Longtime Manager Al Schiltz Passes

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Al Schiltz

Longtime Nashville manager Al Schiltz passed away on Sept. 30 after a long battle with cancer. He was 70.

As a son of a military man, Schiltz journeyed with his parents during his early life in Europe to the U.S., finally settling in Augusta, Georgia where he would graduate from Richmond Academy in 1972. From there he enlisted into the Navy serving proudly on Overseas Duty Tours aboard the USS Springfield CLG 7, Gaeta Italy and The USS Wainwright CG28, Charleston. Schiltz wrapped his Navy career in Orlando, where he also attended Columbia college and received a Bachelors degree in Business with a Minor in Criminal Justice.

After some DJ gigs, Schiltz worked at Southwind Corporation in Orlando where he produced corporate events, live music events, festivals and tours including the Alabama “June Jam” and George Jones tours. In 1985, Schiltz moved to Nashville through Dale Morris and a chance opportunity to open the east coast division of the California-based company ElectroTech Productions.

In 1987, he began the first production referral business in Music City with Production Services Group, which supported and managed many tours including K.T. Oslin, Alabama, Clint Black, Emmylou Harris, WWE and more. In the early ’90s, Schiltz worked with Billy Ray Cyrus, eventually taking on the position of Cyrus’ personal manager. The two would continue their working relationship into the early 2000s. During this time he also became a consulting partner for Broken Bow Records through his partnered company The Consortium with Stan Moress, Mike Martinovich and Bernard Porter, and worked with the label to sign Jason Aldean, Joe Diffie and many more. He later spent his retirement years in Lillian, Alabama with his wife Phyllis by his side.

Schiltz is preceded in death by his wife Phyllis and parents Alvin and Gertrude Schiltz. He is survived by daughter Tracy Brewer; sons Joseph Schiltz and Christopher Schiltz; son-in-law Billy Brewer; daughter-in-laws Gretchen Schiltz and Cheyenne Schiltz; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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