Cindy Mabe Named Latest Honoree At Country Music Hall Of Fame’s Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum

Back Row (L-R): Gary Scruggs; Dave Berryman, president of Gibson Guitar Corp.; Sarah Trahern, chief executive officer of the Country Music Association; former Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum honorees Nancy Shapiro, Bonnie Garner and Kay Clary; Abi Tapia, senior public programs manager at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; and Kyle Young, chief executive officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Front Row: Former Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum honoree Liz Thiels and 2018 honoree Cindy Mabe   Photo Credit: Erin Allender

Cindy Mabe, President of Universal Music Group Nashville, was honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Wednesday night at its 11th annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum in the Museum’s Ford Theater. The Forum is presented annually to honor a music industry leader who exemplifies the legacy of Louise Scruggs.

During an in-depth interview, Mabe discussed her career and the importance of maintaining an artist-centered focus while embracing industry change. She has used a unique marketing approach to help guide many recording artists to commercial success, including Luke Bryan, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. Mabe began her career at Arista and RCA Records before moving to Capitol Records Nashville to head the marketing department. She rose to senior vice president at the label and helped oversee the merger of Capitol/EMI with Universal Music Group in 2012. Mabe is the highest-ranking female on the Billboard Power 100 working in country music. Mabe was also named as one of MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row in 2013.

Past honorees of the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum include Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Mary Martin, Bonnie Garner, Sarah Trahern, Nancy Shapiro, Kay Clary, Jo Walker-Meador, Dixie Hall and Traci Thomas.

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected].

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