Jamie O’Neal
By James Rea
Jamie O’Neal appeared on The Producer’s Chair, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 at Douglas Corner at 6 p.m.
Whether you’re a budding artist looking for a producer, or a seasoned one, you may want to consider Jamie O’Neal … but only if you’re prepared to sing your ass off.
When O’Neal (whose birth name was Jamie Murphy) was 2 years old, her parents Jimmy and Julie Murphy, both professional musicians, moved to Hawaii. When O’Neal was 9, her parents took the family to Las Vegas, where they performed at the Golden Nugget casino in an act called The Murphy Family. Talent must be in the genes because O’Neal’s sister, Minnie Murphy, also became a recording artist.
O’Neal’s career came together at 29 when she signed her first publishing deal with the one and only Harold Shedd at the Music Mill. (NSAI has since bought the Mill and their offices are there.)
She recalls, “When I got first got to Nashville, Russ Zavitson said the magic words to me that I will never forget. He said, ‘Harold’s wanting me to sign you and why should I have to sign you? What makes you so special? How do I know you can even write?’ I remember telling Russ, ‘I think I can sing just as good as anybody else and I will prove it to you. Give me three months of a trial. If you don’t like what I do in three months, then you can send me home. If you like what I do, then you pick up my option.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s fair.’ That’s how we worked out our deal. That was it. It was three months. There wasn’t a big negotiation of ‘I want this and I want that.’ He gave me three months. And I wrote everyday. Sometimes twice a day. They ended up picking up the option and I ended up staying.”
The incredible part is that O’Neal doesn’t play an instrument.
“I write with my voice,” she says. “A lot of times I start with a drum loop or something on my iPad. And I’ll sing the melody in the car which allows you a lot of freedom because I have always relied on my vocals. To me, I go by instinct and my ears. My whole life has been that way. I’m pretty quick at harmonies, layering parts and writing melodies. I totally rely on my ears and instinct for everything.”
As a songwriter, she has landed cuts with LeAnn Rimes (“Surrender”), Reba (“Pink Guitar”) and Martina McBride (“How Far”). She also placed songs on the soundtracks of Bridget Jones’ Diary and When We Were Soldiers, as well as on the ABC smash Desperate Housewives. No doubt O’Neal’s vast experience in business matters, coupled with her compassion for artists, led to the formation of Momentum Label Group in 2012. Her decision to start producing outside artists really kicked in when her father Jim Murphy discovered their flagship artist Rachele Lynae. It appears that everything has come full circle, when it comes to family.
In 2014 O’Neal and her engineer/musician husband Rodney Good produced her current album in their studio. Eternal is an 11-song collection that infuses country classics with fresh energy — featuring O’Neal’s own unique take on tunes such as “Leavin’ On Your Mind” (Patsy Cline), “The Sweetest Thing” (Juice Newton) “Help Me Make It Through The Night” (Kris Kristofferson), “I’ve Done Enough Dying Today” (The Gatlin Brothers), and the George Jones and Tammy Wynette classic duet, “Golden Ring,” which features O’Neal with Andy Griggs.
Asked what she learned from Keith Stegall, her producer while she was signed at Mercury, O’Neal replies, “I think listening to the artist. That’s how he was. He pleases you and he lifts things to the next level and makes it even better by bringing what he brings to the table. That’s one thing that he’s great at, including the artist in ideas. I’ve been in the studio with some people who make me feel like the little woman in the corner recording and ‘We’ll get to you later, honey, with your ideas and things.’ He wasn’t like that at all.”
O’Neal says the decision to launch Momentum came from seeing other independent labels in Nashville thriving.
“We started thinking, ‘We can do this ourselves,’” she says. “The indie thing really started happening and we started thinking, ‘Why can’t we be an indie? Why can’t we be the team behind this?’ There were several models to look at who have had success, like Broken Bow, Black River, Big Machine. That’s a huge machine! We’re doing it in a smaller way but even if you’re smaller to start out with, we have bigger dreams and plans down the road. Developing Rachele Lynae, developing other artists down the road and still writing and recording my own music is the goal.”
Asked if Lynae required a great deal of artist development, O’Neal says, “Not as far as knowing who she was and what she wanted to do with her voice. I feel like in the studio, I help her find the best that she can be, and bring the best vocal out of her.”
O’Neal also helped with Lynae’s presentation. “She had never been a big shopper. She wasn’t really into her looks and style. She’s very down to earth. I took her shopping and introduced her to different stylists. She’d never colored her hair, never put highlights in her hair. I enjoy A&R and coaching, everything that comes with it. There is so much development in the early stages. Also with Rachele’s family, we all work together very closely with her career. Her sister sings with her. Her Mom is very hands on in her day-to-day.”
Because she’s seen so many sides of the business, O’Neal understands what indie labels can offer that major labels can’t.
“I think artists taking ownership. Having a bigger piece of what you’re doing,” she explains. “Because we are a smaller label, the creativity is there for everyone to throw their ideas into the pot. It’s not like we have eight singles and eight artists waiting to get out and onto the radio. A lot of what these labels are able to do is trade off: ‘Hey, I’ll give you a flyaway if you play my new artist.’ And they’ll add that record because they get this big contest with the bigger artists. We don’t have that trading power and that I think unfortunately, those trade offs never go away. But the independents can break artists. Look at Kelsea Ballerini. It can happen. With enough time, money and the right song you can break through.”
As a producer, O’Neal says that vocal performance is the foremost thing on her mind.
“When you are a singer in the booth, it’s one thing to have the producer focusing on the musicians and what they want the track to sound like. But a lot of producers can’t sing,” O’Neal says. “So they can’t tell you how to phrase something. I think for me the number one thing I would say that I’m best at is how to phrase something or sing an ad lib. … If an artist were to say something about me I would hope it would be that I made them better vocally. That I bring out the best vocal in someone. I’m going to make you sing your butt off when you’re out there in the booth because I think that’s what it’s all about.”
The Producer’s Chair: Jamie O’Neal
/by contributorJamie O’Neal
By James Rea
Jamie O’Neal appeared on The Producer’s Chair, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015 at Douglas Corner at 6 p.m.
Whether you’re a budding artist looking for a producer, or a seasoned one, you may want to consider Jamie O’Neal … but only if you’re prepared to sing your ass off.
When O’Neal (whose birth name was Jamie Murphy) was 2 years old, her parents Jimmy and Julie Murphy, both professional musicians, moved to Hawaii. When O’Neal was 9, her parents took the family to Las Vegas, where they performed at the Golden Nugget casino in an act called The Murphy Family. Talent must be in the genes because O’Neal’s sister, Minnie Murphy, also became a recording artist.
O’Neal’s career came together at 29 when she signed her first publishing deal with the one and only Harold Shedd at the Music Mill. (NSAI has since bought the Mill and their offices are there.)
She recalls, “When I got first got to Nashville, Russ Zavitson said the magic words to me that I will never forget. He said, ‘Harold’s wanting me to sign you and why should I have to sign you? What makes you so special? How do I know you can even write?’ I remember telling Russ, ‘I think I can sing just as good as anybody else and I will prove it to you. Give me three months of a trial. If you don’t like what I do in three months, then you can send me home. If you like what I do, then you pick up my option.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s fair.’ That’s how we worked out our deal. That was it. It was three months. There wasn’t a big negotiation of ‘I want this and I want that.’ He gave me three months. And I wrote everyday. Sometimes twice a day. They ended up picking up the option and I ended up staying.”
The incredible part is that O’Neal doesn’t play an instrument.
“I write with my voice,” she says. “A lot of times I start with a drum loop or something on my iPad. And I’ll sing the melody in the car which allows you a lot of freedom because I have always relied on my vocals. To me, I go by instinct and my ears. My whole life has been that way. I’m pretty quick at harmonies, layering parts and writing melodies. I totally rely on my ears and instinct for everything.”
As a songwriter, she has landed cuts with LeAnn Rimes (“Surrender”), Reba (“Pink Guitar”) and Martina McBride (“How Far”). She also placed songs on the soundtracks of Bridget Jones’ Diary and When We Were Soldiers, as well as on the ABC smash Desperate Housewives. No doubt O’Neal’s vast experience in business matters, coupled with her compassion for artists, led to the formation of Momentum Label Group in 2012. Her decision to start producing outside artists really kicked in when her father Jim Murphy discovered their flagship artist Rachele Lynae. It appears that everything has come full circle, when it comes to family.
In 2014 O’Neal and her engineer/musician husband Rodney Good produced her current album in their studio. Eternal is an 11-song collection that infuses country classics with fresh energy — featuring O’Neal’s own unique take on tunes such as “Leavin’ On Your Mind” (Patsy Cline), “The Sweetest Thing” (Juice Newton) “Help Me Make It Through The Night” (Kris Kristofferson), “I’ve Done Enough Dying Today” (The Gatlin Brothers), and the George Jones and Tammy Wynette classic duet, “Golden Ring,” which features O’Neal with Andy Griggs.
Asked what she learned from Keith Stegall, her producer while she was signed at Mercury, O’Neal replies, “I think listening to the artist. That’s how he was. He pleases you and he lifts things to the next level and makes it even better by bringing what he brings to the table. That’s one thing that he’s great at, including the artist in ideas. I’ve been in the studio with some people who make me feel like the little woman in the corner recording and ‘We’ll get to you later, honey, with your ideas and things.’ He wasn’t like that at all.”
O’Neal says the decision to launch Momentum came from seeing other independent labels in Nashville thriving.
“We started thinking, ‘We can do this ourselves,’” she says. “The indie thing really started happening and we started thinking, ‘Why can’t we be an indie? Why can’t we be the team behind this?’ There were several models to look at who have had success, like Broken Bow, Black River, Big Machine. That’s a huge machine! We’re doing it in a smaller way but even if you’re smaller to start out with, we have bigger dreams and plans down the road. Developing Rachele Lynae, developing other artists down the road and still writing and recording my own music is the goal.”
Asked if Lynae required a great deal of artist development, O’Neal says, “Not as far as knowing who she was and what she wanted to do with her voice. I feel like in the studio, I help her find the best that she can be, and bring the best vocal out of her.”
O’Neal also helped with Lynae’s presentation. “She had never been a big shopper. She wasn’t really into her looks and style. She’s very down to earth. I took her shopping and introduced her to different stylists. She’d never colored her hair, never put highlights in her hair. I enjoy A&R and coaching, everything that comes with it. There is so much development in the early stages. Also with Rachele’s family, we all work together very closely with her career. Her sister sings with her. Her Mom is very hands on in her day-to-day.”
Because she’s seen so many sides of the business, O’Neal understands what indie labels can offer that major labels can’t.
“I think artists taking ownership. Having a bigger piece of what you’re doing,” she explains. “Because we are a smaller label, the creativity is there for everyone to throw their ideas into the pot. It’s not like we have eight singles and eight artists waiting to get out and onto the radio. A lot of what these labels are able to do is trade off: ‘Hey, I’ll give you a flyaway if you play my new artist.’ And they’ll add that record because they get this big contest with the bigger artists. We don’t have that trading power and that I think unfortunately, those trade offs never go away. But the independents can break artists. Look at Kelsea Ballerini. It can happen. With enough time, money and the right song you can break through.”
As a producer, O’Neal says that vocal performance is the foremost thing on her mind.
“When you are a singer in the booth, it’s one thing to have the producer focusing on the musicians and what they want the track to sound like. But a lot of producers can’t sing,” O’Neal says. “So they can’t tell you how to phrase something. I think for me the number one thing I would say that I’m best at is how to phrase something or sing an ad lib. … If an artist were to say something about me I would hope it would be that I made them better vocally. That I bring out the best vocal in someone. I’m going to make you sing your butt off when you’re out there in the booth because I think that’s what it’s all about.”
UMPG Nashville Extends Publishing Deal With Ryan Hurd
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Missy Wilson, UMPG Sr. Creative Director; Ron Stuve, UMPG VP A&R; Cyndi Forman, UMPG VP, Creative; Ryan Hurd; Kent Earls, EVP/GM, UMPG; Travis Gordon, UMPG Creative Director; attorney Chip Petree of Ritholz Levy.
Songwriter Ryan Hurd has extended his exclusive global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Nashville.
Since Hurd signed his first music publishing deal with the company three years ago, he has secured multiple major label cuts and had four singles on Billboard’s Country singles chart, including the No. 1 “Lonely Tonight” by Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe.
UMPG will be working to help Hurd pursue a label deal, in addition to supporting his development and reach as a songwriter. Hurd earned a nomination this year for MusicRow‘s prestigious Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year award, and has been collaborating with artists including Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, and Randy Houser.
“From the moment we met Ryan, we knew he was not only a special songwriter but a gifted artist,” said Kent Earls, Executive VP/GM of UMPG Nashville. “He knows exactly how to paint the perfect picture with his songs. The Nashville music industry is already familiar with him as a No.1 writer and we’re excited for him to be discovered as an artist as well.”
“I love writing for Universal and it is so exciting to continue to work with Kent, Cyndi, and the rest of our team going forward. They are incredible publishers and even better people. It is a privilege to count them as partners in my songwriting and I have no doubt that this is exactly where I am supposed to be,” added Hurd.
Carrie Underwood Sets Media Appearances For ‘Storyteller’ Release
/by Troy_StephensonCarrie Underwood is set to release her fifth studio album, Storyteller, tomorrow, Oct. 23. She will make multiple appearances in New York and Los Angeles before heading back to Nashville to co-host The 49th Annual CMA Awards on ABC with Brad Paisley on November 4.
Tomorrow, Underwood will headline a special outdoor performance on NBC’s Today, as part of their Citi Concert Series. On Tuesday, Oct. 27 she will chat and perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as well as make a guest chat appearance and an outdoor concert performance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
On Monday, November 2 Carrie will appear and perform as part of the pre-CMA Awards special, Countdown to the CMA Awards: Country’s Greatest Crossover Hits with Robin Roberts, on ABC. That same evening Carrie will make a special appearance on The Late, Late Show with James Corden on CBS. On Nov. 5, Carrie will appear on Lifetime’s Emmy-nominated Project Runway. She will join Emmy Award winners Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn along with Nina Garcia and Zac Posen as a guest judge for the season finale.
In addition to the Oct. 23 digital and CD release of Storyteller, a limited-edition version of the album will be released on 150-gram vinyl on Dec. 4. The vinyl edition will also include special etched artwork featuring Carrie’s name and the album name on one side of the two-LP set.
Storyteller was produced by Jay Joyce, Mark Bright, and Zach Crowell with six of its 13 songs co-written by Carrie, including the first single, “Smoke Break.”
DISClaimer: Brett Eldredge, Backroad Anthem Offer Captivating New Music
/by Robert K OermannRepresenting the first category are Jack Scott, T.G. Sheppard, George Jones and the enduringly awesome Don Henley.
New to the column are Mike & The Moonpies, AJ Kross, Alexandra Demetree and Backroad Anthem, all of whom show much promise. Backroad Anthem, a country band from Fayetteville, Arkansas, wins the DisCovery Award.
The Disc of the Day belongs to the red-hot Brett Eldredge.
BRETT ELDREDGE/Drunk on Your Love
Writers: Brett Eldredge/Ross Copperman; Producers: Copperman/Eldredge; Publishers: Sony-ATV Countryside/Paris Not France/EMI Blackwood/Ross Copperman, BMI; Atlantic
-I like the stacked vocal harmonies on the choruses very much. This instantly catchy thing is headed straight to the top. Take it to the bank.
ALEXANDRA DEMETREE/Outta My Head
Writers: Mark Oakley/Cherie Oakley; Producer: Bobby Huff; Publisher: MCRadio, ASCAP; SSM
-Nice work all around. The production is punchy and propulsive. The song is extremely well written. She sings like a bird in the sunshine. The key change in the bridge is super ear catching.
T.G. SHEPPARD & GEORGE JONES/It’s A Man Thing
Writers: Frank Solesby/Kelly Lang; Producer: Denny Diante; Publisher: Kelly Lang, BMI; Goldenlane (track)
-T.G.’s new CD is titled Legendary Friends & Country Duets. On it, the veteran hit maker teams up with Jerry Lee, the Oaks, Merle, Willie, Delbert, Crystal Gayle, Ricky Skaggs, Lorrie Morgan, B.J. Thomas, Mickey Gilley and even the late Conway Twitty and, here, George Jones. The departed Possum sounds surprisingly good with T.G. on this light hearted, charming ditty. Twangy, uptempo fun.
Backroad Anthem
BACKROAD ANTHEM/Torn
Writers: Thomas Archer/Jay Brunswick/Josh Bryant/Tommy Cecil/Toby Freeman/Jody Stevens/Craig Strickland; Producers: Jody Stevens/Tommy Cecil; Publishers: HoriPro, BMG, Swat, Sony/ATV; BA (track)
-Very modern and electronic sounding. The track throbs with energy, and youthful voices ring on the ultra tuneful song. Imaginative, listenable, professional and extremely commercial. Somebody sign these guys.
MIKE & THE MOONPIES/Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
Writers: Mike Harmeler; Producers: Michael Kingcaid/Mike Harmeler; Publishers: none listed; BMI; MM (track)
-Breezy-easy, smooth country rock from the Lone Star State. Open-highway music, if a bit on the bland side.
DON HENLEY/Words Can Break Your Heart
Writers: Don Henley/Stan Lynch/Steuert Smith; Producers: Don Henley/Stan Lynch; Publishers: Wisteria/Warner-Tamerlane/Matanzas/Ratshoes/Granite, GMR/ASCAP; Capitol (track)
-The production is superbly pristine, with a heartbeat rhythm, sighing steel, chiming guitar work and echoey open spaces. The song sounds like a country classic. Henley’s vocal is, as always, a thing of perfect wonder. Goddess Trisha Yearwood shadows him in angelic harmony. You will not find a better recording on the market today than this legend’s Cass County. Buy it.
AJ KROSS/People Gonna Talk
Writers: none listed; Producers: Steffon Hmulack & Eric Torrez; Publishers: none listed; AJK
-He has a warm, inviting singing voice. The song is a solid, sturdy construction. The production builds beautifully around his performance. I like this a lot. Who is this guy?
JACK SCOTT/Tennessee Saturday Night
Writer: Billy Hughes; Producer: Olli Haavisto; Publisher: Unichappell, BMI; Blulight (track)
-You music nerds out there are going to be thrilled when I tell you that the great Jack Scott is back with his first new album in 50 years. Canada’s finest classic rock-and-roll stylist immortalized “My True Love,” “Burning Bridges,” “Leroy,” “The Way I Walk,” “Goodbye Baby,” “What In the World’s Come Over You” and more in 1958-61. Still touring on the rockabilly circuit, he went to Finland to record his Way to Survive comeback CD, which mainly consists of country chestnuts. He kicks it off with a snappy, rockabilly reworking of this 1948 Red Foley oldie. For a 79 year-old guy, he sounds pretty good.
BREELAN ANGEL/Nothing Cuts Like A Diamond
Writers: Julia Carlson/Courtney Dashe/Sarah Allison Turner; Producer: Trent Wilmon; Publishers: Red Vinyl/No Bull About It/Dixie Stars/True Bearing, BMI/ASCAP; MisBehavin’ (track)
-She tries to give the ballad a plaintive, heartbroken delivery. I was unmoved. There was something rather mannered and mechanical about it.
THE MAVERICKS/Pardon Me
Writers: Raul Malo/Alan Miller; Producers: Raul Malo/Niko Bolas; Publishers: Big Machine/Raul Malo/Miller’s Tale, BMI/ASCAP; Valory (track)
-This time out, the Mavs executive an echoey ballad of romantic anguish. Deep twang guitar and searing tenor vocals give it a glowing, simmering heat.
Industry Ink: SOURCE, Touring Career Workshop, Carrie Underwood and CMT
/by Jessica NicholsonSOURCE Supports Second Harvest Food Bank
Members of SOURCE–an organization of women executives in Nashville’s music industry–spent Thursday evening, Oct. 15, preparing food boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nashville to be distributed to those in need. The two-hour project resulted in 1,800 meals.
Pictured (L-R): Stacee McRea, and SOURCE Members Kari Barnhart, Karen Clark, Erika Wollam-Nichols, Denise Nichols, Leann Bennett, and Liz Morin.
Registration Open For Touring Career Workshop
“Our lineup of sessions and speakers this year is probably the strongest that we have ever had,” says TCW co-founder Chris Lisle. “We are super excited at the content of this year’s program.”
Every year, the Touring Career Workshop benefits a local non-profit and this year TCW is partnering with Make-A-Wish® Middle Tennessee. TCW will be collecting donations and recruiting wish granters at this year’s event.
“The people that attend our workshop are known for their giving spirit, and we can think of no better non-profit to partner with that Make-A-Wish,” adds Lisle. “We very much look forward to partnering with them this year.”
Carrie Underwood Will Guest Host CMT Hot 20 Countdown
Pictured (L-R): Cody Alan, Carrie Underwood
LANco Signs With Arista Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville EVP/COO Ken Robold, A&R Director Taylor Lindsey, and A&R VP Jim Catino; LANco; and Sony Music Nashville EVP, Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges and Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman; Hill Entertainment Group President Greg Hill; and Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Marketing Paul Barnabee.
Photo: Darrin Dickerson
Sony Music Nashville has signed five-person band LANco to the label group’s Arista Nashville imprint. The band was formerly known as Lancaster & Company, and includes members Brandon Lancaster, Tripp Howell, Eric Steedly, Jared Hampton, and Chandler Baldwin.
The band recently released an EP on Spotify, featuring the tracks “Trouble Maker,” “We Do,” “American Love Story,” and “High.”
The band has been working with Jay Joyce (Neon Cross), known for his work with Eric Church, Little Big Town, Cage the Elephant, Carrie Underwood and more.
Watch the band’s introduction video below.
YouTube To Launch Membership Service Oct. 28
/by Jessica NicholsonThe service will be available for $9.99 per month. YouTube Red works with Google Play Music, allowing users to subscribe to one and automatically get access to the other.
Additionally, YouTube will launch member-only access to new shows and movies, via YouTube Originals. A list of Originals content is available on YouTube’s official blog.
The content will be available on multiple devices and apps, including a new YouTube Music App that will be available soon.
Beginning Oct. 28, U.S. viewers can try YouTube Red free via a one-month trial.
Apple Music Retains 60 Percent of Trial Users
/by Eric T. ParkerApple has retained 60 percent of trial users for its Apple Music streaming service, according to the tech giant’s leader Tim Cook, who spoke at the tech conference WSJDLive in California this Tuesday (October 20).
The streaming music service, which was introduced at the end of June, now has 15 million users with 6.5 million paying subscribers ($10 a month for individuals or $15 a month for families). Free trial periods began to expire at the end of September.
Spotify, a direct competitor to Apple Music, has 20 million subscribers included in its 75 million actively using the service.
Dixie Hall To Be Honored During CMHoF Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum
/by Jessica NicholsonDixie Hall
Dixie Hall will be honored during the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s ninth annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum, slated for Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m.
The event will take place in the CMHoF’s Ford Theater.
Hall, who died on Jan. 16, 2015, was a songwriter, record label owner, publisher, and music journalist. An IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award honoree, Hall is the most-recorded female songwriter in bluegrass history. Additionally, she was creative partner to her husband of 46 years, Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall. Dixie also spearheaded the “Daughters of Bluegrass” projects, which highlighted the contributions of female performers and songwriters to the bluegrass genre.
The Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum will include interviews with colleagues, and live performances of songs penned by Hall. Those in attendance will include Sierra Hull, Rita Forrester (granddaughter of A.P. and Sara Carter), Carl Jackson, Chris Jones, Heather Berry-Mabe, and more.
Previous honorees are Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Mary Martin, Bonnie Garner, Sarah Trahern, Nancy Shapiro, Kay Clary, and Jo Walker-Meador.
The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Reservations can be made by emailing eventrsvp@countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling 615-416-2040. For more information about the event, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.
Chairman/CEO of UMG International Max Hole Steps Down
/by Eric T. ParkerMax Hole. Photo: UMG
Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced Max Hole will be stepping down from his role as Chairman and Chief Executive of Universal Music Group International (UMGI), effective immediately. Following the departure, the company’s regional heads (for those regions outside the U.S.) will report directly to UMG Chairman and CEO, Lucian Grainge.
The resignation is a result of contracting encephalitis in January. He has suffered some memory loss and while he is making progress towards a recovery, a full resumption of his responsibilities is not possible at this time. Continuing involvement is being discussed at this time.
In making the announcement, Hole said, “I have loved working at Universal, the best record company in the world. Lucian is an extraordinary person, both an exceptional creative and business executive for whom I have great affection. We have known each other for a very, very long time and I’m so glad we remain friends. I love so many of my colleagues around the world that there are too many to name, but I’d like to mention my close friends Boyd Muir, Richard Constant, David Joseph, Frank Briegmann, Pascal Nègre, George Ash, Jesus Lopez and Andrew Kronfeld. Finally, there are our incredible artists, some I have been close to and some I have watched and loved from a distance. I wish our artists and Universal a hugely successful future.”
Grainge said, “Max Hole is one of the most talented and accomplished executives to have ever worked in the music business, with an undying passion for music. He has been one of our industry’s most effective champions, opening new markets and creating opportunities for artists and fans everywhere. Max’s contributions to Universal will be forever a part of the fabric of this company and our industry, and he leaves with our deepest gratitude and respect.”
Hole joined UMGI in 1998 as Senior Vice President, Marketing and A&R. In 2004, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and subsequently added responsibility for Digital, Strategic Marketing and Commercial Affairs, as well as Asia Pacific and Nordic/Central/Eastern Europe. He was appointed COO of UMGI in 2010 and in 2013 was appointed Chairman and CEO of UMGI.