Industry Ink (6/10/14)

Black River Entertainment has added Steve Pleshe as Director West Coast Promotion for the label.
Pleshe’s career in music began as an on-air personality, followed by time as a music director and ultimately program director for CBS Radio/KISS Country. He later worked as Show Producer at Premiere Radio Networks. In 2007, Pleshe moved into the label side of the industry, holding West Coast promotion positions with RCA Records and Streamsound Records.
He will begin with Black River on June 23 and will be located in Fresno, Calif. He can be reached at steve@blackriverent.com or at 599-307-8148.

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Bela Fleck will deliver the keynote address during the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass 2014 event, which will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 4 in Raleigh, N.C.
“We are thrilled to announce Bela Fleck as the 2014 keynote speaker for IBMA’s Business Conference,” IBMA Executive Director Nancy Cardwell said. “Bela was the first recipient of IBMA’s Banjo Player of the Year award in 1990, and he’s universally recognized as being one of the most gifted musicians in any genre of music. We look forward to hearing Bela’s thoughts about the power of bluegrass music and what this art form and community has to offer the world.”

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Mandy West has been appointed VP, Operations at Big Sky Media Nashville, and over its related artist service companies, including Way Out West Records, Clif Doyal Agency, CDA Publicity, CDA Booking and Parrot Picks Publishing Group.
In her new role, West will oversee radio consulting and strategies, marketing, publicity, publishing and social media for Big Sky Media Nashville’s various divisions which include independent record label, artist management, booking and publicity. The various companies’ current roster of clients include LiveWire, Shawna Russell, the Oilpatch Festival, Cowboy Troy (non-exclusive booking), Andy Eutsler, Danny Bell, as well as Internet and terrestrial radio stations RDROK.COM and 1600 KUSH-AM.
West can be reached at 615-226-3355 or at mandy.bigskymedia@gmail.com.

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Buzz Cason will be honored during the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Poets and Prophets series on Saturday, July 5 at 1:30 p.m. The interview and performance, which will be held in the Museum’s Ford Theater, corresponds with the 10th anniversary of the museum’s two-disc compilation Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm and Blues, 1945-1970, a set that highlights Nashville’s rich R&B scene.
Hosted by Museum Editor Michael Gray, the 90-minute program will include recordings, photos and film clips from the museum’s Frist Library and archive.
Poets and Prophets is included with museum admission and is free to museum members, although seating is limited and passes are required for admittance. The interview and performance will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming.