather owned a printing press back in the day. I guess I was destined for it. But what’s kept me in the business is I love it. I like the theater of it. I like connecting with an audience and being able to move people to do good things in the community or patronize client businesses. I can’t wait to get out to a show and hang out in a parking lot with my morning show greeting listeners and hearing them talk about why they listen. That’s honestly the best part of the job. It’s just fun, and we’ve very blessed to get to do this.

Meet The Mentor

Before getting into Country I had a whole radio career, but I was never exposed to the kind of artist and label relationships we have. There is a closer bond and a more authentic connection with the various entities in the business. No other format has a seminar dedicated just to them or a music festival that takes over an entire town for a few days. We have relationships with some of the biggest stars, their managers and label folks going back to the beginning of their careers.

The most gratifying moments of my career have been raising millions of dollars over the years for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and various other charities. Also, watching people’s careers explode and feeling like I had a tiny role in that. I’ll never forget Kenny Chesney doing a station birthday show at a club in downtown Orlando in the middle ’90s that held about 1,500 people. I was sitting on his bus that afternoon, and he excitedly told me that people had been sitting on the sidewalk since 8am waiting to get in.

I remember telling him, “Yeah dude, this is happening. This is the real deal; they like you.” It’s just unheard of to get to experience things like that.

One of the saddest, but most gratifying things I experienced in Nashville just before I was leaving [WSIX] to go to Portland was [then morning host] Gerry House having a brain aneurism. It was really dicey for a while; there was a chance he wouldn’t survive. I told him as he was recovering, “I’m going to stay. I’m not leaving until I get you back on the air.” The day he came back was like a radiothon. The outpouring of support from the artist, label and management community was unbelievable, and the number of artists who came by the studio or called in to welcome him back was insane. Chesney called in from the Virgin Islands. The Dixie Chicks called. Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Keith Urban came by. I get teary eyed just thinking about it.

I had tremendous mentors, all the way back to John Hines, so I always felt it was my duty to do that for others. [ Ed. Note: Moore is credited with helping the careers of BBRMG’s JoJamie Hahr, WUBE/ Cincinnati’s Grover Collins and SiriusXM and CMT’s Cody Alan, among others. ] When you see someone who’s talented and ambitious, why wouldn’t you go out of your way to try and help them? Cody was board op-ing a syndicated show when I hired him out of South Carolina to come work for me in Orlando. He was brilliant, determined, smart and great on the radio. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the same night as him is insane. I’m so excited about that.

If asked about my leadership, I would hope the word “integrity” would come up from my staff, along with words like “honesty” and “work ethic.” I hope they would also say I am fair and empathetic. And I hope they would say I do what I say I will do, and do the right thing, even when nobody’s looking. As for my relationship with labels, again I would hope transparency and integrity would come up. I try to be honest with people if something isn’t working or just doesn’t fit what we’re trying to do. I would also hope they’d say that I wasn’t one to penalize artists or labels if they did something across the street. I’m not their only client.

Earlier this year, I officiated my first wedding for my morning show co-host, Dallas McCade, and [Futuri Media’s] Scott Lindy. Because of the wedding, and the Hall of Fame induction, I had to go buy a suit for the first time in years. It was a wonderful day and turned out great, but I don’t know that [wedding officiant] will be a regular calling for me. At least I’ll be wearing a relatively new suit at the Hall of Fame event! CAC

Remind Me: Moore with Carrie Underwood.

(below) American Kids: Kenny Chesney with Moore and the WWKA/Orlando crew in the green room of local bar 8 Seconds. Among those pictured (l-r) are Brendan Sweeney, Ron Bisson, Frank “The Janitor,” Connie Willis, Bobby Mitchell and Shadow Stevens.

After navigating “the heavyweight championship of Country” in Houston as OM at KIKK-AM-FM, Jim Robertson made the rare transition from programming to station management. He found equal success in that role, spending 25 years as VP/GM at WOGK/ Gainesville-Ocala, FL until his 2019 retirement.

Much to my parents’ disappointment, the only thing I wanted to be was a DJ – as far back as eighth grade – in the mid-’60s – growing up in the Philadelphia area. After high school, I went to broadcast school and ended up getting a job at what is now WXTU. Back then it was WIFI. I was hired as kind of a gopher and an overnight automated person. From the beginning, all I ever wanted to do was radio, and thank goodness it worked out, because I’m not qualified for anything else.

JIM ROBERTSON

Philly Kid Goes Country

Viacom transferred me from AC WRVR/Memphis to be the OM at KIKK, my first time in Country and with a legendary set of call letters. I was fortunate that [2007 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee] Joe Ladd was there, took me under his wing and basically taught me Country. It was the late ’80s, George Strait was just getting started and the format was really starting to boom. Joe was legendary and personified “Country radio personality.” Working with him was a career highlight.

The best part of my transition to Country was the people. The whole format is more down to earth. We don’t take ourselves overly seriously. The kindness, sensibility and maturity of the people in this format – all the way from Nashville to an overnight DJ – we just kind of get that this format is Americana. And the listeners are awesome.

Working at a station like KIKK, the call letters were bigger than all of us. I always compared it to being the captain of a large ship, where if you steer one way, it may take a little while to get there because it’s so big. When you have 600,000 listeners and 40 employees in the building, it’s a big responsibility. So, I always considered my time there truly an honor to be part of something so much bigger than me.

KIKK and KILT was the heavyweight championship of Country back in the late ’80s and into the ’90s. We were duking it out. We had a $14 million budget. I just found an aircheck where we gave away $120,000 to caller 96. KILT was doing the same thing, and everybody had billboards and TV spots until Westinghouse’s KILT bought KIKK in 1993 and got rid of half the staff, including me. That’s how, three months later, I ended up in Florida at K-Country.

Coming here to WOGK, and them turning the keys over to me, was the second big honor in my career. I got the opportunity to do something that anybody who has a desire to be in the industry would love to do – I got

to do it my way. I even gave it the call letters: OcalaGainesville’s K-Country. I had that truly rare experience to create my own monster. And not just me, but every single person there. I’m the luckiest guy in broadcasting history. It’s really that simple.

It was a very special experience working at WOGK all those years, getting to bring all the things I learned in Houston. The format was still hot, and I was very, very fortunate. It has a monstrous signal. When I got there, we were market [size] 120. A couple of years later, a couple of us managers got together and worked with Arbitron. We expanded the market by two counties, so we ended up in the mid-80s, which it still is.

Probably less than 10% of radio GMs come from what I call the product side of the business [programming]. I’ve been fortunate every place I’ve been to work with incredibly talented people who probably taught me a lot more than I ever taught them. We always had very good sounding radio stations from a production value. I always kind of knew that programming was what I wanted to do, and getting transferred to Houston as an OM really elevated my goals. But when things fell apart in Houston, I knew I wanted to be a GM.

I stayed interested in radio all these years because I’m competitive. I’ve been very fortunate that every place I’ve ever been was a market-leading station. So, I never had to walk into a situation where the owner’s happy

being No. 5 or 6. Plus, it’s a fun business. I’ve said a thousand times over the years, “We’re not accountants here, people.” Yes, we work eight to five. Yes. I expect you to be on time. Yes, integrity is everything to me. We’re going to be honorable even if we have to walk backwards to clear something up. But if we can’t enjoy going to free concerts, or putting our own concerts on, or having artists walk in the door and say hi, having free lunches, going bowling for lunch for three hours because I’m the boss, then, you know … [laughs].

Now that I’m retired, I miss the “management by walking around.” I miss the people. You forget all the dark days where you had to walk in at 8 o’clock in the morning and reprimand somebody, or a client is on the phone waiting to yell at you. You don’t remember any of that, but you miss the people.

Radio doesn’t have the money to do deep research anymore. I’m talking about focus groups and strategic studies. I got to have all of those tools in my career. Talking to the audience, you can learn so much. They

are so much smarter than us. I remember in Houston, a listener in a focus group said, “KIKK sounds like Texas,” and that became a major marketing campaign for about three years. I wish everyone in radio now could have experienced the ’80s and ’90s when we truly competed for advertising and time spent listening. I just hope the business is still as much fun, or even close to it, as it was back in our heyday.

CAC

Gator Country: Robertson makes a Florida friend.

Hat Trick: WOGK’s Lewis Stokes (l) with Robertson and wife Debbie.

Good People: Robertson (l) and wife Debbie with artist Jeff Bates.

MEG STEVENS Soaring In Good Company

In a career surrounded by Hall of Famers, one might think Meg Stevens was destined to be a Hall of Famer as well, just don’t tell her that.

I’ve always loved music and how it makes me feel, the emotions it elicits. I had a record player in my room to play my 45s and albums, I’d close the door and listen as loud as I could. The first two albums I owned were: Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Pronounced

My first job was at WAER in Syracuse. It was a Jazz station owned by the University. Simon Jeffries, the PD from Rock WAQX called me one day, I interviewed and started doing part time overnights there the next weekend.

After I graduated, I had a full-time job as a producer at WAQX, then I moved to AC WYYY doing overnights, then I helped launch and eventually became PD of WBBS. There was no Plan B, at that point in my life I was just flying by the seat of my pants. Things just started happening.

Looking back, I did a lot of the right things that I didn’t even know were right at the time, maybe it was just instinct. Syracuse provided me with incredible mentors like Joel Delmonico, Carole Fargo, Rich Lauber, Glenn “Gomez” Adam, Dee Perkins, and Rick Yacobush, who all taught me the value of hard work and doing things right.

One of my favorite WBBS memories was Shania Twain performing in a lightning storm, it was so bad she took out an ad in the newspaper (yes, the paper) the next day thanking all those who attended and sat through the show. It was a terrible night and today no one would have gone on stage.

Syracuse shaped who I am today, I owe so much to that part of my life. Personally, it’s special because it’s where I got married and welcomed my daughter, Julia. I was 18 when my radio journey started, and I didn’t leave Syracuse until I was 36. At the end of the day, I could still be there, but going to Cleveland to program the legendary WGAR was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

I had a job opportunity in Hartford, and if I’d gone there I wouldn’t have wound up in Cleveland, and the job in Cleveland is how I wound up in DC and

Baltimore, which was the biggest move of my career. If I had gone to Hartford, I probably would have just stayed there since my family and close friends are all that area.

In Cleveland, I forged lifelong friendships. I can still hear the legendary Chuck Collier calling me “Meggie.” I remember the day Taylor Swift came into the conference room like it was yesterday, I wasn’t sold on the singing at first, but her writing was spectacular, and she was a gifted storyteller. I told several people I couldn’t wait to see what she writes at 30!

One of my proudest achievements at WGAR was the creation of Girls with Guitars, an acoustic guitar pull featuring women in support of breast cancer research. I’ve recreated this in multiple markets, but Cleveland was special.

I faced the challenge of programming two major Country stations at WPOC/Baltimore and WMZQ/ Washington, DC. The success I achieved was a testament to the incredible teams behind me. Kim Sauer and Sheila Silverstein, our exceptional promotion directors, played a pivotal role in keeping the stations active and engaged. Their dedication was unmatched, and I owe much of our achievements to them.

Collaborating with Hall of Famer and WPOC morning host Laurie DeYoung was also a career highlight. Her spiritual depth, creativity, and unwavering professionalism left an indelible mark on me. Beyond that, Laurie’s kindness and genuine character made working alongside her an honor. She exemplifies the best qualities in our industry.

Helping people go on to great jobs has always been part of my job. Lance Houston and Justin Cole both were APDs for me in Baltimore. Seeing Lance go on to Chicago and then doing records and Justin as the PD of WUSY/Chattanooga makes me happy, because that’s truly what it’s all about.

Working with Country Radio Hall of Famers is an honor, and WKKT/Charlotte’s Paul Schadt is a standout. When people think of country radio in Charlotte, his name immediately comes to mind, a testament to his influence and connection with the community. I’m very proud to have put the St. Jude Radiothon on the station.

Living in Atlanta has been a joy, and it will remain my home. The weather is inviting, the people are friendly and the food amazing. Professionally, I’m part of a talented team, including Country Radio Hall of Famer Angie Ward. I have been a very lucky woman; things have lined up very well for me over my career. I’ve taken advantage of the opportunities I’ve been given, and they’ve always been at the right time. If something doesn’t happen that you want to happen there’s a reason, there’s something better to come.

Being inducted into the Hall of Fame hasn’t fully sunk in yet. Since it was announced, I have been reflecting on accomplishments and appreciation of all the people who have been part of this incredible ride. It is a humbling experience, the collaborative efforts of those I’ve worked with are at the heart of any success I’ve had.

I’m never the smartest person in the room, I never want to be. My skill is bringing the best people together and letting them do what they need to do. I don’t think I knew that early on. In my head I’m starting to finally give myself credit for things I never would have before. If I could go back, I’d tell young Meg, “Be bolder when you know what you’re good at, know your skills and soar with your strengths.”

Puppy Love: Meg with Dan + Shay and canine friends.

My Kinda Party: Meg with Jason Aldean, Laurie DeYoung and Lance Houston.

M&Ms: Meg and Morgan Wallen.

Brad About You: Meg and Brad Paisley.

CODY ALAN

From small town South Carolina to national radio and TV personality – and now Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee –Cody Alan has made a career out of following his dreams, and more importantly, his compass.

My dad is the root of my radio addiction. He was an avid music fan and had an incredible vinyl collection. He always wanted to be on the radio, but never pursued it, so I kind of followed what would have been his dream.

When I was 15, I called a radio station in Columbia, SC and asked to speak to the morning DJ, who was also part-owner and GM. I asked, “Can I come in and just ask you about radio?” He agreed, and I got hired to work there during the summer.

They eventually realized I was really hungry, so if someone got sick, they’d ask me to fill in. It’s the only thing that made me cool in high school. It was a Pop station then, but when Garth came along the station changed to Country. At first, I didn’t know what to think about it, but I was well versed in the music since my dad was a big fan. There weren’t many youthful voices on Country radio at the time, and I thought I could be that as the format seemed to be getting younger because of guys like Garth.

I went on a Mormon mission in Seattle for a couple of years. You don’t listen to music during the mission, but I would sneak away with a little Walkman to listen to Tony Thomas on KMPS. He was great, and I thought that it would be fun to do what he did. I never dreamed I’d be friends with him.

After my mission I went back to Columbia and got a job at WCOS. I was sending tapes to everybody, and eventually I got a call from Mike Moore at WWKA/ Orlando. He hired me for my first real big radio job doing nights. Mike also gave me my first beer. Since I was Mormon, I’d never had a buzz before. I had one beer, and then another and another, and I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is what all those country songs I’m playing are about.” Mike was a great friend and gave me a vision of what I could be. That was the biggest stepping-stone and led me to everything else.

Dan Halyburton at KPLX/Dallas heard me on an award submission tape and hired me. Shortly after that, Brian Philips arrived and launched The Wolf. I thought that Dallas would be the peak – the biggest Country stations are there – but we were in third place those first few years. Once KPLX became The Wolf, things changed. There was a whole new attitude and energy, so when Brian came to me and said he wanted me to be the MD, I accepted.

After 10 years I started to wonder what else I could do. I was also trying to figure out other parts of my life, so I thought I’d go to Salt Lake City to take a programming job. I also thought more religion would help cure me from the things I thought were my weaknesses, so it was the perfect decision at the time. I loved it there; it was a fun experience in a great environment with people who believed in me.

Brian had moved to Nashville and called me. “We’re thinking of doing this CMT radio thing.” He made it clear I wouldn’t be on TV, but I would be doing a radio show and able to organize it the way I wanted. It was a no-brainer, game-changing moment. Shortly after, CMT TV producers, were like, “Maybe we can use him for something.” A couple of years later, they asked if I’d like to do their countdown show. It snowballed

Following His Compass

very organically. Then came hosting the red-carpet show. After we merged with CBS, they asked me to do the New Years Eve show from Times Square. My life is filled with these moments where I’m like, “Are you kidding me?”

If I had not met Mike and gone to Orlando, I’d never have made it to Dallas. If I hadn’t made it do Dallas, I’d never have met Brian. If I’d never met Brian, I’d never have made it to CMT, and if I never made

To You By The

it to CMT, none of this would be happening. You can make connections, but it’s how much you prove yourself with those connections. I always treated every step like there is no elevator to the top; I’m going to have to take the stairs every time. When you go in with that attitude, it makes it a lot easier to win, because you’ll be the person there earlier, you’ll be the person there later, and people will notice that.

My coming out was a crossroads, sink or swim kind of moment. Because so many artists stepped up, it was very empowering in a moment when I needed it. You think you walk into a room and people are thinking

stuff, but they’re not. It’s all in your head. It was a good thing for my life and perhaps for others as well. It was also a bonding experience with my audience. They were like, “Yeah, we like you, so who cares?” I have people come up to me everywhere I go and say, “I know your story, I can relate to it, and I appreciate it.” Sometimes what we perceive is our greatest weakness is our greatest strength.

The toughest lesson for me has also been the best: happiness is found in being you. Once I realized it was ok to be myself and to share that and be out and open about it, life became a lot better. Your kids find that you’re happier and see they can bring anything to you and don’t have to hold back. The same is true with my ex-wife. We’re here together in Nashville now constantly getting together with our kids. We just live our lives and love each other through it; we don’t dwell on things that went wrong.

I have better balance now that I’ve gotten older. I used to be totally obsessed with radio, and that was so much of my happiness until I figured out myself and how to be a better dad, husband and ex-husband. It’s been a bit of an evolution.

In the last few years I’ve been a very open book. Before, I felt like I had to hide. I’ve always tried to be a man of integrity, which goes back to my Mormon roots and living a life where decisions are based on what you feel is the right thing, not what’s popular or pays the most money. I try to make every decision with that filter.

While Brian was contemplating who would stay to launch The Wolf and who would be let go, I was offered a job in Nashville that would have doubled my pay. I had a contract ready to go, and I told Brian. He asked me to stay, so I did. For whatever reason, the Nashville job just didn’t feel right. I always go back to whatever that North Star is and try to keep my personal compass in the right direction. People don’t think you can be spiritual and be gay, that it’s black and white, but my life is not that way. I find I’m more spiritual now than ever before because I’m listening more often.

The Hall of Fame means a lot; I hope it means I’ll be regarded as someone respected in my profession. My dad passed away in 2017, but I know he would love to be a part of this. That’s what means the most –the fulfilling of a dream that would have made him so proud. He was just thrilled I was on the radio in Columbia. The fact that it blossomed into so many things, and he got to see them ... it’s a very cool, fullcircle journey. CAC

Ellen A Day’s Work: Cody and Ellen DeGeneres

Brought

Letter L: Cody sharing laughs with Luke Bryan and Little Big Town.

Constructing Community

If Sacramento is a wall and its people the bricks, then longtime KNCI/Sacramento morning hosts Pat Still and Tom Mailey consider themselves the mortar.

PS: There’s no more poignant moment in our almost 32 years together as on the one-year anniversary of 9/11. We were one of maybe six radio stations back at Ground Zero in New York broadcasting live back to Sacramento.

TM: We were the only music-oriented radio station; everybody else was News/Talk. We had a producer who had previously worked in news and had contacts with CNN, so she was able to pull strings nobody else could have to get us credentialed. We were literally

PAT STILL & TOM MAILEY

broadcasting next to a refrigerator that had Dan Rather’s smoothies in it, and they were all labeled “Dan Rather’s Smoothies, Don’t Touch.”

PS: There’s an image I will never ever get out of my head, nor should I. Because they had all the families in and were calling names of the people who lost their lives, this little kid was walking with his mom and he’s got his ... (chokes up). Sorry. He’s got his dad’s fire hat under his arm. I was okay up to that point. And as you can tell, years later, it still gets me.

TM: There was a very big search and rescue crew from Sacramento who worked on the debris pile there for months and we had talked about that. So, there were some connections and it made sense for us to go.

PS: Even on national events, you have to think: how does this affect our community? How does it affect Sacramento or people who we know? Anytime you can bring on an individual who has some sort of connection to a national story, Nashville or to a country artist, that’s a home run.

TM: And there should be days where we’re doing shows that if you’re not from Sacramento, you don’t get all the jokes and references.

TM: Pat and I come from that old school, local radio way of thinking. And we never really chased other jobs. We had a couple opportunities, but we love this community. We raised our families here and wanted to do the best we could for this city we love.

PS: I’m not speaking ill of the people who do it at our station, because I love them, but I think voice tracking absolutely sucks. It’s not about taking away jobs, although that’s part of it. How are you local? How are you in the moment? It’s so difficult – even recording a best-of show or trying to do a show today for Thursday. You’re not going to be in the moment. It’s just going to be very generic and cookie cutter.

TM: People notice, even though they don’t understand that they notice. It’s subconscious.

PS: You’re not going to hear any other radio show in country music get on the air and talk about when in the hell are they going to finally finish construction on Highway 50? They closed my exit at Cal Expo again today. What does that mean to anybody in Oklahoma or Nashville? It means nothing.

TM: When Reba was huge, Pat and I introduced her onstage dressed as Reba, which was funny in itself. We had big red wigs, makeup and evening gowns. The best part of it was we were standing backstage – which was kind of poorly lit – getting ready to go on after the opening act, Tracy Byrd. While Tracy was doing his last song, his fiddle player was wandering around close to

the side of the stage and saw Pat – this tall redhead in a big evening gown. The guy had a half-smile on his face and started sauntering over while playing his fiddle like, “Hey, baby.” Once he got close enough and saw Pat’s five o’clock shadow, he immediately turned on his heel, went back out on the stage and exited on the other side.

TM: Performers, comedians and actors are lucky because they can get their creative content out there and live off of that for a while. A comedian can do the

same set for a year or two. But any radio host worth their salt has to reinvent the wheel every single day. That’s hard. We could do a break that’s the equivalent of “Live Like You Were Dying” at 7:20 and then like at 7:40 we better come up with a “Don’t Take The Girl.” You know?

PS: It’s like, “Hey, lunch in Paris was great. Where’s dinner?”

TM: Exactly. There’s a pressure that never goes away with this – even after 32 years. Radio people don’t get enough credit for that. It’s like trying to keep a bonfire going with a few wads of paper.

PS: A four or five-year-old Make-A-Wish girl was through her cancer, thank goodness, and finally healthy enough to have her wish granted. She was onstage with us and her family, but instead of Tom and I telling her she was going to Disneyland to meet all the princesses, they had an entourage from the Sacramento Kings. One of the guys who works for the Kings who we love, Scott Freshour, was suppoed to be dressed up as a prince to present this trip. Instead, they had him in a white lab coat. Now here’s this little girl who for two years has seen nothing but pain and tests come from somebody in a lab coat. So he comes up onstage and she immediately starts screaming and crying. This is all live and we’re trying to repair it. We had to explain, “Hey, maybe we picked the wrong outfit, but you’re going to Disneyland!”

TM: To be in this business this long and to handle as many serious stories as you run across, you have to have a good sense of humor.

PS: A couple years ago, we got a video of a young man named Jackson who was probably six at the time. His parents wanted to take him to the Folsom Pro Rodeo , and because he could only see about 60 feet in front of him, she asked if there were any upfront seats available. I have a son with a vision problem, so we started talking. In the video, Jackson is in his car seat with the thickest glasses you’ve ever seen in your life, and he’s not letting that stop him at all. He is jamming out to Luke Combs, singing at the top of his lungs. We put that up on thenTwitter, tagged Luke Combs, and said, “Hey Luke, this is the kind of enthusiasm this young man can bring to your show.” One thing leads to another, Luke gets ahold of us, we get ahold of mom. He ends up meeting Luke Combs at one of his shows. We’ve stayed in touch with that family. We talk to him probably once a week. Connections like that are really what this job is about.

PS: I worked in Rock for 15 years before I got into Country, and there is no format like it. None. Country music people take care of country music people. They care, right? They party harder than the rockers I hung out with. But man, when push comes to shove, they’re there for you.

Fancy That: The duo’s Reba cosplay is a little too good.

Have You Forgotten? Pat looking out at Ground Zero on the one-year commemoration of 9/11.

ROUNDING THE MIDWAY POINT ON ‘24, LABELS SHARE THEIR MUSIC PRIORITIES.

Average Joes

★ Bryan Martin, “We Ride,” at radio. New single “Wishbone” out now. “As Bryan’s debut radio entry breaks into the top 10 just in time for his tour with Morgan Wallen, we’re excited to keep the momentum going with ‘Wishbone.’” –Forrest Latta, President

★ Josh Mirenda, Wind Up, out now. “Making my first album was something I will never forget,” Mirenda says. “It was exciting, terrifying, and it wasn’t easy, but it was more than rewarding and worth it.”

★ Sam Grow, new music coming this year.

Big Loud

★ Ashley Cooke, “Your Place,” currently top five. “Ashley’s break up anthem was embraced by fans and soon after embraced by Country radio in a big way.

‘Your Place’ marks the first solo female top five for Big Loud.” –Stacy Blythe, SVP/Radio Promotion

★ Ernest, Nashville, Tennessee, out now. “More than any performer, Ernest best represents how, in the next decade, the communal spirit driving country music in Nashville will likely redefine popular culture worldwide.” –The Tennessean

★ Hardy, “Six Feet Under (Caleigh’s Song),” out now.

“When we gathered as a team to listen to new Hardy demos a few months ago, ‘Six Feet Under’ stopped all of us in our tracks. Every person in the room had chills, and now as the final track on his forthcoming album, the studio version hits just the same. It’s a special song that encapsulates Hardy’s lyrical genius. We’re excited to release this song in tandem with the Big Loud Rock team from his new album.”

–Candice Watkins, SVP/Marketing

★ Lauren Watkins, The Heartbroken Record, out June 21.

“It’s hard to believe The Heartbroken Record is Lauren’s debut album. The writing sounds like an artist who has many albums under her belt already, yet completely original, unlike anyone else.” –Nicolle Galyon, Songs & Daughters President

★ Lily Rose, Runnin’ Outta Time EP, out now. “Rose has etched her own musical imprint, thanks to perceptive songwriting, a conversational vocal style, and sonic arrangements that meld country and soul-dipped pop.”

–Billboard

★ MacKenzie Porter, Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart, out now. “For a new artist in Nashville, MacKenzie already has six No. 1 global singles under her belt and a catalog nearing one billion streams. She is a multitalented triple threat and a force to be reckoned with. We couldn’t be more excited to have this new body of work out in the world.” –Brianne Deslippe, SVP/ Global Marketing & Strategy

★ Miranda Lambert, “Wranglers,” out now. “Miranda’s first radio single with Big Loud/ Republic is off to an explosive start. Marking the biggest streaming debut of her career, ‘Wranglers’ is climbing the Country charts and is just the beginning of an exciting new era for one of country’s biggest superstars.” –Blythe

★ Stephen Wilson Jr., Son Of Dad, out now. “Son Of Dad is a timeless masterpiece. A rich, deep, soulful body of work. On his debut double album, Stephen Wilson Jr. distills his highly personal experience and aesthetic into a universal cocktail for anyone to encounter and be moved by. Not to miss.” –Nate Yetton, VP/A&R

Big Machine

★ Carly Pearce f/Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” currently top 10 with more than 200 million streams to date, according to the label. Pearce released her latest album, Hummingbird, June 7, and is on the road through the end of June with Tim McGraw. Next single, “Truck On Fire,” coming to radio in July.

★ Tim McGraw, “One Bad Habit,” top 20 and climbing. Tim is currently out west on his Standing Room Only tour, which wraps June 29 in Sacramento.

★ Garth Brooks , “Rodeo Man,” top 20 and climbing. Brooks is performing in Las Vegas at Caesars at his Garth Brooks/Plus One – The Vegas Residency through December.

★ Jackson Dean, coming off his top 10 single, “Fearless,” Dean will release his next single to radio from a new project in July, with an album to follow in Q4.

★ Midland, new album, Barely Blue, produced by Dave Cobb out in September. The band continues to tour.

★ Look for music from Mae Estes, Lecade and Chase McDaniel this year, as well.

Black River

★ Kelsea Ballerini, “Kelsea is in the studio finishing up her next project. Her first single from the album will hit Country radio’s desk early this summer.” –Bill Macky, VP/National Promotion.

★ MaRynn Taylor, new EP, Get To Know Me, is available now and features “Small Town Spinnin’” and “How It’s Gonna Go.” MaRynn is going out on the road supporting Dylan Schneider on his Bad Decisions Tour starting this fall. “I want people to hear my story, and connect it to their story.” –Taylor

★ Scotty Hasting, new EP I’m America is out now. Current single of the same name has already streamed more than one million times, according to the label. On June 6, the combat wounded former Army infantryman will be representing the United States with multiple performances in Normandy, France commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. “Every song on I’m America is my heart and soul being thrown out there for everyone to hear,” he says.

★ Pryor Baird, current single “Mighta Met A Girl” is currently top 30 on the MusicRow chart. Pryor’s Beauty And The Broken is out June 7.

BMG/Nashville

★ Ryan and Rory, “Filling a much needed space in the format, Ryan and Rory introduced themselves with a fresh sound on the party starter ‘Pour Decisions.’ Comprised of double platinum No. 1 hit singer/ songwriter and American Music Award winner Ryan Follesé and multi-instrumentalist, captivating performer and singer/songwriter Rory John Zak, the duo launches their self-titled debut EP July 26.” –JoJamie Hahr, EVP/Recorded Music

Broken Bow

★ Lainey Wilson, “Hang Tight Honey,” out now. “Lainey Wilson keeps reaching new heights with every single and every album. The reigning Entertainer Of The Year kicks off the summer with her headlining Country’s Cool Again Tour and first single from her upcoming album, in a Whirlwind kind of way! She’s quickly climbing the charts toward her eighth No. 1!”

–Lee Adams, VP/Promotion

★ John Morgan featuring Jason Aldean, “Friends Like That,” out now. “With three songwriting hits under his belt, John Morgan’s debut single, ‘Friends Like That’ hit radio April 22 as the most-added song and reached Billboard Breaker within three weeks! It’s streaming 1.5 million weekly, making it No. 7 in consumption per spin! John’s vocals are as strong as his writing, making for a powerful song.”

Big Loud’s Lauren Watkins.

★ Aldean and Dustin Lynch, “As their current singles near the top of the charts, both will have new singles later this year.”

Capitol

★ “Keith Urban is climbing through the top 20 with ‘Messed Up As Me,’ and Luke Bryan’s ‘Love You, Miss You, Mean It’ and Dierks Bentley’s cover of Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl’ are each cruising through the 20s,” says VP/Promo Chris Schuler, who reports “The new Darius Rucker and Jennifer Nettles single, ‘Never Been Over,’ is off to a great start.”

★ Catch Bryan, Bentley and Rucker (with Hootie & The Blowfish) on their headlining tours this summer. In the fall, Jon Pardi, Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton will each head out for their own headline tours, while Carrie Underwood and Urban return to Las Vegas for additional residency dates.

Columbia

★ Dylan Marlowe, “Boys Back Home,” out now. “Clever lyrics delivered through trademark southern twang run on top of modern country hooks and runs, collectively resulting in a party song perfect for a night out on the town.” –Today’s Country Magazine

★ Kameron Marlowe, “Strangers” with Ella Langley impacted May 28. “Langley and Marlowe offer a mighty vocal pairing here, with each vocalist’s octave-jumping talents pushing the other’s to ever-heightened moments of angst.” –Billboard

★ Luke Combs, “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma,” impacted May 20. The first single from the upcoming Twisters: The Album soundtrack was written specifically for the film and is the follow-up to Combs’ 18th No. 1, “Where The Wild Things Are.”

★ Megan Moroney, “I’m Not Pretty,” out now. “Addressing topics like bullying and insecurities, this second single from the young singer-songwriter is quickly evolving into this generation’s confidence anthem, similar to Taylor Swift’s 2014 hit, ‘Shake It Off,’ but with a country getup and a side of southern twang.” –Holler

★ Old Dominion, “Can’t Break Up Now,” out now. “This [CMA Awards] performance elevated the track’s emotionally charged narrative ... depicting the struggles of two people debating ... whether or not it’s easier to stay in the relationship instead of calling it quits ...” –Country Now

★ Mitchell Tenpenny, “Not Today.” “Co-written with Chris DeStefano, Michael Whitworth and Claire Douglas, ‘Not Today’ marks a poignant departure from Tenpenny’s previous works, offering a refreshing blend of introspection and resilience.” –Entertainment Focus Curb

★ Dylan Scott, “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” out now. “Summer’s heating up with Dylan’s current single

climbing the chart, along with his collab with Dylan Marlowe, ‘Boys Back Home.’ We’ve also got another track from his deluxe package blowing up at the DSPs. Dylan’s on fire! Look for him on the road with Cole Swindell this summer and more new music dropping as well!” –RJ Meacham, SVP/Promo

★ Lee Brice, “Drinkin’ Buddies” w/ Nate Smith and Hailey Whitters, out now. “This is the perfect up-tempo, throw down party song for the summer and set the bar as Lee’s biggest add day ever and – at the time of release – was the biggest impact day of 2024! Full studio album coming later this year.”

★ Kelsey Hart, “Life With You,” out now. “After taking off virally on TikTok (287 million views so far), ‘Life With You’ is now flexing its muscle at radio, proving itself as both a viral and streaming hit, but also a terrestrial-radioresearching hit. His full project, Life With You, dropped May 31 and really shows off his songwriting prowess.”

EMI Nashville

★ Brothers Osborne, “Break Mine.” “Great start and growing every week from your reigning CMA Duo of the Year.” –Jimmy Rector, VP/Promo

★ Kylie Morgan, “Two Night Stands.” “How many people do you know that have lived these lyrics? With a quickly growing live reputation and unique sound, Kylie is making waves!”

★ Anne Wilson, “Songs About Whiskey.” “Screaming tempo with a tongue-in-cheek twist on a great country theme. Give your listeners a shot of this!”

★ Tyler Hubbard, “Park.” “This smoking follow-up to Tyler’s third consecutive No. 1 could very easily be the song of the summer.”

★ Tucker Wetmore, “The phenomenal streaming numbers are about to be matched by phenomenal airplay! We’re excited to bring you Tucker’s music.”

Forge Entertainment

★ Lucas Hoge, new album on the way with a first single released in Q2. “When A Cowboy Prays” will feature

Forrie J. Smith, known for his role as Lloyd in Yellowstone Also, the American Country Network is adding Hoge Wild to their lineup, while the second annual Belize Songwriter Festival, created by Hoge, is about to begin.

Galaxy Label Group

★ LoCash, “Hometown Home,” out now.

Grassroots Promotion

★ Jet Jurgensmeyer, “Good Days,” out now: “The fourth single from his upcoming album, garnering more than one million streams.” –RJ Jordan, Dir./Promotion

★ Ken Domash, “Imagining,” out now: “Ken’s third single from his recently released album, Welcome To My Rodeo, captures the fun and love of summer and is just as hot!” –Nancy Tunick and Theresa Johnston-Chance, Co-Owners/Managing Partners

★ Ryan Jewel, “Owe It All To You,” out now: “The follow-up to his debut radio charting single, ‘Same Bar, Different Town.’ A Virginia favorite, Ryan has opened for artists including Marty Stuart, Blake Shelton and John Anderson, while being nominated as the Shenandoah Valley’s No. 1 entertainer the last six years in a row.” –Dan Hagar, MusicRow Promotion Manager

★ Aaron Goodvin, “Written All Over It,” out now. “Aaron’s second single from his upcoming EP has hit ‘Written All Over It.’ The hooky lyric and summer tempo are driving playlists across the U.S. and Canada as he tours both” –Tunick

Leo33

★ Zach Top, “Sounds Like The Radio,” out now. “Zach Top is our best testing new artist and one of our top testing songs overall. He’s a bright new star who’s fun to watch.” –Brent Michaels, PD/KUZZ Bakersfield

★ Jenna Paulette, “May be this generation’s most devoted cowgirl in country music.” – CMT.com

Lyric Ridge

★ Drew Baldridge, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” out now. Baldridge created his own record label, hired his own promo team and went directly to radio on his own. “I always knew this song was special, and for radio to believe like they have truly means the world to me.” –Baldridge

Magnolia

★ Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” out now.

“Shaboozey’s album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going , follows the single [that is] taking the world by storm. ‘Oh my. Good Lord.’” – Heather Vassar , Empire SVP/Operations

★ Randy Houser, “Country Back,” out now. The latest from the multi-platinum, Billboard -lauded “goldenvoiced Mississippi native” serves as the first taste of more new music on the way.

Mercury

★ “Fresh off of a smoking hot collaboration on the ACMs with Dua Lipa, Chris Stapleton’s ‘I Think I’m In Love With You’ grooves into the heat of summer while warming up the airwaves.” –Damon Moberly, SVP/National Promo

★ “Josh Ross’ ‘Single Again’ brings tempo and a big hook to the air all summer long.”

★ Priscilla Block, “Good On You,” out now.

★ Dalton Dover, “Tips his hat to a throwback sound and pays homage to his favorite watering spot” on “Bury Me In This Bar.”

★ Maddie & Tae have been writing and recording, and Moberly promises they have a “summertime banger” on the way.

MCA

★ Parker McCollum, Sam Hunt and Jordan Davis all started 2024 with a bang: Parker with his fourth No. 1, Sam his 10th and Davis his seventh. All three will have new music this summer. Kassi Ashton charted one week after add date with her breakthrough song, ‘Called Crazy,’ and we plan to continue that momentum!” – Miranda McDonald , VP

Monument

★ Tigirlily Gold, Blonde album, July 26. “Fresh off their ACM New Group/Duo win, ‘I Tried A Ring On’ is climbing the charts, setting up for the release of their debut album, Blonde.” –Luke Jensen, VP/Promotion

★ Shelby Lynne, commemorated the 25th anniversary of I Am Shelby Lynne this year, and the Grammy-winner is releasing Consequences of the Crown Aug. 16. Singles “Over and Over” and “But I Ain’t” are out now. Lynne produced the album in collaboration with Karen Fairchild, Ashley Monroe and Gena Johnson.

★ Walker Hayes, Sober Thoughts EP, out now. Garnering features on Today, CBS Mornings, Rolling Stone and more – and with new partnerships alongside Athletic Brewing and JCPenney – Hayes’ latest project is supported by his headlining 30-city summer Same Drunk Tour

★ New music coming soon from Brandon Ratcliff and Alex Hall

Empire/Magnolia’s Shaboozey

Nashville Harbor Records’ Noah Hicks

Nashville Harbor (formerly BMLGR)

★ Riley Green, “Damn Good Day To Leave,” out now. “The current single is just taking off, but the growth we are seeing in Riley’s total audience, ticket sales, etc. have us all excited for even more new music in the back half of the year.” –Ryan Dokke, VP/Promotion & Marketing

★ Chris Janson, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get,” out now. “I love this song and love the idea behind it, which is just always remain who you are, anchor in and be your real self.” – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

★ Brett Young, “Dance With You,” out now. “Callout research and the active streaming growth have really helped drive ‘Dance With You’ at Country radio…this song is a hit with country music fans.” –Dokke

★ “Get ready to meet some of the incredible new talent from Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment in the second half of 2024, including Greylan James, Shaylen and Noah Hicks!”

Quartz Hill

★ Joe Nichols, new LP coming in Q4. “Joe has been in the studio recording some of his best music yet. We are excited to get it out later this year!” –Will Robinson, VP/Promotion & Marketing

★ Nate Barnes, “Love In The Country,” out in June; LP coming in Q3. “The first cut from Nate’s album grabs you and makes you want to crank up this fun summertime anthem.”

★ Runaway June, new music coming soon. “The revamped trio continue to gel with an amazing synergy in their writing and exciting new music that will be released throughout the summer.”

RCA

★ Chris Young, “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” out now. “Chris Young, a mainstream Southern guy whose persona is not built on rebellion, interpolated the song [‘Rebel, Rebel’] in his own ‘Young Love & Saturday Nights’– and somehow, Bowie’s edgy rock riff works within the centrist country sound.” –Billboard

★ Restless Road, “Last Rodeo,” out now. “ … serves as a resilient anthem, displaying Restless Road’s bold attitude and emotional depth. The bombastic chorus, coupled with the defiant lyrics, makes it a standout postrelationship song, showcasing the band’s unapologetic spirit.” –Entertainment Focus

★ Nate Smith, “Bulletproof,” out now. “The chorus employs big, snarling guitars beneath a catchy melody, and it helps define expectations as Smith moves forward in his career.” –Billboard

★ Corey Kent, “This Heart,” out now. “A pulsating rhythm track amps up the energy, and sizzling electric guitars infuse the mood.” –MusicRow

★ Kane Brown and Marshmello, “Miles On It,” out now. “The track became the No. 1 most-added song on both Country and Pop radio simultaneously, making Brown and Marshmello the first male artists to achieve this feat. They join the ranks of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé for this career milestone.”–MusicRow

Records Nashville

★ George Birge, “Cowboy Songs” continues to climb on the heels of the EP release of the same name. The label reports Birge is writing and recording for his next project while this song and project continue to grow.

★ Matt Stell, Fresh off the release of his Born Lonely album, “Breakin’ In Boots” remains the priority track for the summer.

★ Erin Kinsey has her latest EP scheduled for July; details soon.

★ Dax’s EP is scheduled for September after spending time in Nashville and writing with Nashville songwriters.

★ Cole Phillips, an Oklahoma native, will have his first full project with the label out August 2.

Red Street

★ Chris Lane, coming off his Find Another Bar spring tour, has been working on the follow up to From Where

Records Nashville’s Erin Kinsey

I’m Sippin’. “Find Another Bar” continues as a radio priority with new music coming this summer.

★ Neon Union, “Made In Mexico,” out June 21. Just celebrated their first ACM nomination.

★ Ryan Larkins, “Fans continue to discover Ryan as an artist through his current single, ‘King Of Country Music,’ as the music industry discovers him as an ACMnominated songwriter through ‘The Painter.’ Larkins is releasing more new music this summer!” –Andy Elliot SVP/Country Promo

★ Ryan Griffin, coming off “Salt, Lime & Tequila,” has been busy writing and recording new music. Look for Griffin’s next releases to hit late summer/early fall.

Reviver

★ Brooke Moriber, brought the Nashville songwriter round to New York’s Bitter End with her show Nashville in New York. Moriber is currently in the studio with producer Sol Philcox Littlefield working on her next fulllength album, dropping Q2.

★ Randall Fowler, co-writer of the new Bailey Zimmerman/Megan Moroney single, as well as his own new songs.

★ Ian Flanigan, The Man My Mama Raised album dropping Q4. Following his label debut, Strong, Ian cowrote nine of the 11 tracks on the Jon Stone-produced collection.

Riser House

★ Meghan Patrick and Lanco, new music imminent. “All the Riser House acts are on the road, and in the studio this summer. Look for a Meghan Patrick single soon, and a new release from Lanco before year’s end. Plus, a 2025 teaser: New music from Dillon Carmichael ... and here comes Lakeview!” –Jeff Davis, VP/Promo

River House

★ Ryan Charles, “What In Tarnation,” June 21, with new album coming Oct. 25. “Our country rapper from Wyoming is back with the follow-up to his April 19 release, ‘Heartbreak Rodeo.’ On tour with Breland this summer; full album coming in the fall. This will be the most fun country song you’ve heard in a while!” –Lance Houston, VP/Promo & Artist Development

★ Hays, “Gone By Sunrise,” July 5. A recent signing who continues to build on his first release (March 15, “Lettin’ Go”) with a “spicy twist on how to be with someone you love, who doesn’t exactly love you back.”

★ Old Hickory, new single July 19, EP Oct. 11. “Our trio of songwriters, Andy Austin, Timothy Baker and Dan Allen, with rich triple harmonies that have a timeless, natural sound are gearing up for [these releases].”

★ Trey Lewis, new EP, Aug. 30. Currently in the studio. Building on his first full-length album, Troublemaker, the EP is set to “captivate fans with his raw, honest delivery and signature wit.”

★ Reid Haughton, Deluxe Album, Sept. 27. His nine-track album of country/rock infusion was released in May, and “we’ll unveil several new songs and maybe a surprising cover.” Reid has been touring with Whiskey Myers, 49 Winchester and Lukas Nelson.

★ Hudson Westbrook, new EP, Oct. 4. “Our newest signee from Texas started with 3.6 million-plus on-demand streams in the first three weeks with his inaugural release, ‘Take It Slow.’ His follow-up single is at Texas radio now, ‘Two Way Drive.’ This is just the beginning!”

★ River House Christmas Album, Nov. 29. “Following the success of our six-song It’s A God Thing Easter EP last year, River House is set to release our next collaborative collection of songs in the Christian music space on Black Friday.”

Stone Country

★ Annie Bosko, “Heartburn” featuring Dwight Yoakam, May. “Annie’s amazing vocal ability will be highlighted with some star-studded collaborations that will be released all summer.” –Will Robinson, VP/Promotion & Marketing

★ Ben Gallaher, “Cuts Like A Knife,” June. “Ben’s extraordinary guitar playing is paired with his distinctive voice to reimagine and resurrect this timeless classic.”

★ Dusty Black, “Dust Me Off,” June. “We are excited to introduce the newest member of the Stone Country family this summer with a sound that will jump out of your speakers!”

Stoney Creek

★ Jelly Roll, CMA New Artist of The Year winner launches his Beautifully Broken Tour this August. He debuted two new singles on television: one on the ACM Awards and the second on the finale for The Voice. “All of this will lead up to the fall tour and a new album to complement the tour.” –Adrian Michaels, VP/ Innovation, Radio & Streaming

★ Parmalee, “The most played band of the year in both Billboard and Country Aircheck will continue to march on with their mission to make ‘Gonna Love You’ their fourth consecutive No. 1 single, before releasing new music later in the year.”

★ Drake Milligan, America’s Got Talent finalist, is on tour

Stone Country Records’ Annie Bosko

with Cody Johnson. Immediately following the tour, Stoney Creek will target airplay from several stations that want to champion single “I Got A Problem.”

Triple Tigers

★ “Scotty McCreery elevates his game with his latest album, Rise and Fall. Fresh off his Grand Ole Opry induction, his new single. ‘Fall of Summer,’ will take us through the seasons at Country radio.” –Raffaella Braun, VP/National Promo

★ Russell Dickerson is “working on some incredible new music!” “Good Day To Have A Great Day,” touring with Sam Hunt and a Dr. Pepper campaign are the latest highlights. A single from a new project will go to radio soon.

★ Jordan Fletcher “continues to write, both for himself and other artists, and we have a new EP coming soon.”

Valory

★ Thomas Rhett, new single “Beautiful As You,” and will be releasing more new music all summer leading up to the Aug. 23 release of new album, About A Woman “TR continues to raise the bar with his incredible music.”

–Chris Palmer, VP/Promotion & Marketing

★ Conner Smith continues to climb the chart with “Roulette On The Heart,” a duet with Hailey Whitters that follows back-to-back gold singles. “One of the most talked about artists of the last year,” his third headlining trek, the Storyteller Tour, crosses the US and Canada this fall.

★ Justin Moore penned his new single, “This Is My Dirt,” the follow-up to five consecutive No. 1s. “The song deals with the decisions real farmers have to make every day as urban sprawl continues to push further into the outskirts.” Moore’s new studio album will be coming out this fall.

★ “Valory is honored to be working a single from Dierks Bentley! Dierks puts his own spin and bluegrass touch on ‘American Girl,’ the first single from the upcoming Big Machine album Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration Of Tom Petty. The much talked about tribute features contributions from Dolly Parton, George Strait, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Thomas Rhett and other superstars!”

★ Brantley Gilbert, new duet with Ashley Cooke “Over When We’re Sober,” which tells the story of “a couple blurring the lines between together and broken up after the drinks flow.”

★ Newcomer Mackenzie Carpenter has released a “smoking new track, ‘Sound Of A Heartbreak.’” The label will be introducing Carpenter to radio this summer.

WAR

★ Chase Matthew, “Love You Again,” out now. “[Matthew’s] major label debut has propelled him to earn more than one billion global career streams and counting. Look for Chase on summer tours this year, including Jason Aldean’s, Luke Bryan’s and his own sold-out headlining dates.” –Michael Chase, National Dir./Radio

★ Dan + Shay, “Bigger Houses,” out now. “If there is one message for people to hear from [our album Bigger Houses], it’s this song,” says Shay Mooney. The duo recently earned their 10th No. 1 with “Save Me The Trouble.”

★ Gabby Barrett, “Dance Like No One’s Watching,” out now. Featuring background vocals from co-writer, Luke Combs, “Dance Like No One’s Watching” sent fans “into a frenzy earlier this year,” according to Country Now, which also praised the way her “powerhouse vocals draw listeners in from the moment [it] begins.”

★ Randall King, new music soon. “Randall has built an incredible touring base playing hundreds of shows a year. Fans show up to see him at iconic honky tonks all over America and they are ready to hear his music on Country radio.” –Chase

★ Zac Brown Band, “Tie Up,” out now. “This loping, easy-going groove welcomes us to summer fun. Get on the water, pop a top when you dock the boat and relax in the sunshine.” –MusicRow

★ Austin Snell, “Pray All The Way Home,” out now. “Austin Snell is the first artist from Warner Music Nashville’s partnership with River House Artists and showcases his truly authentic style on ‘Pray All The Way Home.’ He’s touring with Jason Aldean this summer and will release his major label debut album, Still Bleeding, June 28.” –Chase

WEA

★ Bailey Zimmerman, “Holy Smokes,” out now. “This moody, reminiscing ballad mixes romance and religious overtones, depicting nights of rebellion and young love in a church parking lot. Zimmerman excels at these kind of lost-love vignettes…[featuring] stately piano, driving percussion and a cathartic, country-rock chorus.” –Billboard

★ Kenny Chesney, “Just to Say We Did,” July 15. “Kenny Chesney’s new single follows the recent rise of “Take Her Home” becoming his 36th No. 1. Kenny is currently keeping the summer energy high on his Sun Goes Down Tour, which will close with three nights at Gillette Stadium.” –Stephanie Hagerty, National Dir./Radio

★ Tyler Braden, “Devil You Know,” out now. “Streaming like a top 15 record, and adding more than 100K new followers monthly. He’s selling out headlining dates and will open on Dierks

Bentley’s Gravel & Gold Tour this summer, cementing his rising star status.”

★ Warren Zeiders, new music soon. “The artist behind the hit ‘Pretty Little Poison,’ which spent 11 weeks in the Billboard Top 10 after peaking at No. 1, is releasing a new single this summer. After selling out his 50date headlining Pretty Little Poison tour, he’s joining Jelly Roll’s The Beautifully Broken Tour this fall with captivating new music.”

Wheelhouse

★ Chayce Beckham, “Fresh off his debut No. 1 single, ‘23,’ which has been streamed over 320 million times in the U.S. alone, his new single, ‘Everything I Need,’ is showing similar promise. This will be Chayce’s biggest touring year yet. Catch him soon with Luke Bryan, Parker McCollum and on his own headlining tour.”

–Ken Tucker, VP/Promotion

★ HunterGirl, “debut EP, Tennessee Girl, is due June 7 and will include the rebelling burner, ‘Bad Boy,’ as well as her much-lauded debut single, ‘Ain’t About You.’ The Tennessee native and American Idol alum will tour with Luke Bryan this summer.”

★ Dylan Schneider, “separating himself from the pack with his songwriting (Dustin Lynch’s ‘Momma’s House’) and his amazing social media presence (more than 1.8 million followers), he will release his debut album this fall while touring with Kane Brown and headlining his own dates.”

★ Blanco Brown, “The owner of over two billion streams on ‘The Git Up,’ Blanco Brown has plenty more where that came from with his new EP, Cedar Walls & Whiskey. The Grammy-nominated pioneer continues his genre-bending ways with ‘Bad Man’ and the Diane Warren-penned ‘Snapshot.’”

WMN

★ Ashley McBryde, “The Devil I Know,” out now. “McBryde still hasn’t lost her edge, showing off the country-rock chops that, if this industry were fair, would lead her to play this song in arenas just like fellow mavericks Chris Stapleton and Eric Church.” –Vulture

★ Cody Johnson, “Dirt Cheap,” out now. “A masterful country performance on every level. The tug-at-yourheartstrings lyric is powerful enough, but Johnson’s delivery kicks it into another realm. A superstar at work.” – MusicRow

★ Cole Swindell, “Forever To Me,” out now, is the lead single from Swindell’s highly anticipated fifth studio album due this summer. The release came just weeks ahead of Swindell’s Win The Night tour, which will take the Georgia native across the country all summer.” – Andy Flick , National Dir./Radio

★ Dasha, “Austin,” out now. Called “one of the signature country songs of the year” by The New York Times, “Austin” is the “ultra viral” debut single from Dasha, who is “rapidly climbing” Billboard’s Emerging Artist chart.

Warner Music Nashville

★ Randy Travis, “Where That Came From,” out now. “The only thing more remarkable than Randy’s first new music in more than a decade is the response from fans, artists and the music industry alike. It only took one song to remind us all how much we missed the unmistakable voice of Randy Travis and how beloved he is to this format. What an honor to be part of something so beautiful.” –Kristen Williams, SVP/Radio & Commercial Partnerships CAC

River House/ WAR’s Austin Snell

Back Blocks/EMI Nashville’s Tucker Wetmore

KERRI EDWARDS

THE INTERVIEW Focused On Presence

From stuffing radio mailers – “in those days they all had a gadget with them” – to A&R, publishing and helping build the career of Luke Bryan, Kerri Edwards has been relentless in her desire to understand the country music business from all aspects. Now overseeing her KP Entertainment team and its stable of artists, she’s still determined to be in the room and among the people.

CA: Summer has to be the thick of it for a manager. How busy are you right now?

KE: Several artists have been out. Chayce Beckham has been doing clubs. Dylan Scott’s been out a minute, and Cole Swindell kicked off last month. He’s actually taking Dylan as support. That works out lovely for our staff. We can visit two artists at once. Luke Bryan goes out in the middle of June; Chayce is on some of that tour. Jon Langston’s been doing club stuff all year. Luke has also done some one-offs and private dates, as well as festivals. And we just wrapped season seven of American Idol Hard to believe it’s been that long.

No kidding. He does really enjoy it, and sees it as another outlet and way of trying to help another generation grow in the industry. Those three judges and Ryan Seacrest have been together the whole time and the teams are like family now. With Katy Perry leaving, we’re waiting to see who’s coming in [to] decide if we stay or not.

I’ve heard he flies home after every show.

There’s a difference in the way The Voice films versus how Idol films. When Idol is in auditions, we move cities and are usually there two or three days. Once live shows start, we’re in L.A. and filming every weekend, but we’re not doing multiple shows a day. The Voice does many shows over a two-week period. We recently ran into Dan + Shay on our way out of L.A. and they were loading in for 18 days. We’ve done that a few times for Hollywood Week, but for the most part we’re doing one or two a week so it just makes more sense to go home. We all have jobs and families. Luke has farms to keep up with.

How important is presence to you in terms of being a manager? How much do you think about that?

A lot, but I think about it that way because I really like doing it and I’ve learned from it. There’s an aspect of understanding what each client is doing in a given moment. You’re also networking and communicating in different spaces. I go to a lot of live shows – almost every weekend. Everyone manages different, but it helps me understand the bigger brand, too. Taking time with each client, having space to brainstorm or make suggestions – it’s part of the creative piece for me personally. Most of them let me dive in and be part of that, and I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of managing.

Doing the budgets, working with vendors, making deals and reviewing contracts are important, and production managers are obviously very involved. But if I didn’t have a stake in it on the ground, I don’t know if I could fully understand what’s really going on. Watching an artist change people’s lives for a couple of hours – it’s hard to get tired of that.

Having come up through A&R and publishing, did learning about the care and feeding of songwriters prepare you for the care and feeding of artists? It did, but other experiences did too. I worked for a TV production company for one year and knew it wasn’t the place for me. But I look back now and realize how much what I learned there helped with Idol Back to A&R, I also had a side job with [producer] Mark Bright. He had BlackHawk and Rascal Flatts at the time, and I was doing budgets, spending evenings in the studio and meeting the musicians. Now, when my artists are cutting, I can’t get to the studio fast enough. To watch how those guys and girls come in, hear a song once and go – it’s still mind blowing. Now I have to approve recording budgets with the label, and all these pieces of my career point back to management.

Learning under Tim DuBois and Mike Dungan at Arista, seeing how they nurtured that community and understanding the importance of songs – it’s the nucleus of everything we do, period. There was nothing like having Darrell Scott, Tom Douglas and Matraca Berg dropping off CDs, cassettes and even some DATs. Watching that process and being in awe of that talent – I was very fortunate. I interned in radio promotions, but got placed in A&R after pleading for a job. I didn’t really know what I was getting into, but once I became a part of that community I didn’t ever want to leave.

When Arista, RCA and Sony merged, I went to work in publishing for Desmond Child. Two or three years later I got hired at another independent publishing company, working for Roger Murrah. That’s where I met Luke. Some of my dearest friends came out of that. But my A&R thing kicked back in because Luke wanted to be an artist. I watched him do shows and was like, “Yeah, there’s something there.” Roger gave me permission to figure it out. But it wasn’t an immediate thing. We couldn’t get anybody to say yes for a while, but we did not give up. We were having fun and just kept pushing ourselves. All that timing was for a reason.

Are the expectations regarding what managers do for an artist growing? I think so. Social media has been a huge part of it. During Covid, even though we weren’t touring, the other pieces weren’t stopping. More was put on my staff to keep content going. Talk about running a production company – we were losing our minds. Everybody was trying to stay in business, but so much of it pointed back to the management companies to get it all done and deliver. The artists couldn’t be around the labels, which are corporate-based and very strict. Some of that has shifted back, but once you do something, it’s funny how it kind of sticks there. I also think that if things aren’t changing, are they even working anymore? At the end of the day, you’ve just got to get the job done. There are times I feel bad for the artists because so much is being asked of them to keep up with the tempo of the business. “Yes, you put out a song two weeks ago. Where’s the next one?” We demand that instant fix.

What’s the tipping point between creative time, staying relevant and over-exposure?

There’s no answer for that – it’s about the individual artist. Even having only one – which I did

“I will protect my artists all day long, but if you’re not looking at both sides, you’re missing something.“

THE INTERVIEW

for a long time because I was hanging on for dear life as it was – you have to learn one rule is not the only rule. Creative personalities are all so different in how they want to approach it. Our job is to encourage and provide ways to do those things that aren’t out-of-brand for them. But it’s tough because you see things working for an artist on one platform and then everyone rushes to try the same thing. Everything is not a fit for every artist. Some things don’t translate and it sucks learning that the hard way. Ultimately, the artist has to lead. If they don’t, it definitely won’t work. If they lead, are open to and drive ideas, and champion songs, everybody else gets on board instinctively.

Has the advent of streaming changed the artist’s life from what it used to be? Are relationships less important than, say, knowing how to utilize platforms in a technological way?

I don’t think so. Relationships are how I’ve tried to build this company. I’m still a believer in our community helping, supporting and lifting each other up. When did No. 1 parties become annoying to people? Yes, things have evolved. Projects are framed differently. But I don’t want to lose sight of the people. I encourage that and will say to some of my younger artists, “We’re going to go do this because you need to be in front of people. You need to meet somebody.” It’s generational in a way, and maybe normal, but there’s still something about even just touching the back of the jacket. You feel something in that experience of being in-person with someone.

Is it harder with younger generations? Too much screen focus?

There’s definitely a new way of taking it all in, and that’s not wrong either. I guess it’s about embracing both worlds. We have a lot of relationships with radio, and I still think that’s important in our genre. A lot of our middle America audience relies on that. DSPs are also important; being around those people is no different. The community as a whole – showing up for an ASCAP event or ACMs or whatever – those things make the whole better. Relationships are how I got here, and I will always push for that.

Analytics have become such a big part of the business. Has that changed your thoughts on signing and breaking artists?

We look at it. I have a couple people who send me what they’re seeing on the new artist front. I’m not out obsessively seeking that, but I also don’t want to miss out on something that’s exciting or moving me or my team. Chayce was the last artist I signed and that came out of Idol, which I’m obviously on set for, even though we don’t interact with the contestants much. But I was super intrigued the whole season. Most of the artists are on that show so early ... but someone like Gabby Barrett – you felt like a star was standing there. With Chayce, there was something about his delivery; his artistry felt different from who I already had signed, which is important.

Aspiring artists who were also songwriters could once support themselves by getting cuts on other albums. In the streaming world, that doesn’t work without radio airplay. So how do young artists get the runway, financially, to build a career?

Touring revenue, and then trying to keep the operation as lean and mean as you can. But the last three years, touring vendors and expenses have increased to a shocking extent. Venue and promoter deals didn’t change much – they probably got more conservative – but costs have grown across the board. But you have to find a way to get out in front of an audience quick so you can sustain yourself. At the same time, there’s a lot of traffic. You have to find your lane, which, as always, goes back to the song.

You touched on it earlier, but with so much focus on digital platforms, what does linear broadcasting bring, whether that’s television or radio?

The core listener to our genre. Still, and very much. I don’t necessarily think my kids are getting in the car and turning on the local radio station every day. But the middle aged demo still is. Chayce’s song was out for almost two years before the label took it to radio. It was consistently streaming around two million weekly. When we got to radio it started doing eight million, which showed there was an audience that hadn’t heard it, even though it had been playlisted and had plenty of streaming love.

How did Luke’s Crash My Playa get started?

We had a company doing our touring VIP package and pitched the idea of a destination. I thought it was intriguing, and 2025 will be our 10-year anniversary, although we missed 2021, of course. Comparing and contrasting, my team is definitely involved, but the partner helps a lot. Artists are generally not touring yet and it’s in Mexico – beautiful and fun and I don’t think we’ve had an artist yet who didn’t want to do it again. Very easy. Turnkey. Then there’s the Farm Tour, which our management staff handles completely. Our site coordinator Dennis Freeman has probably done all of them, but it’s everything. We scout farms – true farms. There’s no power. There’s no concrete. There’s no fencing. The legal paperwork alone is exhausting. But we roll in and have the stage up for soundcheck by 2pm. I can’t give our touring team enough praise for that. We’ve been able to do so many scholarships – speaking of middle America – for farming families. Plus the Feeding America tie-in. There’s something about those shows and the energy of people in towns who would never get that kind of show otherwise. Super proud of that tour and the team for the heavy lift since 2005. We have a story this issue about the ongoing proliferation of female managers. Do you have a sense that you helped break a ceiling?

There were a few when I was starting. But very few. I remember Marion Kraft [Miranda Lambert’s manager] picked up my calls when she didn’t have to. I’ve never thought about it as breaking a ceiling. People were

probably like, who is this new artist and this new manager? But truthfully, I was shopping for a manager [for Bryan]. After five or six years of building it, I wasn’t trying to be a manager; I was not confident. Some of it I was. I helped him with touring in clubs and smaller stuff like that. But I’d never built a tour or talked to radio. I called [then Capitol CEO Mike] Dungan, and if he had told me managing was a bad idea, I wouldn’t have done it. But I believed so much in Luke’s potential and wouldn’t have wanted to hold that up. The thought of not being part of it was what I couldn’t shake.

Do you a remember a moment where the confidence started to kick in?

Well, I didn’t have confidence, but I didn’t get hung up on that either. I didn’t play crazy mind games with myself. You’re walking into rooms like CMA and ACM boards, or getting calls from networks, and you just go with it. When Luke’s second single didn’t do well, that’s when I knew I had to figure out radio. With “All My Friends Say,” I was relying on others to tell me what radio was saying. But I was the person Luke was calling to get answers about “We Rode In Trucks,” so I had to know. And that’s another reason why I started going to so many shows – to be in front of those people in their own world. That helped me build those relationships. Today, if I am being told something I’m not clear on, I can call a [format captain] and get an explanation. When I hit that point, it took a lot of weight off. Same with DSPs ... I’m doing it in that world, too. That’s how I choose to do life. We can all just be about ourselves, or we can figure out what makes the business work – what the other pieces need – and still come out feeling good. I’ve never wanted to be onesided in my approach. Now, I will protect my artists all day long, but if you’re not looking at both sides, you’re missing something.

How did music hook you to the point you wanted it to be your profession?

We didn’t get tons of shows in Charleston, WV, where I grew up, but we got some and I’d go if I could. I didn’t know you can do that for a job. But at a festival in town I started talking to someone who was there with one of the artists – Lee Roy Parnell. She asked what I do, which was interning for a TV station – I thought I’d go into that. We talked for probably 45 minutes and eventually she said, “If you want to get into music, let me know.” I didn’t know what that meant. Truly. But I called and she set me up with an internship at Arista Records. By day two, I was so taken aback at listening to what was happening in that building – I couldn’t believe it. This was Arista/ Nashville. The golden years. I had my required hours every week, but if I wasn’t at my little part-time job, in class or sleeping, I was in the building asking what I could do next. The leadership in that place – great human beings who made it fun and inclusive. I asked for another internship. And another. To the point they had to tell me they couldn’t give me any more, so I begged for a job. It all started with stuffing mailers to radio stations.