Music Industry executive Andrew Kintz has joined First Tennessee Bank to establish its first dedicated music industry banking group.

Kintz will report directly to Carol Yochem, President of First Tennessee’s Middle Tennessee region, and will be located at the bank’s Music Row offices. In his new role, Kintz will spearhead a new strategy focused on music industry businesses and individuals, including publishers, management firms, agencies, labels, producers, artists, songwriters, attorneys and other music industry centers of influence – both locally and nationally.

“Andrew’s decision to join First Tennessee ushers in a new era for our bank, expanding our expertise and reach into Nashville’s music community,” Yochem said. “With the music industry contributing nearly $10 billion to Nashville’s economy annually, this new strategy gives us an opportunity to gain significant exposure to and assist in the growth of an industry that is vital to Middle Tennessee’s economy.”

Kintz brings with him nearly two decades of experience in commercial banking and wealth management, and comes to First Tennessee after working at SunTrust Bank, where he led the music division in its sports and entertainment specialty group since 2009 – taking the reins from Brian Williams, who founded the group and died in an accident in 2006.

During his tenure with the group, Kintz doubled the group’s gross revenue and was a leading managing director in SunTrust for revenue growth, new clients, loan and deposit growth. Prior to his work in the music division, Kintz advised high net worth individuals and companies in both the private wealth management and commercial banking divisions of the bank.

“I am honored to have been chosen by Tennessee’s largest bank to head up services to the most famous industry in Tennessee, which is the birthplace of Rock & Roll, Country, Bluegrass and Christian/Gospel music.” Kintz said. “With its deep resources and broad line of products, First Tennessee is perfectly suited to be the banker to Music Row. I look forward to showing my friends in the music industry what a homegrown bank can do.”

Kintz is deeply involved in community and professional organizations, serving on the Boards of Nashville Public Radio, Columbia Theological Seminary, and The Atlanta Resource Foundation. He has also served on the Boards of WO Smith and Leadership Music, where he remains involved in committee work. In addition, Kintz also supports the local alumni chapters of W&L and UGA’s Terry college. He is a member of the CMA, NSAI (where he was recently honored with the Stephen Foster Institutional Award for supporting the efforts of NSAI and the songwriter community), NARAS, the Country Music Hall of Fame Honor Society, and AIMP. And this year, Kintz was named one of Nashville’s “40 Under 40” by the Nashville Business Journal.

He holds a BA from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from the University of Georgia, where he graduated first in his class.

This year’s SOURCE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will mark the organization’s 25th year anniversary celebration and will be held Aug. 23 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at the Historic Municipal Auditorium.

MusicRow sat down with longtime hosts of the annual gala event, Opry legend Jeannie Seely and Country Music Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee, to discuss the importance of sisterhood and supporting women executives and professionals who work in the Nashville music industry.

MusicRow: Since you two have hosted this gala for many years, how would you describe your friendship with each other?

Jeannie Seely: Oh my goodness. My friendship with Brenda is one of the treasures in my life. I was a fan of hers back when I grew up in Pennsylvania and I first knew of Brenda Lee on The Red Foley Show. She was such an inspiration because I was just a kid with dreams of being a singer and songwriter. Here was somebody who was proving you could do it even that young. I really don’t remember where we first met but it’s like our friendship has always been there. You know how easy it is to get to know Brenda Lee? If you’re with her two minutes, you’re friends. She does that for you.

Brenda Lee: Jeannie’s like me. She’s an open book. You don’t have to guess. You don’t have to think. She says what she means and she means what she says. She’s a kind person that knows this industry inside out and she knows more than I do. She knows the female vocalist side of it and she knows the business side of it like Dolly does. I’m one of those people that like to do the creative part and then let someone that I trust do the business side. My mind doesn’t work that way and I respect people like Jeannie and Dolly and girls that can do it. So I’m attracted to her because she’s who she is. I think the best thing is that she loves what she does and you can always tell that. You can tell that in an artist. Some artists don’t and we know that when the bells and whistles stop, they don’t especially like what they’re doing.

So Jeannie, as an artist, how did you also learn the business side of the music industry?

Seely: I worked for Liberty Records in Los Angeles as what they call a floating secretary, which meant I got every grungy job there was. What they didn’t know is that I was giving myself a great education. In every area they put me in, I dug through those files and read everything I could read. It probably took me longer to file things than anybody in history because I read all the contracts. It was a great learning experience. I knew the pressures and the “I want it yesterday” demands. Like a lot of the early SOURCE honorees have experienced, those were the days of the old typewriter and the carbon copy and correction. When there was some small change, you had to start all over again. It is a wonder, truly, that I didn’t kill some of those people because I certainly wished them an early death when they would change something just so they had contributed to it. It’s like, “Come on. I might have gotten here yesterday but I learned quickly and I know what you’re doing.” I also understood how they covered for their bosses. I covered for my boss when he was at the racetrack and he sometimes had to share his winnings if I had to cover him really big. (laughs)

And that’s why the SOURCE Hall of Fame is important to you because you know what it takes behind the scenes?

Seely: Exactly. I have an admiration for these women that maybe a lot of people from a different perspective wouldn’t have. I also learned from other artists in our industry. I learned what their managers did for them, what their managers told them and I absorbed it all.

What advice would you give women in our industry who are starting out and have aspirations of one day being a SOURCE Hall of Fame honoree?

Seely: I would say learn everything you can from these people. Every one of these women are brave mentors and most importantly, they’re willing to mentor the young people. That’s the key. As an artist, I had people help me and were happy to mentor me.

Lee: I remember when LeAnn Rimes’ mother came to me when LeAnn had the successful song, “Blue.” We did a show together and I’m saying this from a child’s standpoint because I was a child when I started in this industry. She asked me what should she do? I said first you need to let her go to school, and by go to school, I mean go to school, a public school. Get that experience. She can still work. I did on the weekends. I went all over the world, went to school, graduated from high school and was on the debating team. I was a cheerleader with Rita Coolidge, my great friend, who by the way has a great book out. We love her. Get that education and, as Judy Garland once told me sitting poolside at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, don’t let anyone take your childhood away. I’ll always remember that. And that goes back to having people around you that treat you as a person and not as a product. If you do that, then you’ve hit a home run.

Why was it important for both of you to participate in SOURCE?

Lee: I think Jeannie and I both know because we’re women. As my mother-in-law used to say, “When you need a job done, get a lady,” and sometimes the ladies behind the scenes don’t get the recognition nor do they expect it, which is a wonderful thing that they deserve. SOURCE is a way to say to them, “Thank you. We know who you are. We know what you have contributed and we know what that contribution morphed into.” It’s just our little way of saying thank you.

Seely: I would also interject to these young women coming into the business, to treat that artist as a friend, as a person, not as a product, not as just a tool, and they will appreciate you more. It’s a mutual respect for what we do.

Lee: You need to love the person and let them know that they’re loved and no matter if they are number one, number 10, number 40 or number 50. You will always have a relationship and you will do well. You may not be hot forever but you will have a place in the industry that you love. Jeannie will agree with that. You can’t always be number one. That’s why there’s numbers under it.

What you have learned as artists in this industry also applies to the people who work behind the scenes, don’t you think?

Seely: It’s hard for us to talk other than from the perspective as entertainers because that’s been our lives, but what Brenda said applies exactly to these women in SOURCE. They learn that very early. It is important to connect. Networking among women is the most prized thing you can have and one of the most valuable. Reaching out to people is how it works.

You two seem to genuinely enjoy this evening each year honoring SOURCE women, don’t you?

Seely: Yes, and thank goodness for Charlie Monk, I get to pick on him. When you lose your place, just pick on Charlie. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. (laughs)

Lee: Ain’t that the truth!? (laughs) And you know the wonderful thing about SOURCE is seeing the faces on these women who are getting honored because they never thought it would happen. And they all know each other’s history, every one of them. They didn’t study it when they heard they were getting the award. They lived it. It’s a very small field these women are in.

Seely: Right. That’s such a wonderful thing. While one woman is being honored I love to look at the other women because they are so into it. They truly all get choked up living that moment with them. It’s like the sisterhood between the artists and I see it among the SOURCE women as well.

Lee: It’s important to have that sisterhood because you learn very early as an artist you can’t take anything personal onto that stage. You’ve got to have somebody to talk to.

A limited number of seats remain for the SOURCE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

 

Brett Eldredge and his dog Edgar, Ross Copperman and his toddler daughter Iris, and dozens of industry folks saluted “Drunk on Your Love” at BMI on Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 9). It’s the third No. 1 that Copperman and Eldredge have had together.

Warner Bros. Nashville Chairman & CEO John Esposito (a.k.a. Espo), BMI Executive Director Bradley Collins and Sony/ATV Senior Vice President of A&R Josh Van Valkenburg also took their turns at the mic.

During a loose and charming speech, Eldredge recalled his early years socializing with Copperman. “Six years ago we met, I think, and we couldn’t even get into an after-party for a songwriter event. We weren’t cool enough so we drowned our sorrows and also dreamed a little more,” he said. “I think it’s really cool to chase dreams with guys like Ross because he’s a real guy. He’s not in it chasing down money. I mean, he’s doing perfectly fine but he doesn’t care about that. He really believes in the music and believes in the art of what we do.”

Eldredge also thanked Espo. “We’re going to have several drinks together and celebrate this because we chased this down a long time ago at a dinner,” he said. “We were at F. Scott’s listening to jazz music, believe it or not, because we both love jazz. We met and I said, ‘This guy is the guy who’s going to take me somewhere my crazy head dreams of.’ This guy can take me to that place and we are well on our way, brother. I love you, man, and thank you.”

Eldredge also praised his friends at Sony/ATV. “You guys have helped shape me as a songwriter,” he said. “It’s really crazy the job you guys have to figure out: ‘Who is this guy going to work well with?’ These guys live in songs.”

He added, “They came to my place the other day and we all sat on the balcony and we looked out over the city. I remember walking down these streets in college drinking whiskey out of a water bottle with zero dollars in my bank account hardly, dreaming up what I could do. And now there are buildings all over the place and this town is growing from the music here and everything around it. And guys like this help build that, and help me have a career, and believe in these songs that also are the reason we’re here in this business. Never lose that, Nashville! Never lose that. That’s what we need.”

He closed his remarks by tipping his hat to his label’s A&R team, in particular Scott Hendricks, and by recalling the lean times with his family growing up.

“My mom and dad and my brother are here,” he announced. “You guys have been here way before we’ve had any of these kinds of parties. I remember auditioning for shows. We slept in a parking garage over here on couch mattresses, and didn’t sleep at all, just trying to sing in front of these judges for one minute. And try to make someone say, ‘OK, you’re going to be a star.’ If I had been told I was going to be a star at that point, I probably wouldn’t be here, so I’m glad I was told no a lot of times. You’ve got to be told no a lot, and you’ve got to have the people who believe it should be a yes sticking with you, and that’s my family.”

Wrapping things up, he thanked BMI, his label’s radio team and his band and crew.

“We’re gonna go party now! I couldn’t feel any better. Thank you to this whole town for really getting around me and my career, and Ross, and all the songwriters. This is a tough job. Anybody’s who’s trying to do it, I feel ya. I’m still chasing it down with you and it could stop tomorrow. But there’s always that belief. … You chase it and that’s what we’re doing. Cheers!”

 

Copperman preceded Eldredge at the podium and genially addressed the crowd by saying, “I look at this stage and I feel like we’re missing somebody. It’s hard to imagine that just the two of us made this whole thing happen—writing it, producing it together in a week and mixing it.”

He continued, “In 2012, when Brett came over to our old house in Bellevue, [my wife] Katlin was probably about 6 months pregnant with the girl you see today. We had a Chihuahua named Bella and Brett always used to put our Chihuahua on his head. We’d be writing the song and he’d be holding the Chihuahua on his head and sing, ‘I woke up…’ I’d say, “It’s getting weird man,” but it worked!”

Copperman thanked Eldredge, his wife, his publishers at Sony/ATV, Espo, and Warner Bros., the latter “for embracing these records me and Brett have made, these crazy little pieces of music we have put together. You guys have believed in them.”

Avenue Bank was not on hand to present a check, as is their tradition, but they did make a donation to Alzheimers Foundation of America. Country Radio Broadcasters Executive Director Bill Mayne spoke highly of the song’s achievements.

Van Valkenburg spoke about how Eldredge and Copperman “have profoundly impacted the progression of country music in the past few years. They’ve done so with integrity and balance.” He concluded his speech by commending the songwriters for not forgetting where they came from, and for appreciating the history of Nashville, and giving props to Warner Music Nashville.

With Copperman’s kid nearby, Van Valkenburg adjusted his “f” word to “freakin’” but Espo… well, he didn’t. But after rattling off a few statistics, Espo swelled with pride talking about Eldredge.

“We’re at the beginning of what’s going to be a very long ride, of an artist that’s going to be culturally important for a lot of decades, with a golden baritone that is just beyond soothing and magical.”

Espo then chatted about Eldredge’s upcoming Christmas album, recorded in New York City with a sizable string section and a horn section and rhythm section for good measure.

“Anybody here who really knows me knows that Frank Sinatra is the standard bearer for me. Frank’s three Christmas records aren’t as good as what Brett has recorded,” Esposito stated. “What I know is going to happen here is the world is going to find out he’s not just a great country singer. He’s a singer for the world.”