October 11, 2021, Issue 777
Revisiting Race In The Industry
Last October, Country Aircheck published an in-depth discussion about race and the country business (read here) in which Warner Music Nashville Dir./National Radio Promotion James Marsh noted the tendency of interest in change to wane over time and urged a check-in after a year. Marsh, WXFL/ Florence, AL OM/PD Fletcher Brown, Back Blocks Music CEO Rakiyah Marshall and Big Loud VP/Marketing Candice Watkins gathered via Zoom last week for a follow-up discussion. A condensed version follows (read the full piece here). CA: Noted last year was the extent to which our conversationâs focus on race obscured that you are talented and hardworking executives who might prefer to use this platform to discuss the work youâre actually doing. So, letâs start there. Whatâs going on in your professional Fletcher Brown James Marsh worlds right now? RM: Last year, I didnât know Iâd have my own company, but itâs been a good ride. I really love and am excited about the creatives I work with. Songwriter Blake Candice Pendergrass is knocking Rakiyah Watkins Marshall down cuts every single day. Lily Rose is with Republic and Big Loud, and sheâs exceeding expectations â not just by her music, but by creating representation for the LGBTQ community in the country genre. Iâm really proud to represent her. And Ashley Cooke â still independent â is my passion project. JM: Working with all three radio and streaming teams is great, and Iâm more comfortable with it all the time. (continued on page 16)
Cents And Sensibility: Riser House/Columbiaâs Mitchell Tenpenny raises $32,500 for his 10Penny Fund last night (10/10) at Nashvilleâs Ryman Auditorium. Pictured (l-r) are the labelâs Meghan Reich, Lauren Wilson, Jessica Valiyi and Shane Allen, Red Lightâs Kristen Dowling, the labelâs Jennifer Way, Tenpenny and the labelâs Nicole Marinake, Lyndsay Church and Randy Goodman.
NSHoF: Kent Blazy
Spotlighting individual inductees leading up to the Nov. 1 50/51 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala continues with Kent Blazy. His cuts include Garth Brooksâ âIf Tomorrow Never Comes,â âAinât Goinâ Down (âTil The Sun Comes Up),â âSomewhere Other Than The Nightâ and âItâs Midnight Cinderella;â Diamond Rioâs âThatâs What I Get For Lovinâ You;â and Chris Youngâs âGettingâ You Home (The Black Dress Song).â
Kent Blazy
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