BREAKING: Clint Higham, John Esposito & Kris Lamb Launch HEY NOW Records, Sign Kenny Chesney
Pictured (L-R): Clint Higham, John Esposito, Kris Lamb & Kenny Chesney. Photos: Courtesy of HEY NOW Records
Clint Higham, John Esposito and Kris Lamb have launched HEY NOW Records, signing Kenny Chesney as the flagship artist.
Lamb will serve as Co-Founder and President of the organization. A veteran music executive, his career spans radio, music publishing and label leadership, including time at The Walt Disney Company’s Lyric Street records and more than a decade in executive leadership at Big Machine Label Group. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to more than 80 No. 1 hits and numerous RIAA Gold, Platinum and Diamond certifications, along with Grammy, Country Music Association, American Music and Academy of Country Music Awards.
“Having the chance to create something from the ground up means the options are wide open,” says Lamb, who helms day-to-day operations for the new label. “In a world where structure blocks creativity, HEY NOW is a place where whatever we can conceive, we can realize. This is more than a dream; this is a gateway to creating an entirely new form and reality of Artist Development.”
“We have always believed in finding the best people for what an artist needs,” adds Co-Founder Higham, President of Morris Higham Management and CMA Manager of the Year. “That philosophy has seen us super-serve our clients to create more meaningful opportunities and connections. In today’s flooded marketplace, Espo, Kris Lamb and I looked at this moment and saw an opportunity to super-serve a handful of talented developing and established artists by using that same perspective. By being laser-focused on the music, artists and right next moves, we can accelerate the artist development process through targeted and specific execution.”
“HEY NOW Records was born out of conversations Clint, Kenny and I had about the increasing lack of focus that artists are getting as rosters increase while staffs shrink,” shares Esposito, 15-year veteran Chairman/CEO of Warner Music Nashville. “When Kris joined our conversations, I knew we would be lucky to have him at the helm of our operation. I’m thrilled to be in the role of co-founder, advisor, mentor and cheerleader for Kris as he leads the HEY NOW Records operation!”
Chesney, a recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, became the first solo headliner at Sphere in Las Vegas last year. He has notched 105 million RIAA-certified units in the U.S. alone and holds Billboard‘s record for the most Country Airplay No. 1s with 33 chart-topping songs. His book, Heart Life Music, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction and Combined Ebook and Hardcover Nonfiction lists, where it spent seven consecutive weeks.
“When Clint, Espo and Kris came to me with the idea of creating our own team, I was curious,” says Chesney. “A label like this can be all-in, lets-make-stuff-happen – and I have always been about making things happen. Creating and exploring what’s possible inspires me, and this is a moment where we can realize ideas in a matter of hours.”
Lamb can be reached here.
