My Music Row Story: Wasserman Music’s Chappel McCollister

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Chappel McCollister. Photo: Stacie Huckeba

The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.

As SVP of Business Development at Wasserman Music, Chappel McCollister is devoted to leveraging synergies between the company’s music, sports, film, marketing and social media divisions to build unique, high-profile and profitable campaigns for clients.

Prior to joining Wasserman, McCollister spent five years spent running Taylor Swift’s tour partnerships, during which he represented brands such as Covergirl, Keds, Diet Coke and Elizabeth Arden. He also executive produced Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s documentary Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul and sold it to Showtime, where it aired in 2017. In addition, he activated Covergirl’s partnership with the NFL for an innovative 2011 campaign involving pop-up nail salons to provide team-themed manicures in stadium parking lots.

More recently, McCollister collaborated with Kacey Musgraves early in the pandemic on a candle line with Boy Smells, which has sold more than 100,000 units and earned the Candle of the Year award for 2021 from the Fragrance Foundation. In addition, he negotiated George Strait‘s H-E-B Super Bowl commercial, LeAnn Rimes‘ partnership with Novartis and brokered CAAMP‘s “See the World” sync for the TV and digital campaign Ohio.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. I was there until I was a sophomore in high school. Then I moved to Birmingham and finished out high school there.

Were you into music as a kid?

I wasn’t musical at all. I was a runner. I ran track and ultimately went to college for track. I went to UNC Charlotte and ran freshman year at UNCC. The only music I absorbed was whatever my brothers were introducing me to.

What was college like?

Freshman year I ran for UNCC and then I decided that my running career was over and decided to transfer to Auburn University. At Auburn, I took up rowing. I rowed on their crew team for three years. In addition to that, I started working with the Auburn University Programming Council. I started focusing on booking university-funded entertainment, specifically their music. I booked two big shows a year, one per semester. I eventually ran that department. That’s where I fell in love with music and the music industry.

In the summers, I would go back to Birmingham and intern. I did a free internship for a little club called Work Play in Birmingham. I was a local stage hand for them at night to make a little extra money. In the summer, I worked for a music festival in Birmingham that no longer exists called Birmingham City Stages. With the university side of things, I learned about the booking side; I learned a little bit more of the production elements being a stage hand at Work Play, and then I learned even more doing production work for the festival.

Chappel and Haley McCollister on Taylor Swift’s “1989 Tour.”

What an education! Were there any shows you booked during college that affirmed that you wanted to pursue a career in the music industry?

We were fortunate at Auburn that we had a pretty deep budget, certainly for 12 years ago. I had to alternate the genre every semester. Auburn is an agriculture and engineer school—so I couldn’t neglect country. At the same time, when I was in college, rap and hip-hop was super big so I had to make sure I facilitated that genre. We also had some rock fans, so it was a bunch of different stuff. The show I was probably the most excited about was when I had Ben Harper play with Citizen Cope. I also had O.A.R. play, which was a huge college band at the time. My hip-hop show was Soulja Boy opening for Akon. That was a really fun one. I did a rock show that was Live and Collective Soul.

It gave me the bug. I’ve never been an agent, nor wanted to be an agent necessarily, but being on the booking side gave me the bug for the industry.

What did you do after graduation?

I graduated in the summer of 2009, which was pretty deep into the recession, so there weren’t a lot of “dream jobs” that you think you’re going to get. I was fortunate enough to get a contractor position with a company based in Detroit that had just opened a Nashville office called George P. Johnson. They were an experiential marketing company that focused on auto shows, but they were starting to get into other elements of experiential marketing. They had just sold this tour sponsorship for an insurance brand named Country Financial Insurance. They were sponsoring two separate tours, Jason Aldean and Jewel. They needed somebody to go out on the road to help fulfill all those elements that had been agreed upon. They needed someone that would work hard for like 18 hours a day and be grateful for the opportunity, so I did that as a contractor for George P. Johnson for a year. I went out on the road with Jason and Jewel and enjoyed that, but realized that I didn’t necessarily want to be on the road full time. I was fortunate enough to get a full-time job with GPJ, managing those tours from the office and going out occasionally.

Later, three or four of us spun that group off into a side agency called G7 Entertainment Marketing. For the next five or six years, I ran our tour sponsorship division. I helped pitch, sell and manage those tour sponsorships.

What was next?

[My nearly 7 years at] G7 were great for me. I was helping advise brands on how to spend their money in live music. Tour sponsorships started shifting, money was shifting, and [brands became] very much focused on content opportunities. I had been on the brand side of the coin and I was interested in being on the artist’s side. I felt like I would have a more holistic view of what an artist was working on. There weren’t a lot of people on the artist side who had previously been on the brand side, so not a lot of people had that perspective. I felt like there was value there and I looked for the right opportunity. I also wanted to expand outside tour sponsorships; I wanted to touch other aspects of an artist’s career.

I was fortunate enough to connect with Jason Owen and his team at Sandbox. At Sandbox, I was able to focus on endorsement, licensing opportunities, and VIP opportunities. I packaged and sold the Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul documentary and helped launch Little Big Town‘s wine brand, along with Jason and the team. My time at Sandbox helped expand my horizons as to what was possible, and ultimately grow my skill sets.

Part of Wasserman Music’s Nashville team at their recent AmericaFest Happy Hour. Photo: Stacie Huckeba

Next you joined Paradigm, which became Wasserman in 2021. How did you get there?

Paradigm was looking for someone to help grow some non-touring opportunities for the roster, specifically in Nashville. Most of the Nashville office were agents or agent support teams, so there weren’t a lot of people that were focusing on things outside of touring or performance-based opportunities. I came over and, at the time, the only artist that Sandbox and Paradigm shared was Kacey Musgraves and the Johnny Cash Estate. I was lucky that I got to continue to work with them [when I went to Paradigm].

Early in my time at Paradigm, I was focused on trying to get some wins on the board and provide value for our artists in the brand space. That has grown into licensing and I do some sync work. My job at Wasserman is solely focused on growing the country and Americana genre for the roster and bringing opportunities for that roster that may live outside of traditional touring.

Your role is unique at an agency. Did you feel a lot of pressure during the pandemic to find other ways for artists to make a living?

Absolutely. I have a colleague here that works with me and the two of us were some of the only people that could produce revenue during the heat of the pandemic. The pressure to bring opportunities and to retain clients was really high. I’m very glad that we’re out of that. The pressure is always high in the agency world based on the competitors, but it was just a very different environment.

During normal times, when do you feel most fulfilled in what you do?

I think there sometimes is a misconception that, in some of these partnerships, there’s a winner and a loser. At the end of the day, I wear the artist jersey and I always will. So I feel the best when the artist is happy [with a partnership]. But for the sake of a partnership, assuming everyone is playing by the rules, I think there’s a lot of opportunity to have both parties feel really good. When both parties feel good about a launch, a partnership or a collaboration, that’s when I feel the best. But like I said, at the end of the day, my sole job is to represent the artist and make sure that they feel heard and represented appropriately.

Have you had any mentors along the way that have been important to you?

When I joined Jason and his team at Sandbox, it really opened my world as to artist representation and what that meant. The way that Jason thinks outside of the traditional model of artist representation is, to this day, something that I think is unparalleled. I feel really fortunate to have had that time with him and I still work very closely with him.

Louis Messina has been a friend and a mentor for me for over 10 years. My wife works with Louis, but he’s been kind enough to give me some time over the years. I have an immense amount of respect for what he’s built, how he’s built it, and how he’s evolved over his career. This year is his 50th year in the industry. How he’s been able to evolve as a promoter and as a leader in the industry over five decades is pretty amazing.

What have been some moments in your career that you’ll always remember?

Touring internationally was an amazing experience. I got to do that with a couple of Taylor Swift tours as well as U2. Those were really big moments. At Wasserman, we just launched this full Blake Shelton/Lands End lifestyle collaboration that involves apparel, pet and home. It was almost two years in the works. It takes a long time and it’s a really cool feeling to get it out there into the world. That has been a moment we’ve been really excited about as well.

What does success mean to you?

It’s cheesy to say, but I haven’t dreaded going to work in probably 10 years. I’m excited to get in the office and see what the day brings. There’s definitely days that are tough and annoying that will wear on you, but as a whole, I get excited to come into the office. I really enjoy what I do. If you don’t, it’s worth taking a look at making a change.

Reba Commemorates First Solo Headlining Show At Bridgestone Arena With Sold-Out Crowd

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Reba McEntire performs at Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Caitlin McNaney.

Astonishingly, Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire played her first-ever show as a solo headliner at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (Oct. 21).

Pictured (L-R): UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Reba McEntire, UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe. Photo: Tony Matula

The Grammy-winner kept the Music City crowd entertained during her 90-minute show, as part of the “Reba: Live In Concert” tour, presented by Live Nation. Just before the show, McEntire was honored for more than 58 million albums sold worldwide. UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe and Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan presented McEntire with a plaque to commemorate the accomplishment.

Before the country legend graced the stage, ’90s country hitmaker Terri Clark warmed things up. Clark had a ball performing her hits “Better Things To Do,” “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” and “Girls Lie Too.” By the time she was done with us, the arena was pumped for McEntire.

When McEntire appeared onstage, she kicked things off with her first No. 1 hit, the 1982 “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” and followed it with her most recent, 2011’s “Turn On The Radio.”

“We’re tickled to pieces you came out to see us tonight,” McEntire said when greeting her guests. “In between those two songs has been a lot of life, love and a whole lot of hairspray. We want to take you on a little musical journey and see how many places we can go.”

The 30-song set that ensued included more of McEntire’s biggest hits, such as “Little Rock,” “Whoever’s In New England,” “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” “Somebody,” “Is There Life Out There” and many more.

McEntire led the crowd in sing-along after sing-along, often smiling out to her adoring fans and waving. Her signature wit shined in moments where she spoke to the crowd.

Reba McEntire performs at Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Elisabeth Garcia

At other times, McEntire was stoic. In a section of her show she dedicated to sad, “wallering” songs, she played a medley of “You Lie,” “Tammy Wynette Kind Of Pain,” “Somebody Should Leave,” “What Am I Gonna Do About You” and “The Last One To Know.”

“I love singing sad songs,” she said, adding that she thought sad songs were “the glue of country music.”

A standout section of the show came when Clark re-emerged again to perform a Linda Ronstadt medley alongside McEntire. The two traded verses of “You’re No Good,” “When Will I Be Loved” and “Heat Wave”–and the crowd danced along without missing a beat.

The night also included virtual collaborations. McEntire introduced a digitally dancing Brooks & Dunn for “Oklahoma Swing” and a few virtual verses from Vince Gill on “The Heart Won’t Lie.”

Towards the end of the show, McEntire kept the energy high. Following a medley of some gospel songs, she blitzed us with “Is There Life Out There,” “Take it Back” and “Why Haven’t I Heard From You.”

She left her blockbuster hit “Fancy” for the encore. After disappearing into darkness, the crowd roared for her return to sing the captivating hit. In a chill-bump inducing performance, McEntire put the cherry on top of an evening of fun, good music and country music communion.

McEntire will play 11 more dates this year before picking the “Reba: Live In Concert” tour back up again in the spring. For dates, click here.

Top Five Hold Steady On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, Zach Bryan Lands Fifth Week At No. 1

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Zach Bryan

This week, the top seven on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart remain the same with Zach Bryan notching another week at No. 1, brining his total up to five consecutive weeks.

Bryan is the sole writer on all four of his chart entries, which include “Something In The Orange,” “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” “Burn, Burn, Burn” and his newest release “Starved.”

Ashley Gorley (No. 2), Morgan Wallen (No. 3), Ernest Keith Smith (No. 4) and Luke Dick (No. 5) all maintain their respective spots on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Justin Moore & Priscilla Block Deliver ‘Outstanding’ Harmonies

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Justin Moore & Priscilla Block. Photo: Courtesy of The Valory Music Co.

It’s a day for some real country singing in this edition of DISClaimer.

We’re truly in the presence of some vocal greatness in the offerings by David Nail, Tiera Kennedy, Morgan Evans, Sunny Sweeney and the duet by Becky Isaacs Bowman and Dolly Parton.

There’s no arguing with a guy who has 11 No. 1 singles under his belt. Justin Moore does not disappoint in his outstanding duet with Priscilla Block. The new team nails down this week’s Disc of the Day.

The DISCovery Award goes to War Hippies. They also sing great, and have a story to tell as well.

JON LANGSTON / “Give You My All”
Writers: Jon Langston/Brad Wagner/Jordan Gray; Producers: Jacob Rice/Jody Stevens; Label: EMI/32 Bridge Entertainment
–Very cool. It’s has a bluesy ballad groove that floats on a sea of romance. The fundamental simplicity of the tune and message of devotion are the secrets of its effectiveness.

JUSTIN MOORE & PRISCILLA BLOCK / “You, Me and Whiskey”
Writers: Jessi Alexander/Brock Berryhill/Cole Taylor; Producers: Jeremy Stover/Scott Borchetta; Label: Big Machine
–Their vocal harmony work is outstanding. They swap verses with equal measures of personality, then turn the thing up a few notches with their entwined verses on the choruses. In the lyric, they’ve been working too hard, so they need a night together to relax with some beverages. Amen to that. Block brings her “Block Party” show to the Nashville Palace on Nov. 3.

WAR HIPPIES / “Make It Out Alive”
Writers: Scott Brown; Producers: Donnie Reis/Scott Brown; Label: WarHippies
–Donnie Reis and Scott Brown are former U.S. combat soldiers whose War Hippies album deals with veterans’ issues. The suicide rate among vets is heartbreaking, which the living-strong lyric of this ballad pushes against. Both men sing with great heart, and the synth-and-strings accompaniment is perfect.

THOMAS RHETT & KATY PERRY / “Where We Started”
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Jon Bellion/Thomas Rhett/Jesse Frasure; Producers: Dann Huff/Jesse Frasure; Label: Valory
–Dreamy. Romantic. Awash in melody, with both voices at the top of their game. Pop queen Perry began her career in Music City as a teen CCM artist.

615 COLLECTIVE / “Coastin’”
Writers: Sarah Darling/Michael Logen/NicoleWitt; Producer: none listed; Label: 615
–Comprised of top tunesmiths Sarah Darling, Michael Logen, Shelly Fairchild and Nicole Witt, this combo strikes it rich with this breezy, groovy, relaxing beach-y tune. Darling takes the lead with her wafting soprano above a smooth-as-glass track.

BECKY ISAACS BOWMAN & DOLLY PARTON / “Early Morning Breeze”
Writer: Dolly Parton; Producer: none listed; Label: Isaacs
–Becky is a cornerstone of the Opry group The Isaacs, but she has always been somewhat overshadowed by the superbly gifted vocals of her sister Sonya Isaacs. Now she is getting her own solo album. This advance track pairs her with the legendary Dolly, and the result is Heaven in Appalachia. Their lilting voices match like mountaineer twins.

MORGAN EVANS / “Over For You”
Writers: Morgan Evans/Madison Love/Geoff Warburton/Tim Sommers; Producer: Tim Sommers/Scott Hendricks; Label: Warner
–A penultimate heartbreak ballad. He aches with wondering how long she didn’t love him while he kept on deluding himself. I like the ghostly voices softly asking “How long? How Long?” in between his musings.

FLO RIDA & WALKER HAYES / “High Heels”
Writers: Bryan Isaac/Danny Majic/Dre Davidson/Fraser Churchill/Meron Mengist/Sean Davidson/Walker Hayes; Producer: The Monarch/Danny Majic; Label: Monument
–Flo Rida babbles about whatever. Walker Hayes references “Fancy Like,” Applebees, the Grammys and whatnot. I suppose it’s harmless.

TIERA KENNEDY / “Alabama Nights”
Writers: Cameron Bedell/Emily Falvey/Jared Scott/Tiera Kennedy/Emily Flakey; Producers: Dann Huff/Cameron Bedel; Label: Valory
–“Found It In You” remains the lovely single. This fresh track from her upcoming album shows a livelier side. In fact, it is a stone boppin’ delight. The picturesque, rapid-fire lyrics are a blast as are the skipping, merry track and her pert, sunny soprano vocal. Definitely check this ditty out…..pronto.

DAVID NAIL / “Wherever You Are Tonight”
Writers: David Nail/Robyn Collins/Grant Vogel; Producer: none listed; Label: DN
–He always draws me in with every note he sings. This master communicator aches with authenticity on this beautifully melodic track. Shut your eyes and get lost in his performance.

SUNNY SWEENEY / “Married Alone”
Writers: Hannah Blaylock/Josh Morningstar/Autumn McEntire; Producers: Paul Cauthen/Beau Bedford; Label: Aunt Daddy/Thirty Tigers
–The always-great Sunny has just released a new album. Its title track ballad features Vince Gill on vocal harmony and a steel-soaked, deeply twangin’ track that is Country, with a capital “C.” I adore this woman.

RANDY ROGERS BAND / “Fast Car”
Writers: Randy Montana/Wendell Mobley/Lee Miller; Producer: Radney Foster; Label: RR
–Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, this band is always a welcome playlist addition. On this mid-tempo meditation, a guy wonders about the gal he meets in a bar, speculating about her present, past and future. The cleanly mixed track keeps things admirably close to the earth.

Bailey Zimmerman ‘Falls’ Into Top Spot On MusicRow Radio Chart

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Bailey Zimmerman. Photo: Chris Ashlee

Bailey Zimmerman earns his first MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart No. 1 with “Fall In Love.” The single, written by Zimmerman, Austin Shawn, and Gavin Lucas, received early independent success through TikTok and streaming platforms before Zimmerman signed with Warner Music Nashville and Elektra Music Group in April of this year. 

The artist released his debut EP, Leave The Light On, last week which features “Fall In Love,” previously released tracks “Rock And A Hard Place” and “Where It Ends,” and four unreleased songs.

Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Bobby Karl Works The Room: ‘Rising Women’ Celebrates Community, Fellowship

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MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row Class of 2022. Pictured (L-R): Mandy Gallagher Morrison, Jen Conger, JoJamie Hahr, Jennie Smythe, Stephanie Wright, Missy Roberts. Photo: Steve Lowry

Chapter 658

“Rising Women on the Row” is much more than an awards celebration—it is an uplifting community event that offers networking, sisterhood and inspiration.

The ninth such get-together was staged by MusicRow Thursday morning (Oct. 20) at an Omni Hotel breakfast. More than 560 attendees packed the venue’s largest ballroom. They came because it is the rare Nashville music-biz event that is unpretentious, authentic and downright joyous.

Featured speaker Cris Lacy. Photo: Steve Lowry

“My wish today is that you’ll leave here with more than you arrived with,” said host Sherod Robertson. “I hope you feel inspired. I hope you feel loved. I hope you feel connected. I hope you feel supported.”

All of those boxes were checked by the women in the event’s spotlight. Each honoree offered words of encouragement and empowerment.

“There have been many mentors along the way,” said FBBM business manager Jen Conger. “Numbers is my jam,” she added, citing the statistics of gender pay inequality that continue to exist in the music business.

“I’ve dreamed of being up here,” said BBR Records VP JoJamie Hahr. “You can make anything happen if you work hard.”

“This award might have my name on it, but it truly belongs to the people in this room…who believed in me,” said City National Bank’s Mandy Gallagher Morrison.

“I truly believe none of us in this industry rises without each other,” added Universal Music Publishing VP Missy Roberts.

“I love so much the people in this room,” said Girlilla Marketing CEO Jennie Smythe. “I love MusicRow, and I’m thankful that we get together in person,” she added, referring to the pandemic that has stalled this event since 2019 (this year’s honorees were actually announced in 2020).

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson with the Rising Women on the Row Class of 2022. Pictured (L-R): Mandy Gallagher Morrison, Jen Conger, JoJamie Hahr, Jennie Smythe, Stephanie Wright, Missy Roberts. Sherod Robertson. Photo: Steve Lowry

“I love Nashville; I love this business,” Smythe continued. “I stand before you as a four-year survivor of breast cancer. Today is a reminder: Make the appointment. Take care of your health…..Lift up as many young women as you can.”

“We don’t get to stand up here without a lot of support from a lot of people,” echoed UMG Nashville VP Stephanie Wright. “I’m thankful to have learned from you. It is a privilege and an honor to work in this business, and I don’t take it lightly.”

The event began with more words of inspiration from featured speaker Cris Lacy, the Co-President of Warner Music Nashville. During a Q&A with Robertson she was characteristically straightforward, articulate and honest.

“Don’t put anybody above you, and don’t put anybody below you,” Lacy advised. “We’re all humans. We’re all equal.” She addressed sexual harassment, the care-giving demanded of women and the self-doubts that plague all female achievers. “Thank you for this event,” she said to Robertson. “It is inspiring to a lot of us.” Lacy was an honoree in 2016. Her remarks drew a standing ovation from the crowd.

The at capacity crowd included a who’s-who of the Music Row community. It was notably attended by throngs of young women making their way into the industry, as well as a number of prior honorees. It was a fiesta of schmoozing, love and hugs.

Shannan Hatch, Sherri Spoltore, Diane Pearson, Whiney Daane, Tiffany Dunn, Troy Tomlinson, Scott Hendricks, Mike Dungan, Julie Boos, Ree Guyer, Jon Loba, Chris Oglesby, Rod Essig, Judi Turner, Jimmy Wheeler, David Crow, Lori Badgett, Tom Luteran, Steve Lowery, Liz Hengber, Leslie DiPiero, Lou Taylor, Pam Matthews and Jackie Marushka worked the room with abandon.

Many fabulous guests were seated at tables sponsored by CAA, Black River, Curb, Cake Maker, Given, BMG, Warner, UMG, UMPG, WME, River House, Hipgnosis, Red Street, Wasserman Music, IEBA, The AMG, Red Light, FSM, MAMBA, BMI, Huskins-Harris, Sony Music Publishing, G Major, 117 Entertainment, The Mechanical Licensing Collective and Song Sufragettes.

The delicious and hearty breakfast featured cheesy hash browns, sausage balls, smoked bacon, biscuits, fresh fruit, flavored yogurt, creamy scrambled eggs and assorted coffees, teas and juices.

Presenting sponsors for this year’s “Rising Women on the Row” were City National Bank (which has been on board since day one), Loeb & Loeb, and the Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group.

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson honors Jen Conger. Photo: Steve Lowry

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson honors JoJamie Hahr. Photo: Steve Lowry

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson honors Mandy Gallagher Morrison. Photo: Steve Lowry

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson honors Missy Roberts. Photo: Steve Lowry

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson honors Jennie Smythe. Photo: Steve Lowry

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson honors Stephanie Wright. Photo: Steve Lowry

Michael Knox Named President Of Peermusic Nashville

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Michael Knox. Photo: Haley Crow

Michael Knox has been promoted to President of Peermusic Nashville, expanding his role from Sr. VP. Knox will continue to report Peermusic President & Chief Operating Officer, Kathy Spanberger.

Under Knox’s guidance, Peermusic Nashville has celebrated the 2016 SESAC Country Song of the Year with Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere on a Beach,” co-written by Michael Tyler and Jaron Boyer, and the 2013 ASCAP Song of the Year with Randy Houser‘s “How Country Feels,” co-written by Neil Thrasher and Vicky McGehee. Recent highlights for the company include Jason Aldean‘s “Rearview Town,” “Got What I Got” and “Blame It On You;” Jon Pardi‘s “Ain’t Always The Cowboy;” Cole Swindell‘s “Love You Too Late;” Riley Green‘s “There Was This Girl;” and Dustin Lynch‘s “Hell of a Night.”

“In the 12 years that he has been with Peermusic, Michael Knox has distinctively guided our Nashville office song by song, hit by hit, resulting in major impact for our roster of songwriters,” shares Spanberger. “Knox is one of the most prolific publishers and music producers in Nashville with an extraordinary amount of production credits to his name, but it’s his thoughtful approach, quick humor, and devotion to our music creators that really draws people to want to build their careers with Peermusic Nashville. Knox is delivering career-making opportunities for our writers.”

“For over 94 years, the Peers have been widely considered the first family of country music publishing with a history of delivering ‘firsts’ in the industry,” Knox notes. “I jumped at the invitation to be a part of this this publishing team 12 years ago and to work alongside some of the best and most trusted music publishers in the business. The important legacy that we’re building upon here in Nashville, our commitment to continue delivering ‘firsts’ for songwriters, and the genuine connections we have with our Peermusic writers is something that I’m flat-out proud to be a part of. I’m thankful to Kathy, Mary Megan Peer, Ralph Peer II, and our Peermusic team for this opportunity.”

In addition to his success as a publisher, Knox is also a hit producer with 28 No. 1 songs under his belt. His production credits includes songs and albums for Thomas Rhett, Trace Adkins, Kelly Clarkson, Ludacris, Luke Bryan & Eric Church, Montgomery Gentry, Josh Thompson, Randy Owen, Frankie Ballard, Hank Williams Jr., Clay Walker, Tim Montana, and more. He has celebrated a myriad of hit albums and songs alongside frequent collaborator Aldean.

Knox is also a record label executive with a Music Knox Records—imprint with BBR Music Group/BMG—and serves as both host and producer of the United Stations nationally syndicated radio show Knox Country 360. Earlier this year, Knox was selected by the Academy of Country Music as a first-time nominee for National Weekly On-Air Personality of the Year along with his co-host Shalacy Griffin.

My Music Row Story: UMG Nashville’s Stephanie Wright

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Stephanie Wright

The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.

Stephanie Wright has been an integral part of Universal Music Group for more than 20 years. As Senior VP, A&R, she aids A&R initiatives for Capitol, EMI, MCA and Mercury, including talent recruitment, artist development and oversight of respective recording projects for UMG artists Sam Hunt, Jordan Davis, Maddie & Tae, Parker McCollum, Little Big Town, Mickey Guyton and more. Her artist signings include Hunt, Davis, McCollum, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, and Catie Offerman. She was promoted to her current role in 2018.

A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Wright came to the music business through her cousins, the Platinum-selling sibling trio SHeDAISY. Since, Wright has been instrumental in critically-acclaimed albums, including Lee Ann Womack‘s Call Me Crazy, Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park, and Hunt’s Montevallo. She serves on the T.J. Martell Foundation (Southern Region) board of directors and is a member of the ACM, CMA, Recording Academy and N.O.W. In addition to Rising Women on the Row, Wright has been honored multiple times as one of the Nashville Business Journal‘s Women of the Year.

Wright will be honored as part of the current class of MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row on Oct. 20. For more details about the class and the event, click here.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Utah in a town called Magna that’s about 20 minutes outside of Salt Lake. We called Magna the armpit of Salt Lake. It was close to the Great Salt Lake and the Great Salt Lake stinks. It’s sort of centered in between the lake itself and then this big copper mine that’s there. Copper smells and the Great Salt Lake smells, so we called it the armpit.

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Wright

What did you want to do when you were growing up there?

I didn’t really know. After graduating high school, I started college to be an interior designer. The creative side of that was great. My cousins are the girls from SHeDAISY. Kristyn and Kelsi had moved [to Nashville]—I don’t think Kassi had moved there yet—but they were pursuing a career and trying to get a recording contract. Kristyn and I were really close. She would call me and tell me all about what was going on here in Nashville. We had a lot in common in that I was the kid at the record store that would go in Tuesday to find the albums that had just released.

The reason I ended up moving here was because my starter marriage. My son’s dad wanted to come to Nashville or to Iowa. He wanted to become a dentist and he wanted to go to Meharry [Medical College School of Dentistry], so that’s the reason we ended up here. We ended up buying a house right next to where my cousins were living. My first trip into Nashville was the weekend Kristyn signed her record deal. I flew in and she said, “I have a busy schedule, but we can at least look at a few different houses.” I met Dann Huff that weekend because they were in the process of recording. I met Randy Goodman, Shelby Kennedy, Connie Harrington, Bonnie Baker and more. I didn’t know who any of those people were, but looking back on the magnitude of what that is, I had no idea what a blessing it was.

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Wright

Did you join the music business when you got here?

When I got here, I ended up going to work for a company that was buying up small mom and pop heating and air conditioning companies in Maryland Farms. I had a young son, so I needed to figure out how to make an income. I took that job immediately but really hated it. I started going to some of Kristyn’s business meetings. I really did not know anything about the background of what happens in the music business other than what she was doing, but the more I was in these meetings, I started thinking maybe management would be kind of cool. I also thought working at a record label seemed pretty interesting. But I found out really quickly that if you did not go to school here and you did not go through the networking process of meeting people, you were definitely an outsider. I would go into interviews and they’d be like, “So are you trying to be an artist?” [Laughs]

I probably went on 10 or 15 interviews. I got to a place where I felt like this must not be the right path for me. No one wants to let you in if you’re not already in. Then I saw this advertisement in the newspaper for an executive assistant position for a CEO of a major record label. At this point, I’d had at least enough experience to know that is not how those jobs come about, but in this particular case, it was. I had to go through a staffing agency. I had to go in and take a type test and go through several interviews. The job was to work for Capitol Records for Pat Quigley. I think the only reason I got the job is because I talked fast and he wanted someone that had not been in the music business. He wanted someone that had really just done executive assistant work outside of the business. It was a big blessing and a really great overview of structure of the label, how it all worked, and all the different departments. He was an interesting person to work for. He was also an outsider and he relished in that.

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Wright

How did you become interested in A&R?

I found myself really watching the A&R department at the time when Larry Willoughby ran it. Molly Reynolds was there as well. Larry was really good about coming in and playing songs. He would say, “Wait until you hear this new Keith Urban track we just cut.”

One day Pat came in and said, “There’s a meeting happening. I think I’m going to be let go. I have a contract, you do not, so you need to go find another job.” I didn’t know enough about the music business to know that this was not uncommon, so I was completely panicked. Larry came to me and said, “You should probably reach out to Mike Dungan because that’s who is going to take this job.” I felt like that would be a betrayal to Pat—I didn’t know how to navigate that.

Haley McLemore had been working with me at Capitol under the finance department. I called her and she said, “I think there might be a job opening in the A&R department. Why don’t you come over? I’ll introduce you to Gary Harrison and Carson Chamberlain and you can see if that’s something that might be interesting to you.” Gary Harrison and I spent the afternoon talking. I came back in for an interview and they offered me the job, thankfully. It was a lot less than what I had been making, but I needed a job and I didn’t want to not be in this anymore. Little did I know how that would greatly affect the rest of my life and where I am today.

What was one of your most memorable experiences from that time?

I was in the studio when Alan Jackson recorded “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning).” It was so fresh. We were finishing up the Drive project and it was the second to last song that we recorded that day. He came in and said, “I want to play this for you. I woke up last night and finished this song.” We all sat there just completely blown away by what it was. Then the musicians all just quietly and very reverently got up and started playing music. Right after we cut that song, he forgot he had to do a song for a ZZ Top collaboration record that they were doing. We were having to shuffle from this big reverent, somber, heavy moment to ZZ Top. (Laughs)

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Wright

What was next for you?

There’s been several mergers that have happened and different labels that have been brought under the umbrella of Universal. Gary and Carson left and they brought in Mary Martin. I got to work with her for a year and a half, which was extremely educational and very helpful. Then we merged with MCA and at that point, David Conrad came over. I was his executive assistant, but I found myself liking more of the recording admin. and I also was starting to like the creative stuff. At that point I had been divorced and I was a single parent, so I looked at the person that was in the spot I wanted and they’d been there for 28 years. So I really dug into what that process was and following up a project from start to finish. David was great about it. He said, “As long as you can take care of me or train someone to take care of me, I’ll let you have some of this.” I was still going to the studios. I was still seeing how Mark Wright, Richard Marks, and Byron Gallimore worked in the studio.

Next, we merged with DreamWorks. Then it was James Stroud and Luke Lewis that were the head of the label. James came in and said, “I want everybody in here, no matter what you’re doing in this department, to be creative.” So I started begging people to come in and play songs for me. People like Jeff Skaggs, Kerri Edwards, Cris Lacy and Cyndi Forman who I’d met booking appointments for David or for whoever else at the time. I even reached out to someone like Brandy Clark, who was just starting to come up through the ranks. I had her pitch group—which was all songwriters—come in and play for me in my little tiny office. I would have them all take turns at the CD player. I was taking notes and was really dedicated to trying to figure out how to make it work.

When did you start to have success as a creative A&R executive?

During that time, Erin Enderlin came in and played a song for me called “Last Call.” It was a song that her and Shane McAnally had written together that Lee Ann Womack eventually cut. I remember being really brave that day and I walked into Brian [Wright]‘s office saying, “This is a really great song for Womack. I know she’s looking.” It ended up getting cut. Through that, I realized I really loved this.

Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Wright

During that time, we had changed buildings again. I think we had moved downtown at this point. I had met with Alicia Pruitt one day and she mentioned something about Kacey Musgraves. They had just signed her. She played me a couple things and I knew I had to reach out. I cold called her one day. I didn’t really have the ability to sign anybody at that point. I went and met with her and we had a great conversation. I came back to Brian and I said, “I don’t know what goes into signing someone, but I know that I sat across from someone today that’s magical and mesmerizing. If there was a sheet of things that you should probably have [to get signed], I think she has all of those things. She has vision. She’s unique.” It took a long time to convince people that I was serious, but I finally talked Brian and Luke into meeting with her and signing her.

It comes full circle back to Mike Dungan. When we merged with Universal, Mike and I went to breakfast one morning, which is what he was doing with everyone when we merged. He said, “I think you should be doing creative full time and not the other stuff.”

We will be honoring you tomorrow at Rising Women On the Row. If someone were to ask you what success meant to you, what would you tell them?

Where I feel like the success comes in is when you see the satisfaction of an artist when a crowd reacts to a song. You see that crowd sing a song back to the artist, and them get emotionally overwhelmed at what’s happening, that’s pretty magical. I still live for those moments. Those moments are super precious and the ones that keep me interested in trying to continue to do this for other people.

I think I take the things that I don’t have success at a whole lot harder and they stick with me a lot more, so I think learning from the mistakes I’ve made along the way is so much more of a motivator for me. I don’t do a lot of thinking on success, so that’s why these interviews are a little bit difficult because, while there is a lot of that, I think that there’s still much more to accomplish and more people to help.

Russell Dickerson Signs With Concord Music Publishing

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Pictured (L-R, top row): John Dennis, Grace Schoper, Legina Chaudoin, David Crow, Matt Turner, Ashley Nite, Shawn Thompson, Duff Berschback. (L-R, bottom row): Courtney Allen, Brad Kennard, Russell Dickerson, Melissa Spillman, Jen Hubbard

Russell Dickerson has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing.

The deal includes Dickerson’s full catalog and future works, and Concord has additionally acquired an interest in his back catalog, including titles such as “Yours,” “Every Little Thing,” “Blue Tacoma” and more.

A Tennessee native, Dickerson’s breakthrough hit “Yours” arrived in 2015 and is triple Platinum. He followed that up with three more Platinum chart toppers: “Blue Tacoma,” “Every Little Thing” and “Love You Like I Used To.” Dropping two albums –Yours (2017) and Southern Symphony (2020) – his streaming numbers have hit 2.2 billion across platforms and led to tours with Thomas Rhett, Lady A, and Kane Brown.

Dickerson is the first artist to release four consecutive singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart since Luke Combs. He also joins Combs as the second solo artist and fourth act overall to have four or more singles reach No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart since its inception.

His latest single, “She Likes It” with Jake Scott, already reached Platinum status with over 170 million streams to date. His 15-track, self-titled third album will be released on November 4, and he co-wrote all 15 tracks, including “I Wonder,” his newest single released on September 30. Dickerson also collaborated with Cheat Codes on the crossover hit “I Remember,” which dropped this summer. He is currently embarking on a sold-out tour in the UK and will headline a U.S. tour starting next month.

“Russell is a bona fide country music super-star! From the writing and recording of his albums, to the incredibly energetic performances in his live shows, he leads every facet of his career with true passion and intense emotion,” shares Brad Kennard, SVP of A&R at Concord Music Publishing in Nashville. “We could not be more thrilled to represent his incredible catalog and work alongside him in the years to come!”

“I’m excited to be joining the Concord family,” shares Dickerson. “I love that they are an independent company with worldwide reach. They value songwriters and today I’m humbled to be joining their roster of incredible talent.”

Carrie Underwood Launches ‘The Denim & Rhinestones Tour’ [Interview]

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Carrie Underwood performs at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Eight-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood launched “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” Saturday night (Oct. 15) with a sold-out show at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

The tour, named after Underwood’s new album of the same name, will make stops in 43 U.S. cities, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena before concluding in Seattle, Washington on March 17.

Underwood’s two-hour show features hits that span the star’s 17-year career. It also includes Underwood performing aerial acrobatics within a suspended sphere-shaped apparatus.

Carrie Underwood performs at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

“I always want to be sure every tour is a new and unique experience for the fans,” Underwood tells MusicRow. “We’re always looking at different ways to perform the hits that everyone knows and loves and, of course, it’s fun to get to bring the new music to life on stage. The challenge is always figuring out how much we can fit into a show and we like to get creative with different ways to represent as many songs as we can, even if we aren’t able to perform entire versions of every one.”

The trek follows Underwood’s first portion of shows from her “Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency” at the Resorts World Theatre, which will pick back up in 2023 following “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour.”

“I feel so blessed to have gotten to start my ongoing ‘Reflection’ residency at Resorts World Las Vegas at the end of last year—we’ve all been missing live performances and it was so great to get back on stage in front of an audience,” Underwood shares.

As for what she’s brought from her Vegas residency to her traveling show, Underwood says she’s learned some new musical arrangements of some of her hits.

“We’re able to do a lot of big set pieces with that show that we could never pack up and take on the road, so a lot of those moments will continue to be unique to that show,” she shares. “That said, we are definitely having fun with new versions of the hits on this tour and are really excited about the new songs that weren’t in the ‘Reflection’ show in Vegas, which we’ll resume next year after ‘The Denim & Rhinestones Tour’ ends. I love being able to do both!”

Jimmie Allen and Carrie Underwood performs at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Joining Underwood on “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” is breakout star Jimmie Allen. Underwood says one of her favorite moments of the show is when she gets to bring him out.

“A really fun moment for me is bringing Jimmie Allen on stage to perform ‘Denim & Rhinestones’ together—we just had to do it, and even incorporated a little of his Dancing With the Stars magic. He is literally as much denim and rhinestones as I am.”

Performing new songs from Denim & Rhinestones is another highlight of this tour for Underwood.

“I’m most excited about performing new music from Denim & Rhinestones—it’s such a fun, energetic album, which I think we all need right now, and we definitely bring that upbeat, party vibe to the stage,” adding that every song on the new album is represented in some way at the show.

“We have some really exciting effects throughout the show. And I love performing ‘Ghost Story’ and ‘Crazy Angels’—it’s such a thrill to be singing those songs live up in the air and getting closer to all the fans.”

For a full list of dates on “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour,” click here.