[Press Release] Fletcher Foster, former Senior Vice President/General Manager of Universal Records South, has joined Red Light Management. In addition to his role as a manager, Foster will be a key part of the senior management team at RLM working directly with Coran Capshaw.
“His substantial expertise and creative vision make Fletcher an ideal fit with our Nashville team and Red Light’s roster,” said Capshaw, founder and owner of Red Light Management.
“Red Light has always been an innovative management company, which could not be more relevant now during these changing times in the music business,” said Foster. “I look forward to working with Coran, and bringing my passion and experience to the dynamic team at Red Light.”
At Universal Records South, Foster oversaw all day-to-day operations of the label, including human resources, marketing, promotion, creative services, sales, new media and publicity. He also signed and developed numerous artists who charted Top 10 hits during his tenure at the label, including 2009 CMA “New Artist” nominee Randy Houser, Phil Vassar, Joe Nichols and Eli Young Band.
Foster served as Senior VP, Marketing at Capitol Records in Nashville from 2000 to 2006, where his innovative campaign for Trace Adkins’ “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” led to a double Platinum certification for the album Songs About Me. He also spearheaded campaigns for Dierks Bentley, who went on to win ACM, CMT and CMA awards for Best New Artist, Cyndi Thomson, Kenny Rogers, Keith Urban and many other acts. In stints at Arista Records in Nashville and Los Angeles, Foster worked with artists such as Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Aretha Franklin and Barry Manilow and served as executive producer of the GRAMMY®-nominated Happy Texas soundtrack. As Vice President, Television & Multimedia Marketing at MCA Records, Foster helped launch the alternative rock band Live with Throwing Copper, now 8X Platinum. He began his career as Director, Publicity at CBS/Sony Records in Nashville.
A graduate of Nashville’s Belmont University, he has served on the Board of Governors for NARAS’ Nashville Chapter since 2003. He is on the Board of Directors of ACM Lifting Lives, Academy of Country Music, MusiCares, Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Gilda’s Club.
Red Light Management was founded in 1991 by Coran Capshaw at the beginning of his 19-year role as the personal manager of Dave Matthews Band. Capshaw also personally manages Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Phish. Sister company Starr Hill Presents promotes live music on a regional and national level, and together with its partners, produces large-scale music festivals including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival which Capshaw co-founded and co-owns. He also created Musictoday, a leading e-commerce and ticketing company serving top clients in music and sports. Capshaw sold Musictoday to Live Nation in 2007.
Registration, Submissions Open For SXSW 2011
/by Sarah SkatesDaytime events at the Austin Convention Center will flow into the world-renowned music festival, which is scheduled to showcase over 1900 acts on stages throughout downtown Austin. Registration for SXSW Music allows access to all daytime events including the keynote address, panels, interviews, workshops, mentor sessions, peer meetings, the trade show, official SXSW day parties, and priority access into all SXSW nighttime showcases.
SXSW Music is now accepting showcase applications for acts to perform at the 2011 music festival at Sonicbids.com. All applications must be submitted no later than November 5, 2010.
HoriPro Marks 20 Years On Music Row
/by Sarah SkatesHoriPro executives Butch Baker, Kaz Hori, Ronnie Gant, and Bob Beckham.
HoriPro Entertainment Group celebrated the 20th anniversary of the opening of its Music Row office with a party July 19 at Nashville’s Bound’ry Restaurant. The music publishing company has had offices in Tokyo, Japan for 50 years and then 20 years ago Kaz Hori and his family opened a Nashville branch with Bob Beckham.
Kaz Hori and his international HoriPro team, represented by staff members from the Tokyo, Los Angeles and Nashville offices.
Leadership Music Gala Attracts Star Performers, Honorees
/by Sarah SkatesLeadership Music Dale Franklin Award winners (L-R): Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson
Leadership Music has recruited a stellar list of performers to give musical tributes to honorees Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson at its annual awards gala on Sun., Aug. 29.
Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett, Billy Swan and Lee Ann Womack will perform that evening at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel, and Vince Gill is sure to charm as master of ceremonies of the Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award dinner. More performers and special guests will be announced soon.
The event will celebrate the honorees’ legendary careers, which intertwined through veteran label executive and producer Foster’s Monument Records. These distinct trailblazers helped define—and redefine—the Music Row business model, elevate the Nashville songwriting medium, and push the boundaries of country music, all while maintaining maverick authenticity.
Reservations to attend the invitation-only fundraiser must be made by Tuesday, August 10. There are several seating options: Benefactor Tickets, which include a pre-event VIP reception, cocktail reception, preferred dinner seating and program acknowledgment, are $500 each. Benefactor Tables of 10 are $5,000. Patron Tickets, for the cocktail reception and dinner, are $200 each for LM alumni and $250 for non-alumni. Patron Tables of 10 are $2,499. For more information, contact the Leadership Music office at LM@leadershipmusic.org. Proceeds from the evening benefit Leadership Music, an educational 501(c)(3) organization.
Honorary Chairs for the 2010 Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award gala dinner are Bob Beckham, Del Bryant, Frances W. Preston and Kyle Young.
The Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award, named for the first executive director of Leadership Music, was created in 2004 “to recognize music industry leaders who exemplify the highest quality of leadership and leading by example.” Foster, Kristofferson and Nelson join previous Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award honorees Tony Brown (2004), Gerry House (2005), Emmylou Harris (2006), Frances W. Preston (2007), The Bradley Family: Owen, Harold, Jerry, Connie and Patsy (2008), and Jim Foglesong, Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks (2009).
Fletcher Foster Joins Red Light Management
/by admin“His substantial expertise and creative vision make Fletcher an ideal fit with our Nashville team and Red Light’s roster,” said Capshaw, founder and owner of Red Light Management.
“Red Light has always been an innovative management company, which could not be more relevant now during these changing times in the music business,” said Foster. “I look forward to working with Coran, and bringing my passion and experience to the dynamic team at Red Light.”
At Universal Records South, Foster oversaw all day-to-day operations of the label, including human resources, marketing, promotion, creative services, sales, new media and publicity. He also signed and developed numerous artists who charted Top 10 hits during his tenure at the label, including 2009 CMA “New Artist” nominee Randy Houser, Phil Vassar, Joe Nichols and Eli Young Band.
Foster served as Senior VP, Marketing at Capitol Records in Nashville from 2000 to 2006, where his innovative campaign for Trace Adkins’ “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” led to a double Platinum certification for the album Songs About Me. He also spearheaded campaigns for Dierks Bentley, who went on to win ACM, CMT and CMA awards for Best New Artist, Cyndi Thomson, Kenny Rogers, Keith Urban and many other acts. In stints at Arista Records in Nashville and Los Angeles, Foster worked with artists such as Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Aretha Franklin and Barry Manilow and served as executive producer of the GRAMMY®-nominated Happy Texas soundtrack. As Vice President, Television & Multimedia Marketing at MCA Records, Foster helped launch the alternative rock band Live with Throwing Copper, now 8X Platinum. He began his career as Director, Publicity at CBS/Sony Records in Nashville.
A graduate of Nashville’s Belmont University, he has served on the Board of Governors for NARAS’ Nashville Chapter since 2003. He is on the Board of Directors of ACM Lifting Lives, Academy of Country Music, MusiCares, Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Gilda’s Club.
Red Light Management was founded in 1991 by Coran Capshaw at the beginning of his 19-year role as the personal manager of Dave Matthews Band. Capshaw also personally manages Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Phish. Sister company Starr Hill Presents promotes live music on a regional and national level, and together with its partners, produces large-scale music festivals including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival which Capshaw co-founded and co-owns. He also created Musictoday, a leading e-commerce and ticketing company serving top clients in music and sports. Capshaw sold Musictoday to Live Nation in 2007.
Bundy Graces Mag Cover, Drops New Single
/by adminEditor of Nashville Lifestyles, Stacie Standifer, says, “Putting this New York-to-Nashville talent on the cover was a no-brainer, since we haven’t seen anyone with such a fierce spirit in quite some time.”
Bundy can be seen in her good friend Miranda Lambert’s new music video for “Only Prettier” beginning August 3 at midnight ET on VEVO.
Also on August 3, Bundy performs during the season finale of Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D List, which airs at 9pm ET on Bravo.
Check out the steamy music video for”Drop On By”
Concert Promoters Form Alliance
/by Sarah SkatesRME is the promoter/operator of concerts and events at The Woods at Fontanel. RME is also known for booking concerts for the 9,600 capacity Amphitheater at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, and co-producing with BDE the highly successful Rowdy Frynds Tours starring Hank Williams Jr. and guests.
John Aylesworth Passes
/by Robert K OermannJohn Aylesworth (L) with actor Lorne Greene on the Hee Haw set in 1976. Photo Credit: Family Photo
Veteran television producer John Aylesworth died Wednesday in Rancho Mirage, CA at age 81.
He was best known to Nashvillians as the co-producer of the enormously successful country-music series Hee Haw. Born in Canada, Aylesworth moved to the U.S. in 1958 to write for the CBS TV series Your Hit Parade. He and his writing partner Frank Peppiatt went on to write television specials for Perry Como, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, as well as the rock ‘n’ roll TV series Hullabaloo.
When Laugh-In and The Beverly Hillbillies were the two top-rated programs on TV, Aylesworth and Peppiatt decided to combine elements from both, and Hee Haw was the result. At the time, neither man had ever been to the South. But from 1969 to 1993 they traveled to Nashville twice a year to tape the long-running show. At its peak, Hee Haw showcased every major star in country music and was seen by 15 million people a week.
Earlier this year, Aylesworth published his memoir, The Corn Was Green: The Inside Story of Hee Haw.
Foster Moves To Management?
/by adminFoster has also just been announced as a co-producer of Fox’s new American Country Awards.
The Crystal Ball sees all. Click Here
McGraw Named Most Played Artist of Decade
/by Sarah SkatesJon Peck (L) and Tim McGraw (R)
Tim McGraw has been honored with Nielsen BDS’s Most Played Artist of the Decade Award, for all genres. Nielsen Music’s Jon Peck recently presented McGraw with a plaque commemorating 7,965,000 radio spins, the most airplay of any artist from January 1, 2000-December 31, 2009.
According to Eric Weinberg, president Nielsen Entertainment, “We congratulate Tim McGraw on being the most played artist of the decade on radio. His career and songs have resonated not only with his fans, but has become part of the fabric of America, evidenced by his unprecedented airplay.”
Jimmy Wayne Wraps Walk To Phoenix
/by Sarah SkatesJimmy Wayne pictured on the moment he crossed the finish line on his 1,700 mile Meet Me Halfway campaign.
Jimmy Wayne set out New Years Day on a journey halfway across the country to raise awareness for at-risk youth. Despite a broken foot, he ended his 1,700 mile Meet Me Halfway walk yesterday (8/1) in Phoenix.
Wayne arrived at his destination, HomeBase Youth Services, at 9:11 AM/PT. He concluded his last mile in the same way that he completed his first mile in Nashville, by locking arms with supporters.
“This has been one of the most challenging, and at the same time rewarding experiences of my life,” Wayne said. “I know that might sound strange, but it’s true. This journey has made me think back on the childhood I had—there were many nights I didn’t know where I would sleep, and had no idea if I’d have any food. Even today, there are kids out there facing the same problems—nowhere to go, no one to care for them. It’s just amazing that in this country child homelessness and hunger are still issues. If this walk has helped even one child find a permanent home with a caring family, it’s been worth every step. And if me doing it all over again would help another, I’m ready.”