Although Brandy Clark was unable to perform at CMT’s Next Women of Country event due to an illness, surprise guest Shane McAnally took the stage at Nashville’s City Winery to offer remarks about the CMA New Artist of the Year nominee, whose story is inspiration for all women in the Country genre today. “Brandy has the lowest charting single in history to be nominated for a CMA,” he said of the track on her independent project 12 Stories, because it was not promoted to radio. McAnally noted that every label in town had the opportunity to put out her album but said, “We don’t know what to do with it.” Perhaps, he said, the same perception Kitty Wells, Shania Twain or Loretta Lynn may have received before Clark. The industry darling has recently been signed to Warner Bros. Records in Los Angeles.
Because of the uphill battle for women in today’s male-dominated format, Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy at the Viacom company, started the women’s event in 2013 as a way to support women across all of CMT’s platforms.
This year’s second annual event was co-hosted by Fram and Lee Ann Womack, who unfortunately did not sing. “I love when women can support other women,” said Womack in her introductory remarks after surprise guest Gavin DeGraw welcomed her to the stage.
Kelsea Ballerini, Mickey Guyton, RaeLynn and Maddie & Tae performed as the new class of Next Women of Country initiative. Current inductees include 25 artists. Of those, Angaleena Presley, Lindsay Ell, Jana Kramer, Natalie Stovall, and Kelleigh Bannen also performed at the 2014 event, while many others attended.
Jewel made a special appearance as a newly announced mentor for the initiative, offering lessons from her 20 years in the evolved business. “I really think this is cyclical and women will again be played,” she said, addressing the young stars. “In the meantime we need to make sure we’re signing enough women. You have to know the business to protect your art, but the business can be every bit as creative as the music.” She stressed the importance of directing your team by communicating your vision, because fans don’t fall in love with a single, they fall in love with an emotional connection to artists as lifestyle brands. “Arrogance is the antithesis to art, so stay hungry and educated…My mind doesn’t have a sex. Women can be taken seriously as writers. Don’t worry about being the cute next thing because your thoughts are your fingerprint.”
Chris Loss, Stoney Creek’s VP, Promotion introduced the label’s triple-threat, Ell, who sang “Shut Me Up.” Pres./CEO of Warner Music Nashville John Esposito revealed Kramer, who sang “I Got The Boy,” off a forthcoming 2015, Scott Hendricks-produced album.
Dot Records GM Chris Stacey introduced the imprint’s first signing, Maddie & Tae. The 19 year olds sang the top 10 single “Girl In A Country Song,” which was noted as the fastest moving and selling since one by Taylor Swift. Recently promoted SVP of Promotion at Valory Music Co., George Briner, introduced RaeLynn, who sang the highest charting debut single for a solo artist, “God Made Girls.”
UMG Nashville Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan introduced Guyton and Bannen. Guyton performed the self-penned “Better Than You Left Me,” which she debuted at CRS in 2013. The single version is expected to impact in January, and Dungan noted that 75 percent of the stations that have heard it have committed to adds. He praised Bannen, saying she “sings in a range that’s different.” She is working with producers Jason Lehning and Jedd Hughes on her album, which is expected to include “Church Clothes,” the extraordinary title she performed.
Ballerini, introduced by CEO of Black River Entertainment Gordon Kerr, flawlessly performed “Stilettos.” Presley took the stage for “Pain Pills,” the video for which recently premiered on CMT. Stovall, who will appear on the CMA red carpet and in a commercial during the ABC-TV broadcast, offered “We Are” with an introduction by Cumulus’ Brian Thomas.
Fram pleaded with McAnally to conclude the event in Clark’s absence with a performance of his co-written “Merry Go Round,” to which he agreed but not before quipping, “Seems weird to be singing for the Next Women of Country event, but some of my close friends would say, ‘close enough.’”

Ken Levitan has opened Vector Eats, a chef and personality division of his longstanding artist management company. The venture brings in manager Andrew Chason to a resource pool of 70 employees in place at Vector Management’s Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and London offices.
“We were working with Jonathan Waxman and of course Trisha Yearwood, who considers herself a cook not a chef,” Levitan explained to MusicRow in an exclusive interview with Waxman at their co-owned Adele’s restaurant in Nashville. “Andrew already managed Aaron S
ánchez and John Besh.”
In all, the chef roster boasts 10 clients, seven of whom have been nominated for James Beard Awards over the years, with four wins among them. In addition to the aforementioned chefs, the lineup includes Graham Elliot (Chicago-based), Andrew Carmellini (New York-based), Chris Cosentino (San Francisco-based), Amanda Freitag (New York-based), Alex Thomopoulos (Los Angeles-based) and Aliya LeeKong (New York-based).

Nashville’s Music City Food + Wine Festival—put on by Levitan, his clients Kings of Leon, Waxman, and event company C3 Presents—is the perfect outlet to feature Vector’s music and culinary talents. Yearwood appeared at the event, where she discussed the fifth season of her Food Network cooking show, currently airing episodes recorded in Oklahoma. “Garth and I just moved back to Nashville,” she said. “Going forward, I’ll be on the road so I don’t know how the [taping] schedule will look.” Her third cookbook, cutlery collection and cookware line are forthcoming.
The music/culinary connection is widespread. Carmellini is Chef/Partner at Joe’s Pub (where the CMA Songwriters Series originated) and Elliot is Culinary Director for Chicago music festival, Lollapolooza. Waxman and Sánchez have already appeared on a music cruise out of Miami, Fla. with pop/rock group Train.
“It’s all a late-night business,” Levitan explained of artist management and chef management. “It’s about marketing, similar to music in that you’re taking a creative vision and establishing a brand. What’s important is working with a person who has a vision of who they are.”
As for Adele’s, if you haven’t been, go! Waxman’s seasonal menu changes daily, centering around his favorite dishes from his New York City restaurant Barbuto. Not to mention, the martinis are every definition of intoxicating. Beautifully refurbished, the previous tire store is located in the heart of Nashville’s burgeoning Gulch neighborhood.

“I’m an early supporter of this area,” noted Levitan. “I own the Kayne Prime building and the Whiskey Kitchen building. I’m in The Southern and Five Guys—a handful of restaurants that I invested in even prior to Vector Eats.”
“If I was going to grow, I didn’t want to do it by myself,” explained Waxman. “It wouldn’t be fun to do it alone. Other pairs of eyes bring alternative visions, some look at branding, some worry about cooking, others look at longevity of the lease or even employer retention. If everyone’s focus on the same subject, then you’ll succeed.” Their third investor is Howard Greenstone.
“It’s hard to monetize creativity, propelling the brand forward and making it relevant year-after-year,” Waxman continued. “Music and cooks are in the same boat, if you don’t keep it relevant then people aren’t going to come.”
As for Levitan’s immediate future? “I’m enjoying the restauranting and hoping Jonathan and I do more of that, he has a great vision of what a restaurant should be.”
• • •
What are the most lucrative parts of a chef’s career?
Levitan: In the music business I look at things as a puzzle, there’s different income streams— touring is the most lucrative. For chefs, TV is not always the most lucrative, but it provides visuals, which help branding. Jonathan has a number of restaurants, so that has become lucrative. There’s also a difference between restaurateuring and managing a personality. Sometimes it collides where you help a client find investment, but for the most part it’s about building a presence.
Waxman: My business went up 30 percent in 2009 after Top Chef. I didn’t want to do it at first, but it opened up opportunities that I never had before. A lot of people go into the restaurant business thinking they’ll make a quick buck. It’s a hard business because it’s fickle and driven by trends. People can sense if you’re not real.
Have chefs always required management?
Waxman: People have good representation, not as good as Ken, but they at least will have an agent. Many chefs start off as a dishwasher and work their way up. They understand food but may not have a mathematical background. Ken went to law school, giving him an understanding of finance, leasing, investing, permits, etc. That’s what makes a restaurant work.
Shep Gordon really started the trend for chefs to become stars. Also those who portrayed cooking as fun, like Emeril, Bobby Flay (who came out of Waxman’s kitchen) and Martha Stewart. Before the ’70s, restaurateurs hired chefs and took most of the notoriety. Nobody knew the rules in America so chefs could open their own restaurants. Chefs who learned to become businessmen were really inspirational for me.

What are Nashville’s culinary origins?
Waxman: You know who was really the pioneer? Margot [McCormack, of Margot Café  and Marché]. She’s the mom. She set the bar. Here’s a woman from Nashville, who went to [The Culinary Institute of America], worked in New York and decided to come back home and perfect her craft, which I think is the greatest thing. She was the first one to understand seasonality in Nashville, and not just Nashville but East Nashville. She also spawned a lot of cooks, like Tandy Wilson (City House). My chef and pastry chef [at Adele’s] are both from Margot. It’s all connected somehow.
Levitan: Coming from New York, being a food guy, for many years Nashville was a scarce place to be. There were a few good restaurants and I really enjoyed the meat and threes, and going out to Ashland City for catfish, but I didn’t even think there was a lot of great Southern food. I’ve been here since ’75. When The Palm opened, it was a revelation for the town. The boom has really been in the past five to ten years. Nashville is a great place and it’s only going to get better and better.