Vol. 26 No. 9
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October 2016
A lifetime of music
O’Malley grateful for success of artist agency, record label Story and photos by Anthony Welch
T
he man behind Scott O’Malley & Associates and Western Jubilee Recording Company feels blessed to have worked a career that revolves around music. It’s felt more like a hobby than a job really. “I just feel fortunate. It’s never felt like I’ve had a real job, you know,” Scott O’Malley said. “It’s always been about the music.” In the cozy confines of his office/theater tucked away on a corner of Cucharras Street in downtown Colorado Springs and housed in a historic 1887 Santa Fe Railroad warehouse, the soft-spoken O’Malley talks nonchalantly about his successful artist management and record label business, both of which he started back in 1982. O’Malley ventured to Colorado from Indiana with his folk/country group the Buffalo Brothers in 1975. “A six-week gig turned into us just staying here,” O’Malley said. Unpleasant dealings with an agency while with the Buffalo Brothers inspired O’Malley to get into the artist representation business himself, thus Scott O’Malley & Associates was born. Soon after, O’Malley branched out and added the record label business. Both have afforded O’Malley a successful career, while staying close to his primary passion – music. “I’ve lived a lifetime of music on one side or the other,” O’Malley added. He casually mentioned that in his youth, he played guitar behind Sonny and Cher before heading off to the Army reserves. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and was assigned, strangely enough, to be a cook instructor. “They asked me what my prior experience was and I told them I had taught guitar,” O’Malley said. “So, they said, ‘OK, you’re the cook instructor.’ I
Scott O’ Malley’s music businesses — Scott O’Malley & Associates and Western Jubilee Recording Company — have been housed in an old Santa Fe Railroad warehouse on Cucharras Street for 25 years.
specialized in pastries.” O’Malley handles the business for names such as guitar legend Norman Blake and Flash Cadillac, and sells albums for cowboy artists such as Don Edwards and Waddie Mitchell. Blake was nominated for a Grammy last year in the best folk album category. He also was in on the ground floor of the “O’ Brother Where Art Thou” phenomena, as O’Malley calls it, and had two songs on the film’s soundtrack. Five years after setting up shop in the old Santa Fe Railroad building, O’Malley and friends pieced
together a small theater venue inside the historic structure. Since that time 20 years ago, the Western Jubilee Warehouse plays host to “secret,” inviteonly performances. Though, simply joining the email list will get one the details and opportunity to purchase show tickets, according to O’Malley. “I’m coded for 166 capacity but I never dreamed of having that many people,” he said. “We’re really comfortable with the usual 130 people that usually attend.”
See MUSIC, page 6
Age-Friendly in action Innovations in Aging Collaborative takes advantage of Colorado Springs plan
See Page 11