Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs of Texas Kerry Douglas

2023 TRAILBLAZER

Kerry Douglas has quite the list of accolades from his 25+ years of experience working in the music industry. Artists signed with his label, Blacksmoke Music Worldwide, have gone on to win awards, top Billboard and Media base charts across multiple genres, and make a name for themselves on the big and small screens. Douglas’ business savvy has earned him numerous accolades and honors including an induction into the Stellar Awards Hall of Fame.

…And to think it all started at a car dealership in Houston, Texas.

“I worked as a car salesman decades ago, but I always knew I wanted to do something else,” Douglas said. “I’d bring musicians who came to Houston to my dealership and we’d have mini concerts right there on the lot, and I’d sell their records out the trunk of my car.”

That’s when the former salesman learned he had quite the knack for selling new musicians and their work to gospel music lovers all over the city. And then, he thought – Why not expand?

“We started off as Kerry Douglas Productions back in the day,” he detailed. “It feels like just yesterday, to be honest. We’re very blessed to have grown so much and to have helped so many people succeed.”

Today Douglas leads a plethora of companies including the number one radio promotions company in the nation, Kerry Douglas Radio Promotions, Blacksmoke Music Worldwide, home of chart topping artists Pastor Mike, Jr and Zacardi Cortez, the Believe It Network which provides content on demand, Hip Hop Bobbly, landmark minority created children's programming, Gospel Mix Radio and Credit Biz

Now the label head is harnessing the power of social media and digital marketing to continue promoting musicians and their work to the next generation of gospel music lovers. His weekly “In the Spotlight with Kerry Douglas” on YouTube and Facebook Live gives new artists a chance to share their music with people who appreciate it most and want to hear more.

“The framework for music marketing has changed,” Douglas explained. “We’ve been building and promoting new artists and their brands for decades, and we’re not going to stop any time soon. This is just another way we can make what’s out there, like social media, work for us. It’s also about connecting fortune 500 companies with the faith-based community through strategic partnerships.”

With multiple Stellar awards, BMI and ASCAP awards and a commendation from the US House of Representatives, Kerry Douglas shows no signs of slowing down. The rest of the story is being written and we eagerly await the next chapter to unfold.