January 10, 2022, Issue 789
Aiming For A Records Year
The evolution of Records/Nashville hit full stride with last month’s hiring of Arista’s Josh Easler and creative community vet Joe Fisher (Breaking News 12/13). Likewise, bringing Matt Stell’s promotion in-house reflects Co-Founder & Partner Barry Weiss’ commitment to being all-in on country. Initially enlisting Keith Gale and Good Company Entertainment for promotion support, Records partnered with Arista on Stell before opening its Nashville office. Helmed by Stell’s manager Ash Bowers, the label had veteran promo execs Andy Elliott Josh Easler and Jamice Jennings working its in-house roster. Weiss stepped in day-to-day last summer when Bowers decided to focus on his core business (CAT 7/7/21). “When Ash went back to management, I thought about something I learned a long time ago ... there’s nothing worse than being half pregnant in this business,” Weiss says. “As a self-professed novice in country – I’m Joe Fisher not Mike Dungan or Billy Sherrill – I knew I needed to rip off the band-aid and really go for it. I’m a pretty experienced record executive who can smell a good opportunity, and there’s a real one here for a boutique, artist-focused midsize label. I’ve got two amazing executives in Josh and Joe, and I’m excited for all we’re going to do.” Easler knew Weiss from working on Stell’s Barry Weiss promotion, but as Records/Nashville’s EVP/ Promotion & Commercial Strategy, he’s looking forward to doing more. “This is an opportunity to grow and evolve professionally, not just in oversight of working with radio stations and staff, which I’ve long had, but by including work with the DSPs,” Easler says. (continued on page 7)
Pickin’ & Grinnin’: Valory’s Conner Smith at WKDF/ Nashville’s Country Pickin’ Party. Pictured (l-r) are Big D & Bubba’s Sean “Bubba” Powell, the station’s Tyler Reese, Big D & Bubba’s Derek “Big D” Haskins, Smith, Silverfish Media’s Patrick Thomas and Cumulus’ Charlie Cook.
Nashville Goes National On NYE
Coming in second to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest (ABC), the inaugural New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash brought in 4.4 million viewers for CBS on New Year’s Eve. Executive produced by Robert Deaton and Mary Hilliard Harrington, the broadcast seemed to prove its concept. “Considering we were only a hair away from the No. 1 spot, we are super encouraged about where this show can go from year Mary Hilliard one,” Harrington says. “We had insanely stiff Harrington competition against the 50th anniversary of the Dick Clark franchise.” Deaton calls DCNYRE the “gold standard” and notes the aim was to provide an alternative. “Any type of variety show is trying to do all things for all people, but the audience is increasingly fragmented,” he says. “Mary Hilliard and I talked more than a year
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