Compass Records Group has tapped industry veteran Marc Dottore as A&R for Special Projects, focusing on established artists who need traditional label services, including marketing and distribution, but may not be suited for a major label roster. Dottore will continue to operate his artist management company.

(L-R): Kathy Mattea, Marc Dottore, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart

Among the first projects Dottore is working on with Compass is a multi-artist tribute to Hillbilly Central, the legendary Music Row studio where the Outlaw Movement was born, which is now home to Compass Records.

Compass co-founder Garry West commented, “There’s great value in the partnership and resources that a good label relationship can offer an artist, foremost among those being to free an artist up to focus on his or her creative talents, leaving the business side to a team with that expertise. We’ve spent the past 18 years as an artist-owned, artist-oriented label, supporting and nurturing creative talent, and in the process have developed the infrastructure and market access that artists need. We’re looking forward to working with Marc to bring those resources to the table in developing some new projects and fostering new artist relationships within a 21st century model.”

Dottore added, “As the middle of the market has collapsed, many artists with a recognizable name and loyal fan base find themselves without a manager or label, often making the same record over and over again. Over my career I have focused on strategies that encourage the artist to challenge their perceptions of themselves and expand their audiences. I have a track record of working with very credible artists and helping them to extend their careers well beyond their expiration date at radio. Teaming up with Compass gives me the team and the tool set to approach select artists outside of the standard model and present them those options. I have known and respected Garry and Alison (Brown, Compass co-founder) for over 10 years. When I started to visualize what I wanted the next phase of my career to look like, Compass was a natural fit.”

Dottore has 30-plus years experience in the music business. His career began as lighting designer, production manager and/or road manager for George Strait, Eddie Rabbitt, The Gatlin Brothers, and Kathy Mattea. He spent the next decade at Titley-Spalding, which managed Mattea and Brooks & Dunn. Since that time he has worked with independent-minded artists including Mattea, Marty Stuart and newcomer Sturgill Simpson. Dottore also worked as Director of Artist Management for Universal South Records, and later had a management partnership with Tim DuBois.

Several Country and Nashville-related songs and albums are among the 2013 inductees to the Grammy Hall Of Fame:

“Act Naturally”
Buck Owens
Johnny Russell, Voni Morrison
Capitol (1963)
Country (Single)

Foggy Mountain Banjo
Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs And The Foggy Mountain Boys
Columbia (1961)
Country (Album)

“Bonaparte’s Retreat”
W.H. Stepp
(Traditional arr. Stepp)
Library of Congress (1937)
Country (Single)

“The Titanic”
Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman
(Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman)
Okeh (1924)
Country (Single)

“Near You” *
Francis Craig And His Orchestra
(Francis Craig & Kermit Goell)
Bullet (1947)
Pop (Single)

Representing a variety of tracks and albums, the 2013 Grammy Hall Of Fame inductees range from AC/DC’s Back In Black album to Frank Sinatra’s recording of “Theme from ‘New York, New York.'” Also added to the highly regarded list are Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” Paul McCartney & Wings’ album Band On The Run, Ray Charles’ “Hit The Road Jack,” the Drifters’ “On Broadway,” and self-titled albums from Elton John and Whitney Houston.

To be eligible, singles and album recordings must exhibit qualitative or historical significance. Recordings are reviewed annually by a special member committee comprised of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, with final approval by The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees. The list currently totals 933 and is on display at the Grammy Museum at L.A. LIVE.

* “Near You” was written and recorded in Nashville. The Frances Craig Orchestra was the house band at the Hermitage Hotel. In 1947, it was released on Nashville’s Bullet Records, the first major hit to come from an independent label. It still holds the record for the longest continuous stay at No. 1 on the pop charts: 17 weeks. The label was unable to keep pace with the record’s runaway success, which led to the construction of Nashville’s first record-pressing plant. Next, “Near You” became Milton Berle’s theme song on television. Later it was revived as a country duet by George Jones & Tammy Wynette and became a No. 1 country hit in 1978.—RKO