Pictured (L-R): Rich McCune, Senior Vice President and Regional Team Manager, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank, Nate Wehunt, Senior Vice President and Digital Channels Manager, Marketing and Product Strategy, City National Bank, Loren Mahler, Founder, Dealy Mahler Strategies, LLC., Billy Eiselstein, General Counsel, Miller & Martin, PLLC, Martha Henderson, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank, Frank Abagnale, Briane Grey, Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Security, City National Bank, Lori Badgett, Senior Vice President and Team Leader, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank. Photo: A&M Portraits (anmportraits.com).
City National Bank brought renowned cybersecurity and fraud prevention expert Frank Abagnale to Nashville for an exclusive forum on October 3 in The Ford Theater at The Country Music Hall of Fame. Abagnale gained international notoriety from the depiction of his life in the Academy Award-nominated feature film, Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and from his preceding best-selling book of the same name.
Before joining a panel of industry experts, Abagnale gave a keynote about his life’s incredible and riveting journey. For those not familiar with his story, he spent his early youth as a con man forging checks and quickly became one of the most infamous impostors of that time. He falsely assumed many identities including an airline pilot for Pan American, a physician, and a lawyer from age 15 to 21 years old. He fled from police custody on more than one occasion including from authorities on a moving commercial airliner that was turning onto a taxiway after landing at New York’s JFK International Airport.
Pictured (L-R): Nate Wehunt, Senior Vice President and Digital Channels Manager, Marketing and Product Strategy, City National Bank, Frank Abagnale, Loren Mahler, Founder, Dealy Mahler Strategies, LLC., Billy Eiselstein, General Counsel, Miller & Martin, PLLC, Briane Grey, Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Security, City National Bank. Photo: A&M Portraits (anmportraits.com).
He eventually succumbed to authorities in 1969 in Montrichard, France, when an airline attendant who he had once dated recognized him and turned him over to police. After serving time in France under horrific conditions and being extradited to the U.S., he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After serving fewer than five years, the FBI offered him a job and release from prison in exchange for his expertise in helping federal authorities investigate and solve crimes related to fraud. He was obligated to spend the remaining time of his sentence working for the FBI. He continues to this day working for the FBI, some 45 years past his original obligation to the agency.
MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson and renowned cybersecurity and fraud prevention expert Frank Abagnale. Photo: MusicRow.
Abagnale shared intimate details of his personal life with the invited guests including details depicted in the Steven Spielberg produced movie.
When he was sentenced to the French prison, Abagnale weighed 198 lbs and left confinement at a staggering 109 lbs. His love for his father grew immensely during prison; however, he never saw his father again after running away from home and being imprisoned due to a freak slip-and-fall accident that caused his father’s death.
Spielberg took great strides in depicting the prison cell scene in the movie to make it as authentic as possible using old logs from the prison.
Abagnale doesn’t look back fondly during his infamous times of being the world’s most famous con man. He sees his actions as criminal, immoral and regrettable. He has passed on pardons offered from three sitting presidents citing he doesn’t think a piece of paper should erase the consequences of his bad decisions as a youth. Prior to the movie coming out, his neighbor of many years knew nothing of his past. It was a past life he seldom shared.
Crediting his wife for everything positive in his life, Abagnale took his expertise and became one of the world’s most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents.
Pictured (L-R): Sherod Robertson, Publisher and Owner, MusicRow Magazine, Frank Abagnale, Lori Badgett, Senior Vice President and Team Leader, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank, Martha Henderson, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank. Photo: A&M Portraits (anmportraits.com).
After his keynote, Abagnale joined a panel of experts to discuss cyber fraud and identity theft. Panelists included Briane M. Grey, City National Bank’s Senior VP and Director of Corporate Security; Loren Dealy Mahler, President and Founder of Dealy Mahler Strategies; attorney Billy Eiselstein, Partner of Miller & Martin and moderator Nate Wehunt, City National Bank’s Senior VP and Digital Channels Manager.
One of the most thought-provoking comments involved the use of passwords. “Passwords are for tree houses,” proclaimed Abagnale. He further explained that passwords were first used in the 1960s but yet remarkably, they still remain the main form of securing access, a technology that has long exceeded its useful life. He is currently working with Trusona, a company that will help eliminate the need for passwords.
When asked about identity theft, he confessed that social security numbers and personal information of a child is much more valuable on the dark web than that of an adult–due mainly to the longevity of being able to impersonate a child for many years and stealing their identity.
Looking into the future, Abagnale shared that hackers currently have the technology to stop, slow down, or speed up a person’s pacemaker if they are a few feet away from a person. Likewise, with automobiles being heavily ran by some 200+ internal computers, hackers have the ability to shut down an automobile and lock you in your car if in close proximity. But what happens when that technology allows hackers to do that from thousands of miles away? Those are the type of security concerns we should have in the future.
MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson spoke with Abagnale after the forum to ask a burning question about a particular scene in Catch Me If You Can. “Did you really escape out of a moving commercial airliner as depicted in the movie?’ asked Robertson. Abagale replied with a smile, “Yes, I did. But it wasn’t through the bathroom as shown in the movie. I escaped through the food service area of the plane.”
Old Dominion Unveil New “Make It Sweet” Single And Arena Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughThe band will perform “Make It Sweet” for the very first time live on Ellen Oct. 16. Their previous single, “Hotel Key” ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts, becoming their sixth No. 1. With multiple Platinum and Gold certifications, Old Dominion has also surpassed one billion on-demand streams, averaging nearly 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
“MAKE IT SWEET” TOUR 2019 FIRST LEG:
Jan. 18 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena ^+
Jan. 19 – Bloomington, IL – Grossinger Motors Arena ^+
Jan. 24 – Bemidji, MN – Sanford Center^+
Jan. 25 – Brookings, SD – Swiftel Center^+
Jan. 30 – Scottsdale, AZ – Coors Light Birds Nest
Feb. 2 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater^+
Feb. 7 – Lowell, MA – Tsongas Center^+
Feb. 8 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena^+
Feb. 9 – Washington, DC – The Anthem^+
Feb. 14 – Windsor, ON – Caesars Windsor^
Feb. 15 – Cedar Rapids, IA – U.S. Cellular Center^+
Feb. 16 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Memorial Coliseum^+
Feb. 27 – Athens, GA – Akins Ford Arena*
Feb. 28 – Asheville, NC – U.S. Cellular Center^*
March 1 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum^*
March 7 – Pensacola, FL – Pensacola Bay Center^*
March 8 – Tallahassee, FL – Donald L Tucker Center^*
March 28 – Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center^*
March 29 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena^*
March 30 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha^*
April 25 – Boise, ID – CenturyLink Arena^*
April 26 – Reno, NV – Reno Events Center*
April 27 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Events Center*
^+* on select dates
Jordan Davis ^
Morgan Evans +
Mitchell Tenpenny*
Exclusive: Keith Urban Talks Freestyling, Connecting Fans Through Music, And Nashville’s Destination City Status
/by Sherod RobertsonKeith Urban
With three CMA Awards nominations this year and two nominations for the People’s Choice Awards for male artist and country artist, that type of recognition continues to mean a lot to Keith Urban.
This year marks Urban’s 14th CMA Awards nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, 11th nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, and his sixth nomination in the Album of the Year category for Graffiti U, bringing his career nominations to 45 with 11 total wins. Urban is the reigning Single of the Year CMA winner for his song “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which he also produced.
“It feels as good as it ever did. I make music and just hope it connects with people,” says Urban about being nominated. “And when it does, from the fans’ standpoint, with them buying the music, streaming the music, coming to the concerts, etc., it’s extraordinary. But then, when you can have it connect with your peers like that, it’s an incredible feeling.”
He may be wrapping up the U.S. leg of his highly successful and energetic Graffiti U World Tour next month, but that doesn’t mean he’s slowing down any, with the tour moving overseas to Australia in January.
The tour, which kicked off on June 15 this year, has proven to be one of the most energetic and critically hailed tours of his career and much like his newly released Graffiti U album, the show blends a multitude of different styles and influences. Following his very successful Ripcord World Tour, Urban gives keyboardist Nathan Barlowe credit for evolving his shows into a unique and responsive experience for the fans.
Keith Urban
Urban explains, “I knew I was needing someone [new] in the band but I couldn’t even define their role. I thought well, they’re not really a DJ, they’re not really a keyboard player, they’re not really a percussionist, they’re not really a multi-instrumentalist, but they’re kind of all of those things rolled into one. And lo and behold, Nathan came along and was working on the contraption that he called the Phantom, which allows him to trigger sounds, sampling things, and using pre-recorded pieces live so that we can change arrangements of songs in real time. It’s really an extraordinary thing that he does. I love stepping out to freestyle on songs and not being so locked into the arrangement.”
“It’s all feel,” adds Urban. “It’s feeling the room, feeling the audience, feeling the moment that something needs to be shortened, or needs to be lengthened, or needs to be dynamic in some way. I love having the flexibility to do that.”
But before the tour heads to Australia in 2019, Urban will head over to Sydney later this year to host the 32nd Annual ARIA Awards, Australia’s GRAMMY Awards.
Urban’s previous album, the No. 1 Platinum-selling Ripcord, was the second-highest selling album in Australia 2016 and spent 27 weeks in the Top 10 and 46 weeks in the Top 20 of the ARIA Albums Chart. The singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer is no stranger to the ARIA charts with a total of 14 ARIA Platinum-selling singles and albums, earning him a total of five ARIA Awards.
He admits that hosting hasn’t really been on his bucket list. “No, it’s not something I ever thought about at all,” says Urban. “I’ve been on the ARIAs a couple of times before, but never thought about hosting them. I’m not quite sure what I’m in for.”
After hosting the ARIA awards show in November, Urban will finish out the year by returning to headline Nashville’s New Year’s Celebration for a second year in a row. And for Urban, it’s much more than being able to sleep in his own bed that night.
“It’s so much more than that to me,” admits Urban. “I’ve lived in Nashville 26 years and to have the chance for people to start really thinking about Nashville, as being a New Year’s destination is fantastic. The city has exploded in the last five years and the change has gone through the roof with the new hotels, the food, and everything that is happening. Hopefully, we can make this a destination for people everywhere, not just America, but all over the world.”
Urban summarizes, “Nashville’s on a lot of people’s bucket list so if we can have them come on New Year’s Eve and experience it, it will be fantastic!”
Kalie Shorr Takes ‘Road To The CMA Awards’ Through Walmarts Nationwide
/by Lorie HollabaughShorr will perform a one-hour acoustic set in each market featuring songs off her recent EP, Awake, as well as her single “Fight Like A Girl.” The dates will also feature a meet-and-greet, and in select markets, Shorr will visit local high schools and colleges in support of the CMA Foundation’s “It Starts With M.E.” campaign to help raise awareness of the importance of music education.
“Growing up, I would get so excited for the CMA Awards and count down the days until the big event,” recalls Shorr. “I couldn’t be happier to get to bring that same energy nationwide leading up to one of country music’s most magical nights. I’m so thankful to the CMA and Walmart for the opportunity to go out on this one-of-a-kind tour.”
“Road To The CMA Awards” Walmart Tour Dates:
Oct. 9 – 4pm-6pm – Birmingham, Ala. – 209 Lakeshore Pkwy 37209
Oct. 10 – 4pm-6pm – Atlanta, Ga. – 1801 Howell Mill Rd NW 30318
Oct. 11 – 4pm-6pm – Greenville, S.C. – 6134 White Horse Rd 29611
Oct. 12 – 4pm-6pm – Charlotte, N.C. – 5825 Thunder Rd 28027
Oct. 13 – 4pm-6pm – Raleigh, N.C. – 4431 New Bern Ave. 27610
Oct. 14 – 4pm-6pm – Greensboro, N.C. – 2107 Pyramid Village Blvd 27405
Oct. 15 – 4pm-6pm – Columbus, Ohio – 3657 E Main St. 43213
Oct. 16 – 4pm-6pm – Cincinnati, Ohio – 2322 Ferguson Rd 45238
Oct. 17 – 11am-1pm – Indianapolis, Ind. – 4650 S Emerson Ave. 46203
Oct. 18 – 4pm-6pm – Louisville, Ky. – 2020 Bashford Manor Ln. 40218
Oct. 26 – 4pm-6pm – Chicago, Ill. – 3320 South Cicero Ave. 60804
Oct. 27 – 4pm-6pm – Grand Rapids, Mich. – 5859 28th St. SE 49546
Oct. 28 – 4pm-6pm – Detroit, Mich. – 7555 Telegraph Rd 48180
Oct. 29 – 4pm-6pm – Cleveland, Ohio – 3400 Steelyard Dr. 44109
Nov. 2 – 4pm-6pm – St. Louis, Mo. – 1900 Maplewood Commons Dr. 63143
Nov. 3 – 4pm-6pm – Kansas City, Mo. – 11601 E US Highway 40 64133
Nov. 4 – 4pm-6pm – Minneapolis, Minn. – 1960 Twin Lakes Pkwy 55113
Nov. 5 – 4pm-6pm – Milwaukee, Wisc. – 4140 W Greenfield Ave. 53215
Nov. 6 – 4pm-6pm – Memphis, Tenn. – 5255 Elvis Presley Blvd 38116
Nov. 7 – 4pm-6pm – New Orleans, La. – 1901 Tchoupitoulas St. 70130
Nov. 8 – 4pm-6pm – Houston, Texas – 111 Yale St. 77007
Nov. 9 – 4pm-6pm – Austin, Texas – 710 E Ben White Blvd 78704
Nov. 10 – 4pm-6pm – Dallas, Texas – 7401 Samuel Blvd 75228
Nov. 11 – 4pm-6pm – Oklahoma City, Okla. – 5401 Tinker Diagonal St. 73115
Nov. 12 – 4pm-6pm – Bentonville, Ark. – 4208 Pleasant Crossing Blvd 72758
Irving Azoff Acquires Full Stake In Joint Venture Holding GMR For $125 Million
/by Eric T. ParkerBased in Los Angeles, The Azoff Company is led by chairman and chief executive officer, Irving Azoff, and has a portfolio that includes Global Music Rights (GMR), the performance rights organization; Fullstop Management, overseeing careers of the Eagles, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, Meghan Trainor, Gwen Stefani, Bon Jovi, and many more; Oak View Group, a company focused on the sports and entertainment venue industry; and LaneOne, a premium experience company.
The Azoff Company and MSG have simultaneously entered into multi-year consultancy agreements, under which The Azoff Company will continue to advise MSG, including on the Forum and MSG Sphere initiative, which includes plans to build state-of-the-art venues in Las Vegas and London.
“I am extremely proud that my partner, Jim Dolan, and I built an innovative company which always put the artists’ and songwriters’ interests first,” said Azoff. “The Azoff Company will build on this foundation of positive disruption and artist advocacy: we will continue to challenge antiquated parts of the entertainment business on behalf of artists and fans. The Azoff Company is proud to renew our commitment to the Forum and MSG’s transformative vision for the best possible, live entertainment experience.”
“Irving has been a valued business partner and we know that he will continue to enjoy incredible success in his company and in his continued role with us. This evolution of our relationship comes at a time when we are working to align all areas of our business to support our goal—the creation of next-generation venues that will transform the live experience,” said Jim Dolan, executive chairman and chief executive officer, MSG Company. “We will continue to rely on Irving’s relationships and expertise to help bring that vision to reality.”
The Azoff MSG Entertainment joint venture was established in 2013 between MSG and Azoff Music Management.
Read more from Azoff and his GMR in MusicRow‘s 2018 Publisher Issue.
Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown Added To American Music Awards
/by Lorie HollabaughFlorida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, and Kelsea Ballerini are among the presenters for tomorrow night’s (Oct. 9) 2018 American Music Awards on ABC.
Other names from the worlds of film, TV and music set to appear include Tyra Banks, Chloe x Halle, Macaulay Culkin, Lauren Daigle, Billy Eichner, Sara Gilbert, Kathryn Hahn, Amber Heard, Vanessa Hudgens, Taran Killam & Leighton Meester, Heidi Klum, Liza Koshy, Lenny Kravitz, Normani, Rita Ora, Busy Philipps, Evan Ross & Ashlee Simpson-Ross, John Stamos, Amandla Stenberg, The Chainsmokers, Constance Wu, and the cast of “Bohemian Rhapsody” including Rami Malek, Joseph Mazzello & Gwilym Lee.
The lineup of presenters joins host Tracee Ellis Ross and previously announced performers benny blanco with Halsey and Khalid, Camila Cabello, Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, Mariah Carey, Ciara featuring Missy Elliott, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez, Ella Mai, Panic! At The Disco, Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Shawn Mendes with Zedd, Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots, and Carrie Underwood, as well as a special tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
The 2018 American Music Awards is produced by dick clark productions, and seen in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
Russell Dickerson Celebrates Second No. 1 Single, Earns RIAA Gold Certification
/by Jessica NicholsonRussell Dickerson. Photo: Kailey Dickerson
Triple Tigers Records artist Russell Dickerson recently celebrated his second consecutive No. 1 single and RIAA gold certification with his song “Blue Tacoma,” inspired by a road trip with his wife along Southern California’s famed Pacific Coast Highway, off his full-length debut album Yours. The single has also made its way to No. 1 on both the Billboard country charts and the Mediabase country radio charts.
“’Blue Tacoma’ has been such a crazy fun ride,” Dickerson says. “It has been amazing to see it catch fire and go all the way to the top! And not only a No. 1 single but now an RIAA certified Gold single as well. Now having two number ones in a single year is a dream come true for me! I’m so thankful for all my country radio family and my fans aka the RD Fam for such a huge year.”
Earlier this year, Dickerson’s debut single “Yours” celebrated consecutive weeks at No.1 on Billboard country charts and reached No. 1 on Mediabase Country Radio charts. Along the way, Dickerson also earned his first ACM nomination for New Male Vocalist of the Year and his first CMT nomination for Breakthrough Video of the Year.
Dickerson has spent the last three months on the road with Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker on their North American Summer Plays On Tour and will be supporting Rucker on all European tour dates throughout October.
Taylor Swift Endorses Tennessee Democrats Bredesen, Cooper
/by Jessica NicholsonThough pop superstar Taylor Swift has chosen to largely remain silent on political issues throughout her career, Swift issued a statement via Instagram on Sunday (Oct. 8), pledging her support for Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen for the U.S. Senate and Rep. Jim Cooper for the House during next month’s midterm elections.
“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” she said on social media. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.
“Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values.”
Bredesen thanked Swift for her support via a response tweet, saying he was “honored” that “so many Tennesseans…are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done.”
“Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values,” Swift also said on Instagram. “For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.
“So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting!”
Previously, Swift shared her support for gun reform and March For Our Lives, following the school shooting at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, stating, “No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a concert. Or to a movie theater. Or to their place of worship. I’ve made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun reform. I’m so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening again.”
Last year, Swift won a civil suit against radio personality, David Mueller, after she claimed he sexually assaulted her. Swift filed the suit only after Mueller alleged that Swift’s mother and a member of her management team helped get him fired. Mueller had sought $3 million in the suit, which was dismissed on Aug. 11, 2017. Swift then was awarded the damages she sought, which was a symbolic $1, three days later.
During that time Swift issued a statement saying she planned to aid other sexual assault victims. “I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this,” she said. “My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard.” Over the years Swift publicly donated to Kesha during the Dr. Luke trial and actress Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation.
Scotty McCreery To Perform At Graceland’s Annual Holiday Lighting
/by Lorie HollabaughScotty McCreery and Marty Stuart will help kick off the holiday season Elvis-style at Graceland on Nov. 15 when they flip the switch and help turn on the magic of the season at Graceland’s Annual Holiday Lighting Event. The event, free and open to the public, will also include a special performance by McCreery, an appearance by Santa and a 100 percent chance of “snow.”
Immediately following, the Hallmark Channel movie Christmas At Graceland will have its World Premiere on the Soundstage at Elvis Presley’s Memphis. This all-new holiday film, shot on location at Graceland, is filled with music made famous by Elvis, and stars Kellie Pickler (Pickler & Ben). Director Eric Close (Nashville) and star Wes Brown (True Blood) will attend both the Lighting Ceremony and the World Premiere to debut the new film.
The Premiere is a by-invitation, ticketed event, but complimentary tickets will be made available that night at the door based on availability. More information can be found at graceland.com/christmas.
Seasonal holiday tours of the interior of Graceland mansion, featuring the Presley family’s personal Christmas décor, will be offered through Jan. 8. The holiday festivities continue with Graceland’s 2nd Annual Holiday Concert Weekend Dec. 14-15, 2018. On Friday, Dec. 14, Elvis’ biggest Christmas hits will be performed with a live orchestra led by renown UK conductor Robin Smith and featuring local Memphis musicians, vocalists, choirs and dancers. On Saturday, Dec. 15, there will be two themed concerts on one night: an Elvis Gospel Christmas concert starring former members of JD Sumner and The Stamps Quartet and The Blackwood Brothers; and an Elvis Star-Studded Rock ‘n’ Roll show starring legendary guitarist James Burton of Elvis’ TCB Band.
City National Bank Brings Renowned ‘Catch Me If You Can’ Fraud Expert Frank Abagnale To Nashville
/by Sherod RobertsonPictured (L-R): Rich McCune, Senior Vice President and Regional Team Manager, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank, Nate Wehunt, Senior Vice President and Digital Channels Manager, Marketing and Product Strategy, City National Bank, Loren Mahler, Founder, Dealy Mahler Strategies, LLC., Billy Eiselstein, General Counsel, Miller & Martin, PLLC, Martha Henderson, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank, Frank Abagnale, Briane Grey, Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Security, City National Bank, Lori Badgett, Senior Vice President and Team Leader, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank. Photo: A&M Portraits (anmportraits.com).
City National Bank brought renowned cybersecurity and fraud prevention expert Frank Abagnale to Nashville for an exclusive forum on October 3 in The Ford Theater at The Country Music Hall of Fame. Abagnale gained international notoriety from the depiction of his life in the Academy Award-nominated feature film, Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and from his preceding best-selling book of the same name.
Before joining a panel of industry experts, Abagnale gave a keynote about his life’s incredible and riveting journey. For those not familiar with his story, he spent his early youth as a con man forging checks and quickly became one of the most infamous impostors of that time. He falsely assumed many identities including an airline pilot for Pan American, a physician, and a lawyer from age 15 to 21 years old. He fled from police custody on more than one occasion including from authorities on a moving commercial airliner that was turning onto a taxiway after landing at New York’s JFK International Airport.
Pictured (L-R): Nate Wehunt, Senior Vice President and Digital Channels Manager, Marketing and Product Strategy, City National Bank, Frank Abagnale, Loren Mahler, Founder, Dealy Mahler Strategies, LLC., Billy Eiselstein, General Counsel, Miller & Martin, PLLC, Briane Grey, Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Security, City National Bank. Photo: A&M Portraits (anmportraits.com).
He eventually succumbed to authorities in 1969 in Montrichard, France, when an airline attendant who he had once dated recognized him and turned him over to police. After serving time in France under horrific conditions and being extradited to the U.S., he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After serving fewer than five years, the FBI offered him a job and release from prison in exchange for his expertise in helping federal authorities investigate and solve crimes related to fraud. He was obligated to spend the remaining time of his sentence working for the FBI. He continues to this day working for the FBI, some 45 years past his original obligation to the agency.
MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson and renowned cybersecurity and fraud prevention expert Frank Abagnale. Photo: MusicRow.
Abagnale shared intimate details of his personal life with the invited guests including details depicted in the Steven Spielberg produced movie.
When he was sentenced to the French prison, Abagnale weighed 198 lbs and left confinement at a staggering 109 lbs. His love for his father grew immensely during prison; however, he never saw his father again after running away from home and being imprisoned due to a freak slip-and-fall accident that caused his father’s death.
Spielberg took great strides in depicting the prison cell scene in the movie to make it as authentic as possible using old logs from the prison.
Abagnale doesn’t look back fondly during his infamous times of being the world’s most famous con man. He sees his actions as criminal, immoral and regrettable. He has passed on pardons offered from three sitting presidents citing he doesn’t think a piece of paper should erase the consequences of his bad decisions as a youth. Prior to the movie coming out, his neighbor of many years knew nothing of his past. It was a past life he seldom shared.
Crediting his wife for everything positive in his life, Abagnale took his expertise and became one of the world’s most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents.
Pictured (L-R): Sherod Robertson, Publisher and Owner, MusicRow Magazine, Frank Abagnale, Lori Badgett, Senior Vice President and Team Leader, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank, Martha Henderson, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Banking, City National Bank. Photo: A&M Portraits (anmportraits.com).
After his keynote, Abagnale joined a panel of experts to discuss cyber fraud and identity theft. Panelists included Briane M. Grey, City National Bank’s Senior VP and Director of Corporate Security; Loren Dealy Mahler, President and Founder of Dealy Mahler Strategies; attorney Billy Eiselstein, Partner of Miller & Martin and moderator Nate Wehunt, City National Bank’s Senior VP and Digital Channels Manager.
One of the most thought-provoking comments involved the use of passwords. “Passwords are for tree houses,” proclaimed Abagnale. He further explained that passwords were first used in the 1960s but yet remarkably, they still remain the main form of securing access, a technology that has long exceeded its useful life. He is currently working with Trusona, a company that will help eliminate the need for passwords.
Looking into the future, Abagnale shared that hackers currently have the technology to stop, slow down, or speed up a person’s pacemaker if they are a few feet away from a person. Likewise, with automobiles being heavily ran by some 200+ internal computers, hackers have the ability to shut down an automobile and lock you in your car if in close proximity. But what happens when that technology allows hackers to do that from thousands of miles away? Those are the type of security concerns we should have in the future.
MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson spoke with Abagnale after the forum to ask a burning question about a particular scene in Catch Me If You Can. “Did you really escape out of a moving commercial airliner as depicted in the movie?’ asked Robertson. Abagale replied with a smile, “Yes, I did. But it wasn’t through the bathroom as shown in the movie. I escaped through the food service area of the plane.”
High Valley, Michael Ray Celebrate During Old Dominion Tour
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Warner Music Nashville’s Tom Martens (VP Radio & Streaming); Brooke Hardesty (Sr. Director, Interactive Marketing); Scott Hendricks (EVP A&R); Shane Tarleton (SVP Artist Development); High Valley’s Curtis Rempel; Michael Ray; High Valley’s Brad Rempel; Warner Music Nashville’s Tim Foisset (VP Streaming); Matt Signore (COO); Kristen Williams (SVP Radio & Streaming): Shelby Moran (Manager, Touring)
High Valley and Michael Ray celebrated the first show on the fall leg of Old Dominion‘s headlining tour last night (Oct. 4) in Knoxville.
Members of the Warner Music Nashville label family joined the artists backstage. The brother duo rallied the crowd with songs ranging from their hit “She’s with Me,” which has earned more than 56 million on-demand streams, to a bluegrass version of Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance.” Ray then charmed the crowd with his Gold-certified No. 1s “Kiss You In The Morning” and “Think A Little Less,” as well as his upbeat new single “One That Got Away.”