Robert Deaton. Photo: John Shearer
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.
A highly respected television producer and award-winning director, Robert Deaton’s career has skyrocketed from launching a pioneering video production company, in which he created more than 500 music videos for a variety of chart-topping artists, to producing some of the most successful properties on network television.
Since 2007, he’s served as executive producer of the CMA Awards on ABC. He is a two-time Emmy winner for ABC’s Monday Night Football opening. Deaton is at the helm of CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas, annual network shows that are consistently high in the ratings and spotlight the broad appeal that places country music at the forefront of American culture. Deaton produced Sports Illustrated: 50 Years of Beautiful on NBC, as well as the “Soul to Soul Las Vegas” residency for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. He was executive producer of The Passion with Tyler Perry for Fox Broadcasting and currently serves as executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards on NBC.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
Fayetteville, North Carolina. Although when I was smaller, I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Were you musical as a kid?
Yeah, I grew up playing in bands, playing guitar and playing in orchestras. I started playing trumpet in the fourth grade and then was in garage bands all through high school. One of my best friends is actually a famous musician now, he’s the lead guitar player for Widespread Panic. We played together in bands growing up.
Robert Deaton and Walter C. Miller, longtime director/producer for CMA Awards. Photo: Courtesy of CMA
What was your dream then?
The dream was always, from the very beginning, to be in the entertainment industry. I had no other dream. I’ve been around this since I can remember. Any memory that I have [from childhood] was always in a theater or at a TV station. My father was in radio and television. He was a celebrity anchor at WECT TV, which was Channel 6 in Wilmington, North Carolina. On Friday nights, he had a country music show that all the Grand Ole Opry cast would come through to play if they were in the region. I can remember as a kid going to a Jerry Lee Lewis concert and sitting beside Jerry Lee when I was six years old.
The whole time I was growing up, I was all about getting out of school. I was just in a hurry. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to be doing in entertainment, I just knew I was going be doing something. So from elementary school on, it was about getting done so I could move to Nashville.
Deaton, The CMA’s Sarah Trahern, Darius Rucker and Little Big Town reveal the nominees for the 48th CMA Awards on Good Morning America. Photo: Courtesy of Deaton
What happened when you finally got to Nashville?
Johnny Rosen had this company called Fanta Sound. He was teaching audio over at Vanderbilt and I was taking all of his classes. Then I started getting into photography and started going to up to Maine for the Maine Photographic Workshops. The doors started opening first on the TV side.
One of my first gigs working in this industry was when I was a production assistant on the Crisco commercials with Loretta Lynn out in Hurricane Mills. One week I worked on that and then the next week I did something over at the old RCA building with Jerry Reed. I thought, “I have made it!” I was a 19 year old kid and one week I was hanging out at Hurricane Mills with Loretta and the next week, Jerry Reed.
What was your path from there?
I got offered a job at Channel 2. I was in the news for the first year and then the next couple of years I was in the marketing department, shooting all their promos and marketing. That was a great experience.
I stayed there a couple of years and then I met a guy named George Flanigen. We started a company called Deaton Flanigen Productions and we did probably 300 music videos. We were doing music videos for Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Alabama and Diamond Rio. George and I were fortunate enough to win two CMA Video of the Year awards. One for “Independence Day” with Martina and one for “Believe” with Brooks & Dunn. It was great fun. We created “Are You Ready for Some Football?” for ABC. We were doing lots of commercials and marketing promos for syndicated TV shows.
It was going really well but times change and things shift. When streaming came in, the business shifted, so I knew I needed to make a transition of some kind. I got on the board at the CMA and that was a big life change for me because of all these great people on the board. Donna Hilly, Joe Galante, Connie Bradley and Kitty Moon were on the board. Eventually they made me the chairman of the TV committee. That’s how I started working on the CMA Awards.
Kelsea Ballerini, Robert Deaton. Photo: Courtesy of Deaton
How did that happen?
All these board members [I was surrounded by] were trailblazers, so I was trying to figure out a way to contribute. I decided my way to contribute was to try to make the CMA Music Festival into a television broadcast. I went and shot sizzle reel at what I think was our second year at the stadium after we shifted from the fairgrounds. I shot it and put together a pitch piece. I flew out to LA and pitched it to CBS and they bought it.
I was doing that to contribute, I wasn’t necessarily doing that to actually produce a show. It was Larry Fitzgerald that said I should be the one that produces it. They voted on it and that was my first network show, The CMA Music Festival. So I started producing the festival and then a couple years later, they asked me to do the awards. I’ve been doing the awards ever since. I also created the CMA Christmas show, so I went from doing one television broadcast to three, which has been great.
Do you have time for anything else?
I’m always trying to shift and reinvent. A couple of years ago, I did my first film which was called Benched. I’m currently working on two other movies right now, one for next year. Also, the doors have opened back into the music recording process. The first project that I did was a Christmas record for Michael W. Smith called The Spirit of Christmas. This past year, all year long, I’ve worked on an album called Stoned Cold Country. That’s a 60th anniversary celebration and tribute to the Rolling Stones.
It’s not necessarily about the medium, but it’s always about how can you reinvent yourself from a creative standpoint? What is it that you haven’t done before? I feel like you always have to put yourself, as a creative person, into uncomfortable situations. You really have to put yourself into a place where you’re like, “What have I gotten myself into? I’m not sure I know how to do this.” Then you go through all those feelings of self doubt. You want those feelings as a creative person because it pushes you to make great work.
Willie Nelson, Robert Deaton. Photo: Courtesy of Deaton
Do you have any stories you’d like to share about a time you’ve felt a lot of self-doubt but prevailed?
The one that is at always at the forefront of my mind is the most important creative endeavor that I’ve ever been a part of: the 50th anniversary open of the CMA Awards. I told you how I grew up. This genre is important to me. The 50th anniversary open was the most important thing that I’ve ever done, and I also felt like it was important to the industry and to us as country music. I had to get that right.
It was the most nerve-wracking disaster in rehearsal that you’ve ever seen in your life. A lot of these people hadn’t been on TV in 20 years. We are surrounded by greatness with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, Roy Clark, Charley Pride, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and Charlie Daniels. It had to work like clockwork in order for it to work and it was the worst rehearsal of all time. I remember walking on stage with my head down and thinking, “Buddy, you have bitten off more than you can chew this time.” I hear a voice that goes, “Looked better on paper, didn’t it?” I looked up and it’s Vince Gill. He is laughing and he goes, “It’s going to be alright.” [Laughs]
We never finished it from beginning to end during rehearsal. The only time that we ever saw that performance from beginning to end without stopping was live on the air. I was praying, “Please, Lord, let us get through this.” We got through it and I literally busted out crying. I was so proud.
If someone were to ask you how to get a job like yours, what would you tell them?
Well, I want to keep it for a while. [Laughs]
I think that you have to do your one hundred thousand hours. This position here is not 10,000 hours. This is hundreds of thousands of hours. I do feel like I’m unique because of the experiences that I’ve been able to go through. I experienced Buck Owens, Jerry Lee Lewis and the stars of the Grand Ole Opry at a young age. I was 12 years old backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. I would be in the dressing room asking Jack Greene, “How did you record ‘Statue Of A Fool’ with only four tracks? How did you do that back then?” I can hear an Everly Brothers record and tell you who played on that record. I know the history. I know where we came from. I knew, adored and loved Jo Walker-Meador here at the CMA. There’s practically not a country song that I don’t know the lyrics to if it was a hit from the ’40s on. I think in order to do this job well, you’ve gotta know all that. It’s better to know the history for you to make decisions in the present.
It means everything to me. Doing this job at this time means everything in the world to me. Other than my family, it’s the most important thing that I do.
Cole Swindell Lights Up The Mother Church During Two-Night Ryman Debut
/by Lydia FarthingCole Swindell. Photo: Ethan Helms
After ten years, countless shows and 12 trips to the top of the country charts, Cole Swindell made his triumphant Ryman debut with a pair of sold out, back-to-back shows on Nov. 2 and 3 as part of his “Back Down To The Bar Tour.”
Preceded by rising singer-songwriter Dylan Marlowe and Big Loud newcomer Ashley Cooke, Swindell hit the stage hard on Wednesday night (Nov. 2), which had all the trimmings of a real bar, including an everglowing open sign, a set of taps and barstools and a full-size pool table which the bass player took up his residency on.
Opening with an explosive performance of his Dierks Bentley-graced “Flatliner” from 2017, the crowd was quickly sent reeling when Bentley appeared seemingly out of thin air to carry his parts of the tune. Promising the Nashville crowd a special night, Swindell ripped into his 2014 debut single, “Chillin’ It,” noting that he could’ve never dreamed that he would be singing the song to a sold out crowd at the Ryman on the day he wrote it.
From there it was off to the races as the south Georgia native fired off into many of his dozen No. 1s and obvious fan-favorites, like “Love You Too Late,” “Single Saturday Night,” “I Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” and more, all of which the crowd roared back with deafening eagerness. He also took a moment to play “How Is She,” one of the radio-ready tracks from his recently released fourth studio album, Stereotype, as well as the project’s title track.
Cole Swindell & Dierks Bentley. Photo: Ethan Helms
After a swaying rendition of “Middle Of A Memory,” Swindell explained that the night was a full circle moment for him, seeing as he used to play in every bar on always-bustling Broadway street just outside the walls of the Ryman. On the note of bars, Swindell took the opportunity to rip off into some of party songs from over the years, which included a medley of “Brought To You By Beer,” “No Can Left Behind” and “Reason To Drink” before taking a shot with the Nashville crowd.
The Warner Music Nashville recording artist later recounted his journey to Nashville and how he fell in love with songwriting, explaining that he “wouldn’t be here without the songs [he’s] written,” and crediting them with getting his name out there and more than likely landing him his record deal. Giving the audience bits of some of his biggest hits as a songwriter, the multi-Platinum wordsmith shot into Thomas Rhett‘s “Get Me Some Of That,” which earned him his first No. 1 and with whom he’ll be hitting the road with in 2023; Luke Bryan‘s “Roller Coaster;” and Florida Georgia Line‘s “This Is How We Roll.”
To pile on the special moments of the show, Swindell offered up an unreleased track called “Sad Ass Country Song” that is sure to be one of his next big hits seeing as the crowd was eating up every second of the “walkin’, ‘talkin’, honky tonkin'” tune.
However, no moment could top what was to come as Swindell took a second to address the crowd, as well as put a spotlight on the many familiar faces in the audience, including friends, family, his team and more. One person who he noted who not there, though, was his mother who passed away in September of 2021.
“Tonight every song that we’re singing means something and I can promise you that no one here has heard this one. I debated whether or not to do it because I don’t know if I can get through it,” he offered. “If I’m going to sing a song for the very first time ever, I want to sing it right here at the Ryman.”
Lauren Alaina & Cole Swindell. Photo: Ethan Helms
Written alongside Chase McGill and Bobby Pinson, the gut-wrenching track gives a light-hearted warning of what the man upstairs should expect as Swindell’s mom makes her way there. Aptly titled “Heads Up Heaven,” the piano-backed track ends with the touching “She’s always wanted to meet you face to face / Heads up heaven, there’s a good one headed your way.”
After tearfully making it through the vulnerable song, Swindell gave the Mother Church of Country Music a one-two punch, going straight into the 2016 weeper “You Should Be Here,” which he wrote in honor of his late father. The packed house carried Swindell through the final chorus, armed with their phone flashlights and singing it back to him without missing a beat.
“People ask, ‘How do you get through those songs every night?’ Honestly, it’s because of you guys. You all need to hear it just as much as I do. I know I’m not the only one who’s lost someone I love.” He continued, “For me, country music has always reminded me that I’m not alone. There’s people out there that feel just like I do… I’ve got your back because you’ve had mine for the last ten years.”
Leading in to the last stretch of the setlist, Swindell popped back on stage for his fiery duet “Never Say Never,” with American Idol alum Lauren Alaina filling in for Lainey Wilson. He followed it with a pair of hits from his debut, self-titled album, “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” and “Let Me See You Girl.”
The avid ’90s country fan broke out into a medley of greatest hits from the celebrated decade of country music, including “Neon Moon” (Brooks & Dunn), “Carrying Your Love With Me” (George Strait), “Pickup Man” (Joe Diffie), “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” (Toby Keith), “Be My Baby Tonight” (John Michael Montgomery) and “Ain’t Going Down (Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks), all leading up to the night’s big finale.
Pictured (L-R): Shane Tarleton (EVP Artist Development, Warner Music Nashville); Kerri Edwards (Founder / President, KP Entertainment); Ben Kline (Co-President, Warner Music Nashville); Cole Swindell; Cris Lacy (Co-President, Warner Music Nashville); Kristen Williams (SVP Radio, Warner Music Nashville); Tim Foisset (SVP Streaming, Warner Music Nashville) Photo: Alan Poizner
After the stage went dark for a moment, the all too familiar sound of Jo Dee Messina‘s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” came through the speakers, earning a shriek of excitement from the crowd. Swindell blasted off into his 12th No. 1 hit, “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” which also marks his fastest trip to the top spot at country radio at just 12 weeks. The five-week No. 1 has racked up more than 250 million streams, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA just before the sold out show.
Ahead of the show, the Warner Nashville team also surprised Swindell with a plethora of certifications, including “Single Saturday Night” (Platinum), “Break Up In The End” (2x Platinum), “You Should Be Here” (3x Platinum), his sophomore project You Should Be Here (Platinum) and his third album All of It (Gold).
Marty Stuart To Mark 30 Years As An Opry Member With Special Appearance
/by Lorie HollabaughMarty Stuart is celebrating 30 years as a Grand Ole Opry member and five decades in Nashville with a special appearance on the Opry stage on Saturday, Nov. 26.
The appearance will come just days after the Country Music Hall of Famer is inducted into the prestigious Musician’s Hall of Fame. The Grammy-winner made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry at 13, just one week after joining Country Music Hall of Famer and Opry member Lester Flatt’s bluegrass band as a mandolin player. Twenty years later, Stuart was inducted into the Opry family on Nov. 28, 1992.
“When something exciting would start happenin’ on stage, the crowd would gather,” recalls Stuart about that first performance on the Opry at 13. “When we got through and we encored, I looked around. There was Tex Ritter and Mr. Acuff and all the Smoky Mountain Boys and Jeanne Pruett. And Lester was just beaming,” Stuart recalls. “It was so great because they all gave me their mark of approval then. They went on to be my friends. My peers were instantly Stringbean and Ernest and Mr. Acuff and Grandpa and folks like that. We had a lot of fun together.”
Other artists set to appear on the show to celebrate Stuart include The Del McCoury Band, Gary Mule Deer, Stuart’s band The Fabulous Superlatives, a debut by Jontavius Willis, and more. Tickets are on sale now.
Fans not able to attend can tune in for a one-hour portion of the night’s show airing at 8 p.m. CT and at 11 p.m. CT, as Opry Live hosted by Bill Cody on Circle Television. The show will livestream via Circle’s social channels and can be heard on SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse channel 59. The shows will air in their entirety on WSM Radio and opry.com/wsmonline.com.
SiriusXM also welcomes Stuart as “Opry House Guest DJ” on Outlaw Country (Ch. 60), hosting four-hours of hand-picked selections and stories from throughout his career.
Brittney Spencer Signs With Elektra, Releases Debut EP
/by Lorie HollabaughBrittney Spencer. Photo: Rachel Deeb
Brittney Spencer has signed a label deal with Elektra and released her debut EP, If I Ever Get There: A Day At Blackbird Studio, via her new label home. The project serves as a taste of what’s to come and a gift to her fans as she records her full-length, debut album.
“We were instantly moved by Brittney’s astounding talent and infectious spirit as soon as we met her,” notes Breanna Duncan, Senior Manager of A&R, Elektra. “She has a natural ability to connect with listeners with her brilliant vocal delivery and her gift at capturing emotions through her songwriting is just remarkable. Brittney Spencer is an absolute gem in the music scene and we couldn’t be more excited that she has chosen Elektra as her label home.”
The three-track EP produced by Daniel Tashian includes the lead single, a cover of The Chick’s “Cowboy Take Me Away,” which has become a staple at Spencer’s live shows. The collection also boasts two standout originals, the coy breakup ballad “Better As Friends,” penned by Spencer and Hailey Whitters, and the heart-wrenching “A Hundred Years,” which she co-wrote alongside Ashley Ray and Sean McConnell.
“Last month, I spent a day at Blackbird Studio recording a live EP,” Spencer shared on socials. “These three songs are some of my favorites to perform live, and they reflect a lot of where my head and heart have been lately–a little sad girl fall, a little gleeful nostalgia. I’ve been touring with some of my absolute heroes, getting to partner with brands I love like Victoria’s Secret (like, what?!), and just being a person feeling my way through my ever-changing, stupid life. Still, writing and creating music has been my honest guide, my emotional safety and my best companion this year, my album is close to finished now! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this musical timestamp my friends and I made at Blackbird.”
“Brittney Spencer is a very special artist, songwriter and person. We are honored that she has put her trust in the Activist team to manage her quickly developing career,” says Matt Maher, Founding Partner of Activist Artists Management.
Activist Partner Caitlin Stone adds, “We are excited for Brittney to begin releasing music and are thrilled for Elektra Records to be her label home. She is so incredibly talented, which is more than evident on this EP, and we can’t wait for her full-length debut album.”
The announcement follows a monumental year for Spencer, who was recently unveiled as one of the faces of Victoria’s Secret’s Undefineable global campaign alongside Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Bethann Hardison, Rose Namajunas, and more. The Baltimore native released her breakout single “Sober & Skinny” independently in 2021, which garnered more than 2 million streams.
A Hundred Years Old (Brittney Spencer, Ashley Ray, Sean McConnell)
Better As Friends (Brittney Spencer, Hailey Whitters)
Cowboy Take Me Away (Marcus Hummon, Martha Seidel Maguire)
Jason Aldean Tops MusicRow Radio Chart
/by Alex ParryJason Aldean earns his second MusicRow No. 1 of 2022 with “That’s What Tequila Does.” The single was penned by Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy and John Morgan and appears on his double album Macon, Georgia. MusicRow sat down with Aldean to discuss the making of his 10th studio album. Read the full interview here.
Aldean recently brought his “Rock N Roll Cowboy Tour” to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena entertaining a full house. Read the full recap here.
At this year’s CMA Awards, Aldean is nominated alongside Carrie Underwood for Musical Event of the Year for their duet with “If I Didn’t Love You.” The 56th CMA Awards will air live from Nashville next Wednesday (Nov. 9) at 8:00 PM on ABC.
Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Nicolle Galyon Celebrates Debut Album ‘Firstborn’ With Special Show
/by Liza AndersonNicolle Galyon at An Evening With Nicolle Galyon. Photo: Rachel Deeb.
Music lovers came together for An Evening With Nicolle Galyon at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater on Tuesday (Nov. 1). The special live show celebrated award-winning songwriter Nicolle Galyon and her debut album Firstborn, which premiered in July of this year.
Galyon shared the stage with many fellow Nashville writers throughout the evening, all of whom took the time to describe the impact she’s had on their writing and careers. Each one played and told the stories behind their music, showcasing their creativity and innovation. Together with Galyon, they created an intimate and comforting atmosphere.
Rising artist-songwriters Tiera Kennedy, Lauren Watkins, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Carter Faith kicked off the night, singing their songs as well as their praises of the Songs & Daughters label head.
“Nicolle has taught me so much about writing songs, being myself, and standing my ground in this industry. I cannot say enough about her,” said Watkins.
She then performed “Sleeping in My Makeup,” and finished with the clever track “Shirley Temple,” a song she wrote with Galyon and Meg McRee.
“I just spent a weekend with Nicolle at a writer’s retreat and as a young female artist, it’s really cool to see how she literally does it all. She’s an artist, mom, business owner, label and publishing executive, and still gets home in time to put her kids to bed. It’s really cool to see, and really cool to learn from,” shared Carpenter.
With her brother and fellow songwriter Micah Carpenter on guitar, she tickled the room with “Huntin’ Season,” written by the siblings alongside the woman of the hour. She also performed her debut single “Can’t Nobody.”
An Evening With Nicolle Galyon. Photo: Rachel Deebs.
Next on the mic was Kennedy, who gestured to the stage behind her and led the crowd in applauding the musician accompanying the four artists. She sang “Found It In You,” dedicating the song to whoever audience members consider to be “the person who loves [them] despite all of [their] flaws, and loves [them] no matter what.”
Faith performed and shared the stories behind “Already Crazy,” out tomorrow (Nov. 4), as well as an unreleased solely self-written song influenced by Galyon.
“Nicolle is someone everyone should look up to, woman or not,” stated Faith. “She is who we all want to be as songwriters, and I think it’s amazing that she’s honoring the talent she sees in town. Her asking us to be a part of this is so special. She could’ve just played a show, she didn’t have to have us open for her. So, I just want to say thank you to her.”
She continued, saying, “Nicolle is so supportive and wants everyone to be their authentic selves. It’s so scary to release a record. The fact that she has a separate career as a songwriter and made this artist record is so special and strong. She is so strong. That is something her daughter and her son will always know about her. That is something we will always know about her.”
The headliner of the “one show tour” then took to the stage, spreading the seeds of the empowering “Sunflower.”
Recent Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Firstborn co-writer Hillary Lindsey joined Galyon in performing single “Boy Crazy,” entrancing the audience with their intertwined vocals.
“I wrote this music with an audience of two in mind, and that’s Charlie and Ford Clawson. So, the fact that there’s more than two people here is a miracle and so much fun. Sincerely, thank you for showing up,” Galyon said to the crowd.
Rodney Clawson and Nicolle Galyon at An Evening With Nicolle Galyon. Photo: Rachel Deebs.
She introduced Jimmy Robbins and King Henry, the two writers with whom she started Firstborn. After she joined them on the cozy couch upon the stage, the three of them performed “Disneyland.” Galyon and Emily Weisband shared “Consequences,” co-written by both of them, Amy Wadge, and Camila Cabello.
“I think in 2020 what I learned was that I was returning. The more I returned to myself, the more I didn’t care about the things I didn’t need to care about,” she explained while transitioning to “Self Care,” which she wrote with Sasha Sloan and Caroline Barker, who was called on stage to join her.
Galyon gave a moving performance of “Five Year Plan” alongside her husband, Rodney Clawson. A touching video filled with clips from her musical career as well as her career in motherhood projected across the front of the theater as the song rang through the room. The night continued with “Boy” and “Tendencies.” Artist Walker Hayes was the next guest onstage. He expressed his admiration of Galyon and her work, following with a performance of “AA.” Then Galyon and Hayes teamed up for their co-written track “Halloween.”
The evening wrapped with the return of Lindsey, who united with Galyon for “Younger Woman,” another track they wrote together. She concluded by thanking every co-writer on the album. Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry appeared for the final performance of the night, “If I Die Young.”
As the lights faded, the crowed begged for an encore, further confirming Galyon’s amazing talent both as an artist and a songwriter.
Rodney Clawson and son Ford Clawson at An Evening With Nicolle Galyon. Photo: Rachel Deebs.
My Music Row Story: Robert Deaton
/by LB CantrellRobert Deaton. Photo: John Shearer
A highly respected television producer and award-winning director, Robert Deaton’s career has skyrocketed from launching a pioneering video production company, in which he created more than 500 music videos for a variety of chart-topping artists, to producing some of the most successful properties on network television.
Since 2007, he’s served as executive producer of the CMA Awards on ABC. He is a two-time Emmy winner for ABC’s Monday Night Football opening. Deaton is at the helm of CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas, annual network shows that are consistently high in the ratings and spotlight the broad appeal that places country music at the forefront of American culture. Deaton produced Sports Illustrated: 50 Years of Beautiful on NBC, as well as the “Soul to Soul Las Vegas” residency for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. He was executive producer of The Passion with Tyler Perry for Fox Broadcasting and currently serves as executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards on NBC.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
Fayetteville, North Carolina. Although when I was smaller, I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Were you musical as a kid?
Yeah, I grew up playing in bands, playing guitar and playing in orchestras. I started playing trumpet in the fourth grade and then was in garage bands all through high school. One of my best friends is actually a famous musician now, he’s the lead guitar player for Widespread Panic. We played together in bands growing up.
Robert Deaton and Walter C. Miller, longtime director/producer for CMA Awards. Photo: Courtesy of CMA
What was your dream then?
The dream was always, from the very beginning, to be in the entertainment industry. I had no other dream. I’ve been around this since I can remember. Any memory that I have [from childhood] was always in a theater or at a TV station. My father was in radio and television. He was a celebrity anchor at WECT TV, which was Channel 6 in Wilmington, North Carolina. On Friday nights, he had a country music show that all the Grand Ole Opry cast would come through to play if they were in the region. I can remember as a kid going to a Jerry Lee Lewis concert and sitting beside Jerry Lee when I was six years old.
The whole time I was growing up, I was all about getting out of school. I was just in a hurry. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to be doing in entertainment, I just knew I was going be doing something. So from elementary school on, it was about getting done so I could move to Nashville.
Deaton, The CMA’s Sarah Trahern, Darius Rucker and Little Big Town reveal the nominees for the 48th CMA Awards on Good Morning America. Photo: Courtesy of Deaton
What happened when you finally got to Nashville?
Johnny Rosen had this company called Fanta Sound. He was teaching audio over at Vanderbilt and I was taking all of his classes. Then I started getting into photography and started going to up to Maine for the Maine Photographic Workshops. The doors started opening first on the TV side.
One of my first gigs working in this industry was when I was a production assistant on the Crisco commercials with Loretta Lynn out in Hurricane Mills. One week I worked on that and then the next week I did something over at the old RCA building with Jerry Reed. I thought, “I have made it!” I was a 19 year old kid and one week I was hanging out at Hurricane Mills with Loretta and the next week, Jerry Reed.
What was your path from there?
I got offered a job at Channel 2. I was in the news for the first year and then the next couple of years I was in the marketing department, shooting all their promos and marketing. That was a great experience.
I stayed there a couple of years and then I met a guy named George Flanigen. We started a company called Deaton Flanigen Productions and we did probably 300 music videos. We were doing music videos for Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Alabama and Diamond Rio. George and I were fortunate enough to win two CMA Video of the Year awards. One for “Independence Day” with Martina and one for “Believe” with Brooks & Dunn. It was great fun. We created “Are You Ready for Some Football?” for ABC. We were doing lots of commercials and marketing promos for syndicated TV shows.
It was going really well but times change and things shift. When streaming came in, the business shifted, so I knew I needed to make a transition of some kind. I got on the board at the CMA and that was a big life change for me because of all these great people on the board. Donna Hilly, Joe Galante, Connie Bradley and Kitty Moon were on the board. Eventually they made me the chairman of the TV committee. That’s how I started working on the CMA Awards.
Kelsea Ballerini, Robert Deaton. Photo: Courtesy of Deaton
How did that happen?
All these board members [I was surrounded by] were trailblazers, so I was trying to figure out a way to contribute. I decided my way to contribute was to try to make the CMA Music Festival into a television broadcast. I went and shot sizzle reel at what I think was our second year at the stadium after we shifted from the fairgrounds. I shot it and put together a pitch piece. I flew out to LA and pitched it to CBS and they bought it.
I was doing that to contribute, I wasn’t necessarily doing that to actually produce a show. It was Larry Fitzgerald that said I should be the one that produces it. They voted on it and that was my first network show, The CMA Music Festival. So I started producing the festival and then a couple years later, they asked me to do the awards. I’ve been doing the awards ever since. I also created the CMA Christmas show, so I went from doing one television broadcast to three, which has been great.
Do you have time for anything else?
I’m always trying to shift and reinvent. A couple of years ago, I did my first film which was called Benched. I’m currently working on two other movies right now, one for next year. Also, the doors have opened back into the music recording process. The first project that I did was a Christmas record for Michael W. Smith called The Spirit of Christmas. This past year, all year long, I’ve worked on an album called Stoned Cold Country. That’s a 60th anniversary celebration and tribute to the Rolling Stones.
It’s not necessarily about the medium, but it’s always about how can you reinvent yourself from a creative standpoint? What is it that you haven’t done before? I feel like you always have to put yourself, as a creative person, into uncomfortable situations. You really have to put yourself into a place where you’re like, “What have I gotten myself into? I’m not sure I know how to do this.” Then you go through all those feelings of self doubt. You want those feelings as a creative person because it pushes you to make great work.
Willie Nelson, Robert Deaton. Photo: Courtesy of Deaton
Do you have any stories you’d like to share about a time you’ve felt a lot of self-doubt but prevailed?
The one that is at always at the forefront of my mind is the most important creative endeavor that I’ve ever been a part of: the 50th anniversary open of the CMA Awards. I told you how I grew up. This genre is important to me. The 50th anniversary open was the most important thing that I’ve ever done, and I also felt like it was important to the industry and to us as country music. I had to get that right.
It was the most nerve-wracking disaster in rehearsal that you’ve ever seen in your life. A lot of these people hadn’t been on TV in 20 years. We are surrounded by greatness with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, Roy Clark, Charley Pride, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and Charlie Daniels. It had to work like clockwork in order for it to work and it was the worst rehearsal of all time. I remember walking on stage with my head down and thinking, “Buddy, you have bitten off more than you can chew this time.” I hear a voice that goes, “Looked better on paper, didn’t it?” I looked up and it’s Vince Gill. He is laughing and he goes, “It’s going to be alright.” [Laughs]
We never finished it from beginning to end during rehearsal. The only time that we ever saw that performance from beginning to end without stopping was live on the air. I was praying, “Please, Lord, let us get through this.” We got through it and I literally busted out crying. I was so proud.
If someone were to ask you how to get a job like yours, what would you tell them?
Well, I want to keep it for a while. [Laughs]
I think that you have to do your one hundred thousand hours. This position here is not 10,000 hours. This is hundreds of thousands of hours. I do feel like I’m unique because of the experiences that I’ve been able to go through. I experienced Buck Owens, Jerry Lee Lewis and the stars of the Grand Ole Opry at a young age. I was 12 years old backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. I would be in the dressing room asking Jack Greene, “How did you record ‘Statue Of A Fool’ with only four tracks? How did you do that back then?” I can hear an Everly Brothers record and tell you who played on that record. I know the history. I know where we came from. I knew, adored and loved Jo Walker-Meador here at the CMA. There’s practically not a country song that I don’t know the lyrics to if it was a hit from the ’40s on. I think in order to do this job well, you’ve gotta know all that. It’s better to know the history for you to make decisions in the present.
It means everything to me. Doing this job at this time means everything in the world to me. Other than my family, it’s the most important thing that I do.
DISClaimer Single Reviews: Jameson Rodgers Gives Another ‘Pure-Country’ Performance
/by Robert K OermannJameson Rodgers. Photo: Matthew Berinato
This is not a thrilling week for country consumers, since the new sounds are all fairly ordinary.
The bright spots in today’s DISClaimer are Boy Named Banjo, Runaway June, Niko Moon and our Disc of the Day winner, Jameson Rodgers.
The DISCovery Award goes to a promising southern singer-songwriter named Ella Langley. I look forward to hearing much more from her.
RUNAWAY JUNE / “Broken Hearts (Do Broken Things)”
Writers: Mandi Sagal/Sarah Lake/Steve Fee; Producers: Mitch Furr/Justin Weaver; Label: RJ
–The lady is out on the town, doing questionable things with strangers, dancing on tables, knocking back shots, letting her emotions get the best of her and being kinda nutty. It’s okay. She’s acting out a busted heart. The jangly production is a boatload of romping fun, and the “gang” vocals and harmonies of the trio keep the whole thing frothing. Super listening.
NIKO MOON / “I Can’t Wait to Love You”
Writers: Niko Moon/Anna Moon/Joshua Murty; Producers: Niko Moon/Joshua Murty; Label: RCA
–Very sweet. Mr. and Mrs. Moon croon with joy, wonder and anticipation as they get ready to be parents. Anna provides the soft harmony behind Niko’s charmingly rumpled lead vocal while guitars strum gently.
CATIE OFFERMAN / “‘Til I See You Again”
Writers: Catie Offerman/Ryan Beaver/Jessi Alexander; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: MCA
–Everything I’ve heard so far from this lady has been praiseworthy. This pop-country confection puts the “fun” in dysfunctional, since the effervescent track contrasts sharply with a lyric about falling for the same bum repeatedly.
TEMECULA ROAD / “Wrong Ones Do”
Writers: Dawson Anderson/Emma Salute/Kelly Archer/Brandon Hood; Producers: Brandon Hood/Dann Huff; Label: Warner/Buena Vista
–She’s ignoring Mama’s caution and falling for the tattooed “bad boy.” As you wade deeper into the rampaging country rocker, you find out that Mama was married three times, so she can’t be too judgmental. This one’s a jolt of energy.
RAELYNN / “Raisin’ Me a Country Girl”
Writers: RaeLynn/Rhett Akins/Will Bundy; Producer: Corey Crowder; Label: RL
–Twangin,’ electrified country. The lyric is inspired by the singer bringing up a feisty little mini-her (”sweet” but “hard as nails”).
JESSIE JAMES DECKER & BILLY CURRINGTON / “I Still Love You”
Writers: Matt Dragstrem/Josh Kear/Chris Tompkins; Producer: Matt Dragstrem; Label: Warner/Atlantic
–They harmonize beautifully together. The deliberate, monotonous tempo plods a mite too much.
JAMESON RODGERS / “I’m on a Dirt Road”
Writers: Brent Anderson/Hunter Phelps/Jake Mitchell/Jameson Rodgers; Producers: Jake Mitchell/Chris Farren; Label: Sony
–Jameson has a new collection titled Highways and Dirt Roads. This dynamic track from it traces a country boy’s heartache, triggered by a Strait song on the radio. As always, this artist is a pure-country solid citizen. Turn him up.
MICHELLE WRIGHT / “Small Town”
Writers: Danielle Bourjeaurd/Michelle Wright/Rick Ferrell; Producer: Bob Funk; Label: Audium/BFD
–This Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member has returned with a new collection titled Milestone. This bopping single from it is a melodic autobiography of her musical journey. She still sounds frisky and fine.
ELLA LANGLEY / “Country Boy’s Dream Girl”
Writers: Ella Langley/Will Bundy/Aaron Raitere/Smith Anquist; Producer: Will Bundy; Label: Columbia
–You’ll fall in love with her Alabama accent. The chiming, echoey production and the song’s down-home lyric don’t hurt a bit. This one’s a winner.
BOY NAMED BANJO / “Heart Attack”
Writers: William Reames/Barton Davies/Ryan Tyndell/Jeff Hyde; Producer: Oscar Charles; Label: Mercury
–The sheer musicality of these native Nashvillians just floors me. The playing is so accomplished, the singing is hearty and the songwriting is hooky as heck. They sound ultra contemporary, with a bluegrassy vibe beneath a fiery country-rock track. This deserves lotsa spins.
TYLER THOMPSON / “Won’t Take Long”
Writers: Tyler Thompson/Will Hoge/Gordon Sampson; Producer: Steve Jordan; Label: Sony
–Workmanlike country, with a steady beat, an extremely simple melody and a decent, double-tracked vocal. The production is better than the song deserves. He’s a former top movie producer turned country artist.
RANDY HOUSER / “Country Round Here Tonight”
Writers: Randy Houser/Brice Long/Jeff Hyde; Producers: Randy Houser/Blake Chancey; Label: Magnolia Music Group
–I’m passing on this one. The song’s lyric of honky-tonk life almost rings with truth. The ambiance is described, the bar is depicted, the sounds are right. There is one major problem, and that’s the description of the patrons. The men are all working on the farm all day. The women are all lying in the sun, working on their tans. What century is he living in that women aren’t working as hard as men do?
CRB Unveils New Garth Brooks ‘No Fences’ Award
/by Lydia FarthingCountry Radio Broadcasters has established a new industry honor, the Garth Brooks “No Fences” Award. Presented by CRB and inspired by the influential career of Garth Brooks and his 1990 No Fences album, the award will recognize an individual in the country music industry who has demonstrated innovation, creativity, and tenacity.
Recipients of the Garth Brooks “No Fences” Award will have defied traditional standards and practices, positively changed the face of the industry, and established higher standards for measuring success. Additionally, their achievements will have expanded the country music industry’s profile on a national level, not only for their benefit but for the industry as a whole, for a sustained duration and with proven significant impact.
The inaugural recipient of this award will be honored at a future CRS, based on evaluations from a blue-ribbon committee comprised of CRB board members and representatives of Brooks’ team. Additionally, Brooks will appear at CRS 2023 on March 13 to discuss the collaboration with CRS and the last several years.
The award’s namesake comes from Brooks’ historic album release that further catapulted his remarkable career. With over 18 million copies sold worldwide, No Fences shattered sales and airplay records, and spearheaded country music’s expansion and its era-defining catalog.
CRB/CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis comments, “We all know about Garth’s monumentally successful career, which established this genre as popular, sustainable, and mainstream. What many don’t know, however, is that concurrent with his many personal accomplishments, Garth Brooks has given unwavering support for CRS during the past 30 years by showing up to CRS annually and creating innovative ways to engage, entertain, and educate CRS attendees that perfectly match the ‘growth through sharing’ mission of CRS. It’s fitting that we honor Garth’s innovative, tenacious spirit with this newly established award bearing his name.”
CRS 2023 will take place Monday, March 13 – Wednesday, March 15 at the Omni Nashville Hotel, and registration is open now.
11th Annual Touring Career Workshop Wraps Successful Nashville Event
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Erik Parker, Kyle Shepherd, Janna Shepherd, Erik Leighty (Miranda Lambert Production Mgr), Chris Lisle, Curt Jenkins (Miranda Lambert Tour Mgr.), Ellie Jenkins. Photo: Jason Davis
The 11th Annual Touring Career Workshop took place Tuesday night (Nov. 1) at Nashville’s SoundCheck rehearsal studios, featuring top experts from a variety of fields.
The event attracted 350 attendees who gathered to participate in workshops and hear from figures in affordable health care, tax and savings, mental health wellbeing, personal safety, diversity and touring, among other topics.
TCW was co-created by lighting designer Chris Lisle as a way to ensure that the next generation of touring professionals have access to important career information to support their on tour and off tour lives.
Pictured (L-R): Erik Parker, Brittan Yeomans, Natalia Pena (Maren Morris Video Director), Helena Pygrum (Solotech), Tee Cee Bailey (Monitor Engineer for Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks) and Chris Lisle. Photo: Jason Davis
Reba McEntire, Breland, Mookie Betts, More To Present At Upcoming CMA Awards
/by Lorie HollabaughAmong those slated to take the mic are two-time World Series champ/Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, actress Jessica Chastain, Breland, Reba McEntire, Tyler Hubbard and Little Big Town. Also on tap to present awards at this year’s event are Lifetime’s Reindeer Games Homecoming actress Sarah Drew, Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, Wynonna Judd, Lady A, actor Rex Linn, Parker McCollum, stars of the hit HGTV shows HomeTown and HomeTown Takeover Ben and Erin Napier, Jeannie Seely, actor Michael Shannon, and Lainey Wilson.
Artists set to take the CMA Awards stage during country’s biggest night with must-see performances include Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Brandy Clark, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs, Caylee Hammack, Hardy, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Marcus King, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Ashley McBryde, McEntire, John Osborne, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Katy Perry, Pillbox Patti, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, The Black Keys, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, Wilson, and Zac Brown Band.
The 56th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Bryan all-star athlete Peyton Manning, will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC, and will be available next day on Hulu.