My Music Row Story: The GreenRoom’s Kristie Sloan

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Kristie Sloan

Kristie Sloan is the Co-Owner of The GreenRoom PR, a Nashville-based public relations firm specializing in music and live events.

With more than 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, she has helped shape the public narratives of some of country music’s biggest names, including Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, Russell Dickerson, Braxton Keith, and Jon Pardi, as well as major events like the Tortuga Music Festival and Healing Appalachia.

Photo: Courtesy of Sloan

Known for her strategic instincts and deep industry relationships, Sloan has built a reputation for guiding artists and brands through defining moments in their careers.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Springfield, Tennessee, but I was born in a town just outside of Toronto, Canada, to a country music-loving British dad and a German mother.

My dad loved all kinds of country music. He fell in love with the Grand Ole Opry, and when we lived in Canada, he would drive down to Nashville on the weekends to see the Opry.

I’m the youngest of five girls, and when my mom was pregnant with me, they decided to name me Kristie Lee because it sounded like a name you would hear on the Opry.

So you were destined for this life.

I guess so! I can’t sing. I’m not musically talented. My dad passed away a few years ago, but I would joke with him that I made it to the Opry, just not on the stage—on the side of the stage.

How did you start your path?

I knew early on that I wanted to do something in music. Growing up, records were playing or Hee Haw and Austin City Limits were on TV, and we loved it. I started at the University of Tennessee and then transferred to Middle Tennessee State University to be closer to Nashville so I could start finding opportunities and internships.

I called the Ryman’s main phone line one day, and Pam Matthews, who was the General Manager at the time, actually called me back. I told her I was interested in concert promotion, and she invited me to an upcoming Pete Yorn show. That night, I met Ali Harnell and a few other people who worked for Clear Channel Entertainment at the time. They ended up offering me an internship. I started interning and eventually got a job as the receptionist at Starwood Amphitheater.

Photo: Courtesy of Sloan

Tell me about that job.

A lot of my time was spent fielding phone calls, especially on a show day. It could be a major promoter calling for the General Manager or someone calling to ask what type of lawn chairs they could bring or how early they can tailgate in the parking lot. It was a really incredible experience to learn how to navigate and field all sorts of questions. I was also really curious, so if the phones weren’t ringing, I would ask somebody, “Hey, is there something I can do?” By the end of my time there, I was doing payroll, helping with settlements and all these other things.

How did you transition to PR?

I was still in college when I was working at Starwood, and one of the other employees knew that I was majoring in Public Relations and connected me with Kaleidoscope Media. That was my first publicity/PR job.

It was around the time Bonnaroo was just starting, so we handled the local media and crisis PR for them, which was like being thrown into the deep end and a fast track to a lot of experience. The first artist I worked with was Barbara Mandrell, and she taught me so much. We did a tribute album with her, and she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame while I worked there. After that, I was definitely searching for more opportunities to gain experience in the artist publicity world.

Photo: Courtesy of Sloan

What happened next?

I had met Mary Hilliard Harrington through the Barbara Mandrell project. Dierks Bentley did a song on the album and she was his publicist at the time, and I just immediately liked her. She called me one day and said, “I’m looking to hire somebody. Do you have any ideas?” I said, “Let me think,” and hung up. Then I called her back and said, “What about me?” [Laughs] She said, “I was hoping you would say that.”

Not too long before that, I had actually been pitching myself to Lady A’s manager to handle their publicity. Honestly, I had no business doing that at the time. He told me they had just hired Mary Hilliard at the GreenRoom, so it worked out in the way it was supposed to.

I joined GreenRoom in 2010, and it was a whirlwind in the best possible way. Mary was always such a great boss. She gave us the freedom to figure things out on our own, but also had our backs when we needed it. I had a lot of catching up and learning to do. Tyne [Parrish] and I started our relationship there, and the whole team was great.

Eventually you and Tyne became owners of GreenRoom.

We didn’t see that coming. It speaks a lot to who Mary is, especially in the way she supports women in business. There are so many different ways she could have gone about that decision, but she decided to sell us the company. I think sometimes it takes somebody else seeing something in you before you realize you can do it yourself, and that’s what Mary has been for me.

Photo: Courtesy of Sloan

She had taught us how to run our own clients, and we knew how to be publicists. We just had to learn how to handle the business side of things. For the longest time, we were both focused on trying to keep the clients we had. We didn’t want to mess anything up after being handed that kind of trust. Doing it together was so helpful because Tyne and I really balance each other out, and we can bounce things off each other.

What are some of the most impactful things you’ve gotten to do at GreenRoom?

We represented Jason Aldean and the Route 91 festival. That was an incredibly difficult thing to navigate on both the personal and professional side. What will always stay with me is, days later, flying back to Vegas with Jason and visiting patients in the hospital. I will never forget that.

So much of our job is intangible, so it’s really nice when there is a tangible result. When I first started working with him, Russell Dickerson really wanted to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. To see a specific goal happen and to be there for it…that’s the best.

And because of what I told you about my name, I love anytime we have an artist making their Grand Ole Opry debut. It feels personal to me, but I also know how much it means to the artist.

Photo: Courtesy of Sloan

Who have been your mentors?

Mary Hilliard, Clarence Spalding, Coran Capshaw, Reba—I mean, working with Reba has absolutely made me a better publicist. She’s been doing this for 50 years, and she works harder than a lot of other artists out there. She’s still curious and asks a lot of questions. I really love how she leads with kindness too. She’s someone who is very aware of herself, how she treats others and how she carries herself. I’ve learned a lot from her.

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

I don’t remember who told me this, but I tell my employees this all the time: If you don’t know the answer to something, it’s okay. Just say, “I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out.” Don’t try to make up an answer because, if you’re wrong, it’s going to be worse and you lose their trust.

What’s a moment you’ve had that your little kid self would think is so cool?

Garth Brooks saying my name on stage when he won CMA Entertainer of the Year. That was an out-of-body experience because we grew up loving Garth, listening to Garth and going to his shows. My dad once met Garth on an airplane and got him to sign a napkin for me. So it was a full-circle moment to work with him and to be thanked from the stage. Little Kristie Lee would be shocked by that.

Getting to go to things like the Oscars, Grammys, Super Bowl. I think we all get caught up in work and stress. Reba always reminds me to have fun. We’re in the entertainment business. Let’s take a deep breath, remember where we are and remember how cool it is. This is a cool job.

LB Cantrell
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