May 8, 2017, Issue 549
Meet RCA’s Dennis Reese
Named RCA SVP/Promotion in March (Breaking News 3/27), Dennis Reese brings an extensive background in Pop and Rock promotion from his days with Epic, Capitol, Elektra and Columbia. He jumped to the label world in 1993 after programming stops including then-Rhythmic Top 40 WHQT/Miami, then-Top 40 WHLY/ Orlando and Top 40 WCKZ/Charlotte. CA: How did you get into radio? DR: I was always into music. Every week we’d ride our bikes to buy 45s and I would do talk-ups in my house pretending I was on the radio. What were those early records? Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.” We got enough bottle money to buy two that day. I’m happy to say I still own those 45s. My grandmother watched The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and I became a huge fan. Huge. I bought “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Southern Nights” on 45 and still own those, too. He was my gateway into country, but Y-100 [Top 40 WHYI/Miami] is the reason I got into radio. In the late ‘70s they would do a 20-minute music sweep as Rock 100 and Dennis Reese then do a 20-minute block the next hour of just dance songs as Disco 100. You would hear a Kansas song in the Rock 100 stuff, but Donna Summer over here. That’s crazy to think about now, but they were the No. 1 station and owned both genres. So the music tastes I have are extreme. Sony/Nashville EVP Steve Hodges has an opening. Who calls who? I knew Steve and [Columbia SVP] Shane Allen from my days at Capitol. A mutual friend called and told me Steve was looking to replace Keith Gale, who’s going to manage Jake Owen. He said my name came up. I called Steve and said, “You know how crazy I am about Nashville. I would love to talk.” He said let’s do this the right way and get [Sony/Nashville CEO] Randy Goodman in the loop calling [Epic CEO] L.A. Reid. (continued on page 7)
Love Can Build A Bridgestone: Gearing up for Luke Bryan – and opener Adam Craig – in Nashville Friday (5/5) are Cumulus’ Charlie Cook, Stoney Creek’s Chris Loss, WSIX/ Nashville’s Ryan McKiddy, SC’s Heather Propper and Andrea Knipp, KILT/Houston’s Monica Lunsford and Cumulus/ Nashville’s John Shomby.
Radio On Luke Tour Launch
Luke Bryan’s Huntin’ Fishin’ & Lovin’ Every Day Tour opened with a pair of hometown shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Friday and Saturday (5/5-6). And radio pros were there ... as were a few surprises. Luke Bryan Bryan opens his set “behind a see-through curtain, so to speak,” says Cumulus Nash Dir./Programming and WKDF/Nashville PD John Shomby. “And it’s a great song to kick it off – ‘Move.’” An extended stage thrust brings the action, and Bryan, closer to the audience. “That made about 20 rows feel as if they were in the front row,” Shomby says.
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