Chad Kudelka
Last spring, veteran Texas music agent Chad Kudelka joined CAA as an Agent in the company’s Music Touring department.
Kudelka came to CAA from Red 11 Music, the Nashville and Austin-based agency he co-founded. Now, with a roster that includes Cody Johnson, Koe Wetzel, Wade Bowen, Kolby Cooper, Pecos & The Rooftops, Randall King, Roger Creager and Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kudelka is a leader in both markets.
Wade Bowen
Growing up in Texas, Kudelka was born for the role. His career inadvertently started with his relationship with his childhood best friend, now prominent singer-songwriter Wade Bowen.
“We grew up together. We went to school together from our first day of school to high school. He’s like family to me,” Kudelka tells MusicRow.
When Bowen started college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Kudelka found himself in Austin and the University of Texas. When Bowen’s music career started taking off his sophomore year of college, he called his best friend for advice.
“He said, ‘Hey, I need some help getting off the ground. I know you love music. I need someone to help me get organized for a few months while I figure this out.'”
Kudelka agreed and the rest is history. “Here I am still doing this,” he says. “He’s one of my best friends. We lean on each other. I blame and thank him every day for asking that question and bringing me into the music business.”
Cody Johnson performs in Las Vegas. Photo: Jay Trevino
When they were starting out, Kudelka and Bowen learned the music business as they went, all while they were completing their college educations.
“We just started trying to pick up shows where we could and follow the tracks of some other [artists] that were doing it in clubs. We were begging for opportunities and trying to do the best job we could,” Kudelka says. “Every day, every week and every month we were learning, connecting and networking from the ground up.”
Eventually, Kudelka started independently representing several other artists.
“When I graduated, I was booking around half-dozen artists, along with Wade,” Kudelka says. “After two years of doing it, I settled on the fact that I had a roster, I was enjoying it and it was working. I knew I was going to give it a shot.”
He eventually went to work at regional/boutique agency Austin Universal Entertainment in 2002. He was intrigued by the company’s history, as its founder Greg Henry had a similar path to the music business that he grew from beginning his career working with Texas maverick Pat Green.
“They had a pretty extensive roster at the time and were doing well regionally,” Kudelka says. “Mutual friends got us connected and it allowed me to take what I was doing by myself and expand with an agency that had a staff to learn from.”
Koe Wetzel performs. Photo: Bubba Sellers
After some time with AUE, Kudelka co-founded Red 11 Music in 2009 with Jon Folk. Serving as a Co-Owner/Partner, he helped to develop the agency over a 13-year span.
“It just made sense at the time to start [Red 11] together and see where it went. I stayed in Austin and ran the office, he ran the Nashville branch and off we went,” Kudelka says.
When asked what he is most proud of from his time at Red 11, Kudelka says it’s developing artists.
“Building acts from the ground up,” he says. “That’s a lot of what we did [at Red 11] and what I’ve done for years. That’s still what I have the desire to do. I love taking someone that is in the beginning of the career where there’s a spark and building that artist to a high level—and growing with them.”
Kudelka joined CAA in 2022. Now he splits his time between Austin and CAA’s Nashville office.
“It’s been exciting. I’ve been thrilled with the transition and I’m really excited about what’s to come,” Kudelka says. “It’s been a big change for me, coming from a very small agency to something this large, but it’s been great.”
Kudelka has been instrumental in Johnson’s rise to success. He worked to strategize, book, negotiate and coordinate Johnson’s recent headline run, resulting in him selling around 500,000 tickets in 2022 and being named one of the top Country Touring Acts of the year. Johnson ranked No. 70 among Pollstar’s Top North American Tours for 2022 and No. 88 for Worldwide Tours in 2022, while being ranked No. 8 among the country artists in these charts.
“It’s been incredible. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of,” he says of working with Johnson. “When I committed to working with Cody and his manager, I had just seen him in Austin. There may have been 40 people in the crowd. To see that thing through from that point—growing him through clubs and larger rooms to now playing all the major arenas and some stadiums—it’s been incredible.
“Cody, like a lot of my artists, has built his fanbase through hard tickets on the road. That was always a focus of his and his team,” Kudelka says.
Randall King performs. Photo: Evan DeStefano
Wetzel, another one of Kudelka’s clients, also had a big year in touring, selling more than 380,000 tickets on his recent run. Wetzel was ranked No. 121 on Pollstar’s Top North American Tours list for 2022 and No. 157 on the 2022 Worldwide Tours list.
Additionally, Kudelka also works with Kolby Cooper, Pecos & The Rooftops and Randall King to center their careers around connecting with fans through touring, dedicating a massive amount of time and energy to being on the road. Through this strategy, they have all consistently been listed on the Pollstar Live 75 chart and Global Concert Pulse charts.
Though Kudelka spends a lot of time in Music City now, he is still very passionate about contributing to the thriving music business scene in Austin. He has been involved with organizations such as the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy within their Grammy U Program and the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association within The Texas Songwriter U Program, as well as being a member of the Inaugural Class for ATX Leadership in 2018.
“Austin is still home,” Kudelka says. “The Nashville office is my home team.”
CAA Promotes Karen Schillinger & Five Others To Agent
/by Liza AndersonKaren Schillinger
CAA has promoted Nashville-based Karen Schillinger to Agent in the Music Touring department. The agency has also elevated five others within various departments.
Schillinger joined CAA as an assistant in 2017 and was promoted to Booking Professional in 2022. She joined the Elevate program, the agency’s next-generation training and practical development curriculum, in 2023. Schillinger graduated from Cornell University, where she received a degree in policy analysis and management.
Additionally, Yasi Agahnia has been promoted to Agent in the Music Touring area’s Private Events division and Abe Coelho has been promoted to Agent in the Media Finance department in CAA’s Los Angeles office. Logan Binstock has been elevated to Agent as well. Erik Toral has also been promoted in the Los Angeles office to Agent and Executive in Global Client Strategy along with Ryan Quint, who has risen to Agent in the Comedy Touring department.
Alabama’s June Jam Makes Triumphant Return To Fort Payne
/by Lorie HollabaughAlabama, Chapel Hart, The Isaacs, Jamey Johnson, Mark Wills and Janie Fricke perform live at 2023 June Jam. Photo: Cooper Smith
The resurrection of Alabama‘s iconic June Jam this year was a big success, drawing nearly 11,000 fans to their hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama on June 3.
The return of the sold out festival, last held in 1997, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for future grants for those in need of disaster relief. Collectively through the years, June Jam has raised over 20 million dollars for worthy causes.
Alabama’s Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry remember bandmate Jeff Cook during public memorial service preceding June Jam. Photo: Cooper Smith
Held at the VFW Fairgrounds, this year’s jam featured performances by Alabama, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Frontmen (Richie McDonald, formerly of Lonestar; Tim Rushlow, formerly of Little Texas; Larry Stewart of Restless Heart), Chapel Hart, The Isaacs, Worth The Wait, Exile, Mark Wills, Neal McCoy, Home Free, Janie Fricke, The Malpass Brothers, Dee Jay Silver and a special appearance by Randy Travis.
“It was great to see the local community excited about the Jam again,” says Alabama’s Teddy Gentry. “It was a great event to bring back, once again, to help a few charities as well.”
The performance portion of June Jam was preceded by a public memorial service for the late Jeff Cook, who passed away last November following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s.
“I think Jeff would have been proud of having another Jam,” explains Gentry. “His celebration of life to kick things off was a wonderful time to reflect on all the good times we have shared over the years. We miss you.”
June Jam was created by Alabama and has brought some of the biggest names in country together for charity. The first June Jam benefit concert took place in 1982 and it continued annually for 16 years, making it one of the biggest country events in the nation. Performers in previous years include Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, The Judds, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Wayne Newton, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson and many more.
Jake Owen performs at 2023 June Jam. Photo: Cooper Smith
Randy Travis, accompanied by wife Mary, makes special appearance at 2023 June Jam. Photo: Cooper Smith
Alabama’s Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen perform live for nearly 11,000 fans at the 2023 June Jam. Photo: Cooper Smith
Warner Chappell Partners With Space Colonel Publishing, Signs Beau Bedford
/by Caela GriffinPictured (L-R): Adam Barnes (SC), J.R. Denson (SC), Beau Bedford, Ben Vaughn (WCM), Benji Amaefule (WCM)
Warner Chappell Music (WCM) and Space Colonel Publishing have established a new partnership with Beau Bedford as their first signing. This new partnership is designed to identify, develop and support groundbreaking songwriters on a global scale.
As a producer, writer, guitarist and pianist, Bedford has worked across genres with a long list of collaborators including Orville Peck, Diplo, Tanner Usrey, Zella Day and Shane Smith & The Saints. He also has a long-standing partnership with Paul Cauthen, producing or co-producing three of his full-length albums. The duo recently collaborated on Cauthen’s forthcoming album and released two singles, “Home Team” and “Wild Man,” which are receiving wide acclaim from critics and fans.
Space Colonel Management and its founders, Adam Barnes and J.R. Denson, along with Bedford, established Space Colonel Publishing to discover and nurture songwriters in the very environment where their creativity thrives, acting as a vital bridge between their artistic creations and the vast global partnerships needed to unleash their full potential.
Emily Shackelton Testifies On Behalf Of NSAI
/by LB CantrellEmily Shackelton. Photo: Courtesy of NSAI
Nashville songwriter Emily Shackelton, whose credits include “What He Didn’t Do” and “Every Little Thing,” spoke on behalf of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) today (June 21) in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
Shackelton is also a member of NSAI’s Board of Directors. At the hearing, she addressed Chairman Darrell Edward Issa and Henry C. “Hank” Johnson. Read her full statement below.
SongwritingWith:Soldiers To Host Songwriters Round At 3rd & Lindsley
/by Lorie HollabaughNonprofit SongwritingWith:Soldiers will host a writers’ round Wednesday, June 28 at 3rd & Lindsley featuring hit songwriters Danny Myrick, Gary Nicholson, Gary Burr and Jay Clementi.
Collectively, the writers have had cuts by Jason Aldean Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Fleetwood Mac, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Ringo Starr and more. They will be performing some hits along with songs they’ve written with veterans at retreats across the country at SongwritingWith:Soldiers events. The program is designed to help soldiers tell their story, and based on a study by Harvard, even helps with PTSD and depression.
All ticket sales will go to support the nonprofit’s transformative work. Since its founding in 2012, SW:S has served more than 2,000 combat veterans through retreats and partnership programs, and more than 1,000 songs have been written. In 2023 alone, the organization will write with more than 1,000 veterans.
Blake Chaffin Signs With Round Hill Music
/by Liza AndersonPictured (L-R): Round Hill’s Mike Whelan, Blake Chaffin, Round Hill’s Lindsay Will and Taylor Antle. Photo: Courtesy of Round Hill Music
Blake Chaffin has signed an exclusive publishing deal with Round Hill Music.
The Kansas native has had cuts with Brantley Gilbert, Corey Kent, Logan Mize, Rodney Atkins and more.
Round Hill Music Nashville has celebrated over 70 No. 1 songs since opening in 2014. Chaffin joins their songwriting roster consisting of Adam Sanders, Danielle Blakey, Jared James Nichols, Kevin Griffin, Nathan Wilson, Renee Blair, Zach Crowell and 4 Horsemen Music (Blair Daly, Marti Frederiksen, Scott Stevens and Zac Maloy).
“We are so excited to welcome Blake to the Round Hill family and are honored to be part of his career,” says Round Hill Sr. Director of A&R, Lindsay Will. “He has the ability to craft powerful songs along with an incredible work ethic and enthusiasm for the music community. I’m so excited to see what he accomplishes.”
“We are so excited to work with Blake,” adds Round Hill General Manager/SVP of A&R, Mike Whelan. “He will be a huge asset to the Round Hill team!”
“I have been incredibly fortunate to be part of the Nashville songwriting community for the past 20 years. Today, I feel more excited and alive than ever as I embark on the next chapter of my career with the exceptional team at Round Hill,” shares Chaffin. “Teaming up with Lindsay Will, Taylor Antle and Mike Whelan is a true honor, as they are truly first-class.”
Dolly Scores Second Straight Rock Chart-Topper With ‘Bygones’
/by Lorie HollabaughDolly Parton debuted at No. 1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Songs Chart this week with her song “Bygones,” scoring her second straight self-penned, rock chart-topper.
The track is her latest single from her upcoming anticipated Rockstar album, available Nov. 17 on Butterfly Records with distribution by Big Machine Label Group. “Bygones” features Rob Halford with special guests Nikki Sixx & John 5.
“I am so excited to see the response ‘Bygones’ is receiving! To debut at No. 1 on the Rock charts is such a thrill for me, and it makes it even sweeter to share this with Rob, Nikki, and John 5,” says Parton. “I also have to recognize my coproducer on the album and cowriter on this song, Kent Wells, who helped me bring this song to life. I am a happy girl today!”
“Bygones” follows the lead single from Rockstar, “World On Fire,” another Parton original, that became the album’s first No. 1 when it peaked atop Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart in May.
“It’s been a career-long goal to work with Dolly and when we heard she was nominated for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, we called management and said, ‘hopefully, this is our time!’” says Big Machine Label Group Chairman Scott Borchetta. “We are so proud to deliver her first Rock Radio No. 1!”
Parton will head to London next week to conduct a European media blitz of appearances in support of Rockstar.
CAA’s Chad Kudelka: A Texas Troubadour Making Waves In Nashville [Interview]
/by LB CantrellChad Kudelka
Last spring, veteran Texas music agent Chad Kudelka joined CAA as an Agent in the company’s Music Touring department.
Kudelka came to CAA from Red 11 Music, the Nashville and Austin-based agency he co-founded. Now, with a roster that includes Cody Johnson, Koe Wetzel, Wade Bowen, Kolby Cooper, Pecos & The Rooftops, Randall King, Roger Creager and Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kudelka is a leader in both markets.
Wade Bowen
Growing up in Texas, Kudelka was born for the role. His career inadvertently started with his relationship with his childhood best friend, now prominent singer-songwriter Wade Bowen.
“We grew up together. We went to school together from our first day of school to high school. He’s like family to me,” Kudelka tells MusicRow.
When Bowen started college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Kudelka found himself in Austin and the University of Texas. When Bowen’s music career started taking off his sophomore year of college, he called his best friend for advice.
“He said, ‘Hey, I need some help getting off the ground. I know you love music. I need someone to help me get organized for a few months while I figure this out.'”
Kudelka agreed and the rest is history. “Here I am still doing this,” he says. “He’s one of my best friends. We lean on each other. I blame and thank him every day for asking that question and bringing me into the music business.”
Cody Johnson performs in Las Vegas. Photo: Jay Trevino
When they were starting out, Kudelka and Bowen learned the music business as they went, all while they were completing their college educations.
“We just started trying to pick up shows where we could and follow the tracks of some other [artists] that were doing it in clubs. We were begging for opportunities and trying to do the best job we could,” Kudelka says. “Every day, every week and every month we were learning, connecting and networking from the ground up.”
Eventually, Kudelka started independently representing several other artists.
“When I graduated, I was booking around half-dozen artists, along with Wade,” Kudelka says. “After two years of doing it, I settled on the fact that I had a roster, I was enjoying it and it was working. I knew I was going to give it a shot.”
He eventually went to work at regional/boutique agency Austin Universal Entertainment in 2002. He was intrigued by the company’s history, as its founder Greg Henry had a similar path to the music business that he grew from beginning his career working with Texas maverick Pat Green.
“They had a pretty extensive roster at the time and were doing well regionally,” Kudelka says. “Mutual friends got us connected and it allowed me to take what I was doing by myself and expand with an agency that had a staff to learn from.”
Koe Wetzel performs. Photo: Bubba Sellers
After some time with AUE, Kudelka co-founded Red 11 Music in 2009 with Jon Folk. Serving as a Co-Owner/Partner, he helped to develop the agency over a 13-year span.
“It just made sense at the time to start [Red 11] together and see where it went. I stayed in Austin and ran the office, he ran the Nashville branch and off we went,” Kudelka says.
When asked what he is most proud of from his time at Red 11, Kudelka says it’s developing artists.
“Building acts from the ground up,” he says. “That’s a lot of what we did [at Red 11] and what I’ve done for years. That’s still what I have the desire to do. I love taking someone that is in the beginning of the career where there’s a spark and building that artist to a high level—and growing with them.”
Kudelka joined CAA in 2022. Now he splits his time between Austin and CAA’s Nashville office.
“It’s been exciting. I’ve been thrilled with the transition and I’m really excited about what’s to come,” Kudelka says. “It’s been a big change for me, coming from a very small agency to something this large, but it’s been great.”
Kudelka has been instrumental in Johnson’s rise to success. He worked to strategize, book, negotiate and coordinate Johnson’s recent headline run, resulting in him selling around 500,000 tickets in 2022 and being named one of the top Country Touring Acts of the year. Johnson ranked No. 70 among Pollstar’s Top North American Tours for 2022 and No. 88 for Worldwide Tours in 2022, while being ranked No. 8 among the country artists in these charts.
“It’s been incredible. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of,” he says of working with Johnson. “When I committed to working with Cody and his manager, I had just seen him in Austin. There may have been 40 people in the crowd. To see that thing through from that point—growing him through clubs and larger rooms to now playing all the major arenas and some stadiums—it’s been incredible.
“Cody, like a lot of my artists, has built his fanbase through hard tickets on the road. That was always a focus of his and his team,” Kudelka says.
Randall King performs. Photo: Evan DeStefano
Wetzel, another one of Kudelka’s clients, also had a big year in touring, selling more than 380,000 tickets on his recent run. Wetzel was ranked No. 121 on Pollstar’s Top North American Tours list for 2022 and No. 157 on the 2022 Worldwide Tours list.
Additionally, Kudelka also works with Kolby Cooper, Pecos & The Rooftops and Randall King to center their careers around connecting with fans through touring, dedicating a massive amount of time and energy to being on the road. Through this strategy, they have all consistently been listed on the Pollstar Live 75 chart and Global Concert Pulse charts.
Though Kudelka spends a lot of time in Music City now, he is still very passionate about contributing to the thriving music business scene in Austin. He has been involved with organizations such as the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy within their Grammy U Program and the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association within The Texas Songwriter U Program, as well as being a member of the Inaugural Class for ATX Leadership in 2018.
“Austin is still home,” Kudelka says. “The Nashville office is my home team.”
Ashley Cooke To Take A ‘Shot In The Dark’ On July 21
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Courtesy of Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music
Ashley Cooke will release her debut album, Shot in the Dark, on July 21 via Big Loud Records.
Cooke revealed the album plans in a surprise moment at the Grand Ole Opry last night (June 20), and treated fans to the first live performance of the closing track “state i’m in.” This Friday (June 23), Cooke will share three tracks from the new project: “Tastes Like,” “Shot in the Dark” and “Mean Girl (feat. Colbie Caillat).”
The project features collaborations with not only Caillat, but also Nate Smith, Jackson Dean and Brett Young. With 24 tracks unfolding as if they were ripped from the pages of her journal, Cooke shares her sun-kissed blend of pop country in tales of love, heartbreak and all the moments in between. Capturing the spirit of a twenty-something unafraid to chase her dreams, the album invites listeners to join her as she jumps into the whirlwind of life’s roller coaster. Writers contributing to the collection include Emily Weisband, Corey Crowder, Lainey Wilson, Jordan Minton and more.
“The last year of my life has been crazy and wonderful in so many ways, but I think the next year might be even better…” shared Cooke from the coveted Opry Circle. “It’s been full of bucket list moments for me… I made my Opry debut, signed my first deals, went on tours with my heroes, and lived a lot of life in the moments in between. This album is about all of that—and it’s about the magic that can come if you really take risks in life and love. It’s a huge honor to announce my debut album at a place that means so much to me. So, without further ado on July 21, I’ll release my first album Shot in the Dark, and I can’t wait for each of you to hear it. Thank you to everyone who helped get me here, and thank you for making me feel so safe to take a shot in the dark.”
Scott & Julie De Vos To Receive The 2023 CRB President’s Award
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. will recognize Scott and Julie De Vos of De Lux Productions with the 2023 CRB President’s Award.
Scott and Julie De Vos have been the driving force behind the scenes for 26 years, spearheading and managing production across the multitude of live music events over the three days during the Country Radio Seminar.
The presentation of the CRB President’s Award will take place during the 2023 Country Radio Hall of Fame event July 10 at the Virgin Hotel Nashville. Six radio professionals will be honored, including off-air broadcasters Pam Green, Charlie Morgan, Wade Jessen and John Willyard, and on-air personalities Trish Biondo and Dollar Bill Wilson.
The CRB President’s Award is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and played a vital role in shaping the success of CRS and its mission to advance the country radio format. Previous recipients of the award include industry luminaries such as John Esposito, Beverlee Brannigan, Sarah Trahern, Mike Dungan, Charlie Morgan, Bob Kingsley, Joe Galante and Erica Farber, among others.
“If you’ve been to CRS, you have enjoyed the work of Scott and Julie,” says CRB/CRS Board President Kurt Johnson. “For many years, they’ve produced New Faces, the label luncheons…all our live music events. Now it’s time to put Scott and Julie in the spotlight. Joins us and raise a toast to two great people who make CRS go!”