Pictured (L-R): Randy Goodman; (top) Ken Robold, (bottom) Steve Hodges
Randy Goodman has been appointed Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Nashville, effective immediately under Sony Music CEO Doug Morris. Goodman has appointed Ken Robold as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and Steve Hodges as Executive Vice President, Promotion & Artist Development. Robold and Hodges begin their new roles effective July 13.
“Randy Goodman is a highly respected member of the Nashville community with a proven track record of success in developing hit artists,” said Morris. “We are very happy to have him leading our business in Nashville and welcome him to the Sony Music family.”
“Having started my career at RCA Records Nashville, now a cornerstone of Sony Music, this is a homecoming for me, and I couldn’t be happier or more honored to be entrusted to lead this great group,” said Goodman. “And getting to work with an icon of the business, Doug Morris and his team, makes this opportunity all the more exciting. I’m thankful to Doug for his belief in me and to Julie Swidler for her dedication and commitment to me and Nashville during this transition.”
Goodman replaces Gary Overton in the Nashville leadership role, responsible for overseeing all of Sony Music Nashville operations, including Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville, RCA Nashville, as well as Provident Music Group.
In welcoming Robold and Hodges, Goodman remarked, “Ken and Steve are consummate professionals whose industry acumen, passion, and accomplishments speak for themselves. I am extremely proud to add their vision and experience to our already extraordinary team here at Sony Music Nashville.”
Robold remarked, “It’s an honor to be joining a company with the rich musical legacy Sony enjoys. I’d like to thank Doug Morris, Julie Swidler, and Randy Goodman for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of artists and staff, as we take Sony Music Nashville to new heights.”
On the announcement, Hodges offered, “It’s an extremely exciting time for Sony Music Nashville! It’s an exciting opportunity for me, and I can’t say enough about the vision and leadership that Randy embodies. I’m honored at his vote of confidence. I’m also thrilled to be a teammate with Ken in this endeavor. Needless to say, I’m ecstatic and ready to get to work with the incredible roster of artists and staff!”
Hodges comes to Sony with a background that includes a dozen years in radio and programming and more than 20 years in promotion with Capitol Records Nashville, dating back to the third album of superstar Garth Brooks and the career launches of such artists as Trace Adkins and Deana Carter. Beginning as a regional, Hodges advanced to Senior Vice President, Promotion in 2009, with Capitol earning “Label of the Year” honors throughout his six-year tenure, which also saw the 2010 launch of Capitol imprint EMI Records Nashville. Hodges worked from day one of the Capitol/EMI careers of such chart-topping, platinum-selling artists as Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, and Keith Urban.
Robold most recently served as President of Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Artists, where he oversaw the operation’s record label, publishing, and studio divisions. The role followed nearly 22 years with PolyGram Records/Universal Music Group, where he rose to the post of Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal Music Group Nashville. Among his many accomplishments, Robold is a past Chairman of the ACM Board of Directors.
Goodman trained under revered former Sony Nashville leader Joe Galante for 16 years in the Nashville and New York offices, when both were at RCA, the forerunner of what is now Sony Music Nashville. Goodman’s final role was Executive Vice President/General Manager of RCA Nashville, working with such superstars as Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Dave Matthews Band, Martina McBride, Clint Black, Keith Whitley, and The Judds. In 1997, Goodman opened Lyric Street Records for the Walt Disney Co., overseeing the label as President through 2010 and enjoying multi-platinum success with Rascal Flatts and SHeDAISY, as well as platinum-sellers Aaron Tippin and American Idol finalist Josh Gracin. A CMA board member and past President and Chairman of the board, Goodman has co-chaired the Music City Music Council with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean since 2011 and is a board member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition, he has served in a wide range of industry consulting roles, as well as serving as an artist manager with Maverick in Nashville.
According to MusicRow’s most recent records, Sony Music Nashville is home to: Arista Nashville (Kix Brooks, Cam, The Henningsens, Logan Mize, Brad Paisley, The Swon Brothers), Columbia Nashville (Tyler Farr, Steven Lee Olsen, Chase Rice), RCA Nashville ( Josh Dorr, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Jake Owen, Pistol Annies, Dee Jay Silver, Chris Young), and has partnerships with 19 Recordings (Carrie Underwood, Casey James), Sea Gayle Records (Jerrod Niemann), Blue Chair Records (Kenny Chesney), Pearl Records (Garth Brooks) and Gwendolyn Records (Trisha Yearwood). Ben Gallaher, Go Down Moses, Ryan Griffin, Michael Tyler are also signed to Sony Music Nashville.
Eli Young Band Makes A Move To The Valory Music Co.
/by Troy_StephensonEli Young Band
Big Machine Label Group announced that Eli Young Band will be making the move from Republic Nashville to The Valory Music Co.
Under Republic Nashville, the band had platinum and multi-platinum No. 1s including “Drunk Last Night,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Crazy Girl.”
The band’s 2014 album 10,000 Towns debuted at No. 1 on the country albums chart.
Since signing with Big Machine Label Group in 2011, they have earned multiple GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, CMT, ACA and Billboard award nominations.
“I am proud to announce that the Eli Young Band are joining the roster of the mighty Valory Music Co!,” said Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta. “The Valory Music Co. SVP/Promotion George Briner and his team have taken VMC to new heights and the addition of EYB will further solidify the label’s stand-alone roster and Valory brand as a top player in the country music arena. All of us are thrilled to continue this very successful relationship.”
Eli Young Band will join Reba, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore,Thomas Rhett, The Mavericks, RaeLynn and Levi Hummon on the Valory roster.
The band’s label change could be related to BMLG’s recent purchase of Republic Nashville.
Eli Young Band is performing on Toby Keith‘s Good Times & Pick Up Lines tour and will embark on their own headlining tour this fall.
Nielsen Teams With atVenu To Track Music Sales at Concerts
/by Sarah SkatesBeginning Friday July 10, to coincide with the new Friday Global Release Date, atVenu will become Nielsen’s preferred venue sales data provider and automatically submit all venue sales recorded in the atVenu app directly to Nielsen.
By providing daily venue sales to Nielsen, atVenu will enable faster verification of venue sales and alignment with the new Friday-to-Thursday sales cycle for charts. The atVenu app is the only way to deliver venue sales in a digital format to Nielsen.
Nielsen’s music reporting services will be available via atVenu to all artists, signed and independent, in the U.S. and Canada. For labels managing multiple artist accounts, a free dashboard will be available, allowing users to manage accounts, track sales and get a better view into the sales data pipeline.
“Since launch of the atVenu platform, we’ve managed the merchandise and music sales data for over 2,500 artists at more than 65,000 concerts,” said Ben Brannen, Co-Founder and President of atVenu. “We know how important SoundScan reporting is to our artists and their teams. This exciting collaboration revolutionizes how venue music sales are reported by providing artists with an easy-to-use solution that increases both accuracy and transparency of their data.”
atVenu’s Nielsen reporting service will go live on July 10, 2015. For more information, visit www.atvenu.com/soundscan.
Sony Music Nashville Officially Names New Leaders
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): Randy Goodman; (top) Ken Robold, (bottom) Steve Hodges
Randy Goodman has been appointed Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Nashville, effective immediately under Sony Music CEO Doug Morris. Goodman has appointed Ken Robold as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and Steve Hodges as Executive Vice President, Promotion & Artist Development. Robold and Hodges begin their new roles effective July 13.
“Randy Goodman is a highly respected member of the Nashville community with a proven track record of success in developing hit artists,” said Morris. “We are very happy to have him leading our business in Nashville and welcome him to the Sony Music family.”
“Having started my career at RCA Records Nashville, now a cornerstone of Sony Music, this is a homecoming for me, and I couldn’t be happier or more honored to be entrusted to lead this great group,” said Goodman. “And getting to work with an icon of the business, Doug Morris and his team, makes this opportunity all the more exciting. I’m thankful to Doug for his belief in me and to Julie Swidler for her dedication and commitment to me and Nashville during this transition.”
Goodman replaces Gary Overton in the Nashville leadership role, responsible for overseeing all of Sony Music Nashville operations, including Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville, RCA Nashville, as well as Provident Music Group.
Robold remarked, “It’s an honor to be joining a company with the rich musical legacy Sony enjoys. I’d like to thank Doug Morris, Julie Swidler, and Randy Goodman for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of artists and staff, as we take Sony Music Nashville to new heights.”
On the announcement, Hodges offered, “It’s an extremely exciting time for Sony Music Nashville! It’s an exciting opportunity for me, and I can’t say enough about the vision and leadership that Randy embodies. I’m honored at his vote of confidence. I’m also thrilled to be a teammate with Ken in this endeavor. Needless to say, I’m ecstatic and ready to get to work with the incredible roster of artists and staff!”
Hodges comes to Sony with a background that includes a dozen years in radio and programming and more than 20 years in promotion with Capitol Records Nashville, dating back to the third album of superstar Garth Brooks and the career launches of such artists as Trace Adkins and Deana Carter. Beginning as a regional, Hodges advanced to Senior Vice President, Promotion in 2009, with Capitol earning “Label of the Year” honors throughout his six-year tenure, which also saw the 2010 launch of Capitol imprint EMI Records Nashville. Hodges worked from day one of the Capitol/EMI careers of such chart-topping, platinum-selling artists as Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, and Keith Urban.
Robold most recently served as President of Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Artists, where he oversaw the operation’s record label, publishing, and studio divisions. The role followed nearly 22 years with PolyGram Records/Universal Music Group, where he rose to the post of Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal Music Group Nashville. Among his many accomplishments, Robold is a past Chairman of the ACM Board of Directors.
Goodman trained under revered former Sony Nashville leader Joe Galante for 16 years in the Nashville and New York offices, when both were at RCA, the forerunner of what is now Sony Music Nashville. Goodman’s final role was Executive Vice President/General Manager of RCA Nashville, working with such superstars as Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Dave Matthews Band, Martina McBride, Clint Black, Keith Whitley, and The Judds. In 1997, Goodman opened Lyric Street Records for the Walt Disney Co., overseeing the label as President through 2010 and enjoying multi-platinum success with Rascal Flatts and SHeDAISY, as well as platinum-sellers Aaron Tippin and American Idol finalist Josh Gracin. A CMA board member and past President and Chairman of the board, Goodman has co-chaired the Music City Music Council with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean since 2011 and is a board member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition, he has served in a wide range of industry consulting roles, as well as serving as an artist manager with Maverick in Nashville.
According to MusicRow’s most recent records, Sony Music Nashville is home to: Arista Nashville (Kix Brooks, Cam, The Henningsens, Logan Mize, Brad Paisley, The Swon Brothers), Columbia Nashville (Tyler Farr, Steven Lee Olsen, Chase Rice), RCA Nashville ( Josh Dorr, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion, Jake Owen, Pistol Annies, Dee Jay Silver, Chris Young), and has partnerships with 19 Recordings (Carrie Underwood, Casey James), Sea Gayle Records (Jerrod Niemann), Blue Chair Records (Kenny Chesney), Pearl Records (Garth Brooks) and Gwendolyn Records (Trisha Yearwood). Ben Gallaher, Go Down Moses, Ryan Griffin, Michael Tyler are also signed to Sony Music Nashville.
Jamey Johnson, Buddy Cannon, Scotty Emerick to Play For Pen Fund
/by Lorie HollabaughJamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson, Buddy Cannon, and Scotty Emerick will trade songs and stories July 29 at Songwriters 4 Songwriters, a benefit for the Pen Fund that helps songwriters with pancreatic cancer.
The Pen Fund was launched by the family of songwriter Hank Cochran in conjunction with the Nashville-based non-profit, The Nikki Mitchell Foundation, in Hank’s honor. The organization supports awareness about the disease and helps further cutting-edge breakthroughs in research and development for early detection and treatment of the disease.
Cochran’s daughter says the night will be full of special moments and a few surprises as well. “We could see a few friends drop by,” hints Booth Calder Cochran (co-founder of TPF and Hank’s daughter).
Tickets for the show are available online for $20 and for $25 day of show, and donations can also be made directly to www.thepenfund.org.
Industry Ink: Harmon Management, Carlin Nashville, Saving Studio A Panel
/by Lorie HollabaughRusty Harmon
Harmon Management Launches
Rusty Harmon and Sunni Ray have joined forces to create Harmon Music Management. The company has signed new trio STELLA // JAMES, Jeanne Jolly, Laura Reed, and country rock duo, Chesapeake Sons. The company also has a new publishing division, and has inked a deal with songwriter Benji Harris.
“Over the years I have come to realize the significance in strategic partnerships with artists and brands.” says Harmon. “Cultivating a relationship with the proper brand can both enhance a career, and add longevity. Brand association is a foundation of our management principles.”
Harmon has managed acts like Hootie and the Blowfish, Colt Ford, and Jason Michael Carroll, and also served as the President of the Atlantic Records imprint, Breaking Records, and as President/Management for Average Joe’s Entertainment. Ray began her career with the fitness program Beachbody, and also worked in the offices of Red Light Management and GreenLight Media/Marketing.
Carlin Nashville Signing
“Blaire’s abilities as a writer, arranger and guitar player really impressed me the first time I met her. Her songs fit perfectly with Carlin’s diverse and timeless catalog. We are excited to team with Blaire as she continues to develop her career,” states Katrina Tsang of Carlin Nashville.
Carlin Nashville is the Nashville division of independent publisher Carlin America. With offices in New York, London and Nashville, Carlin has one of the world’s largest catalogs of vintage and modern roots music including music by King and Starday Records, AC/DC, James Brown, Billie Holiday, George Jones, Stephen Sondheim and many more.
NAMM Panel Looks at Saving Studio A
NAMM is hosting the panel, “Saving Historic RCA Studio A,” tomorrow (July 9) during its convention at the Music City Center. It will be at 3 p.m. CST at the TEC Tracks booth. The panel session will visit the grassroots effort to preserve music history and save the historic RCA Studio A and how it became a full-fledged movement to save Nashville’s music culture as the city grows. Producer Dave Cobb, All Good Factory manager Mike Kopp, RCA Studio A VP Sharon Corbitt-House, and artist Jim Lauderdale will discuss the effort and where it stands today, during the event.
Weekly Register: Easton Corbin Debuts At No. 1
/by Sarah SkatesRounding out the top 5 are Corbin’s UMG Nashville labelmates Kacey Musgraves (18K album only) and Sam Hunt (14K), followed by Zac Brown Band (13K) and Now Country 8 (10K).
On the tracks list, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA” crossed the 1 million downloads mark, selling 28K this week thanks to the 4th of July. The song was released in 1984, pre-Soundscan, so it has actually sold many more than 1 million total.
Top 5 Country Tracks this week
Little Big Town “Girl Crush” 60K
Luke Bryan “Kick the Dust Up” 59K (tops 500K RTD)
Sam Hunt “House Party” 47K
Sam Hunt “Take Your Time” 45K
Blake Shelton “Sangria” 41K
Global Release Day Changes
Starting on July 10, the global release date moves from Tuesday to Friday. Accordingly, all sales-based charts will be measured from Friday through Thursday to cover the full 7-day period. Starting July 13, Nielsen’s sales tools will be available on Monday morning. There will also be an 11-day transition week. Then on July 20, the new 7-day Friday to Thursday chart week will begin.
*info according to Nielsen Soundscan
WSIX’s Guitar-B-Que Benefit Lineup Announced
/by Lorie HollabaughLee Brice, Eli Young Band, A Thousand Horses, Cam and Jon Pardi will perform at the star-studded event August 12 at Losers Bar in Nashville.
Tickets for the benefit are $20 advance, $25 at the door and will go on sale July 10, and some lucky early listeners purchasing the tickets will get an extra free ticket.
For more information on the show go to thebig98.com.
Easton Corbin Hosts Listening Party For ‘About To Get Real’
/by Kelsey_GradyPictured (L-R): Easton Corbin and Kelly Sutton. Photo: Alan Poizner
Mercury Nashville’s Easton Corbin discussed and previewed songs from his new album, About To Get Real, yesterday (July 6) at the Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville. During the event, the singer/songwriter spoke to media personality Kelly Sutton about the record-making process, his current hit single “Baby Be My Love Song” and his career overall.
On June 30 Corbin marked release day with a visit to NBC’s TODAY for an interview and performance of “Baby Be My Love Song.” That night he gave a pregame concert at Citi Field before the New York Mets played the Chicago Cubs.
About To Get Real, produced by Carson Chamberlain, includes 11 tracks including three co-written by Corbin. It is the Florida native’s third album.
Pictured (L-R): UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe, Mercury Nashville’s Easton Corbin, Turner & Associates’ Trey Turner. Photo: Alan Poizner
Seth Mosley Launches Full Circle Production House
/by Eric T. ParkerSeth Mosley
Christian music producer and songwriter Seth Mosley has launched Nashville-based Full Circle Music—a production house offering songwriting, production, engineering, editing, mixing, instrumentation, arrangement, programming, vocals and mastering.
Mosley is a GRAMMY ® winner and has been honored by SESAC and Billboard.
Comprised of a team of producers, engineers, songwriters, editors, studios and creators working with signed and independent artists, the group includes Mosley (Michael W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, Newsboys, For King & Country), Michael O’Connor (Phil Wickham, MercyMe), Jerricho Scroggins (TobyMac, Colton Dixon) and Brad Rempel (Trisha Yearwood, High Valley).
“The longer I’m in this industry, the more evident the importance of a team is,” explains Mosley, whose journey began as a signed touring artist, turned songwriter and producer. “This is the start of my dream for making a big wave in music and riding it into the new era.”
The company also offers a state of the art facility, outfitted with top gear and instruments.
For more information, click here.
All For The Hall New York To Feature Paisley, Underwood, Gill, Harris
/by Troy_StephensonL-R: Paisley, Underwood, Harris, Gill
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, as well as Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris will perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum fundraiser, All for the Hall New York. The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Times Square Best Buy Theater in New York City.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s All for the Hall campaign launched in 2005. This year, the proceeds will support the museum’s educational programs, which teach audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music. In 2014, the Hall’s educational programs reached over 160,000 people.
All for the Hall New York is produced by CAA’s Rod Essig, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan and BMI’s Jody Williams. The event is made possible by the generosity of AEG Live and the Best Buy Theater. All table and ticket purchases are a tax deductible charitable contribution to support the preservation of country music’s heritage.
VIP tables and tickets are available now, and patrons have the option of purchasing a full table of 10 for $10,000, a half table for $5,000, or an individual floor level seat for $1,000. Details on the VIP tickets can be found here. To purchase tickets, contact Rachel Shapiro at 615-416-2069 or rshapiro@countrymusichalloffame.org.