Bryan White
Artist/Producer
Panelist Marketing & Publicity

It's the stuff of country music lore. A young man - really, just a kid not quite out of his teens - leaves his home in Oklahoma to move to Nashville to pursue his dream of playing and singing country music. The dream led to more success than even that young man had imagined. Success that brought him awards and accolades before he was barely into his 20s. Now, Bryan White is ready to start the next leg of his journey, with a new outlook on life and new music to go along with it.

Bryan began his musical journey by paying his dues as a teenage drummer in his parents' bands before heading to Music City. Once..

Steve Wariner
Artist/Producer
Panelist - Making The Record

With over 30 top-ten hits as an artist (14 of which went all the way to #1), Steve Wariner knows very well what it’s like to be a country star.  In addition to his success with smashes like “Holes in the Floor of Heaven,” “Burnin’ the Roadhouse Down (with Garth Brooks),” “Life’s Highway,” and “The Weekend,” Steve has penned hits for many other country greats as well.

Steve wrote “Where the Blacktop Ends” for Keith Urban, and has had his songs recorded by artists including Alabama, Clint Black, Diamond Rio, Kenny Rogers, Clay Walker, and many others!

Alvarado Road Show
Artists
Panelists - Making The Record

Located just 26 miles outside Ft. Worth, Texas, the City of Alvarado has a population of about 3,000…minus three.  The members of the earthy, edgy country band whose name was taken from this sleepy little town have recently relocated to Nashville, but their hearts will always be pure Texan.

For brothers Cleve Clark and AJ Clark, and their nephew Brandon “Trey,” making music together has always been a family affair.  As a boy, oldest brother AJ was given a banjo by his father.   When he realized that the girls were more impressed by the sound of electric guitars he quickly made the switch.  At age 15, AJ convinced the family to start a gospel band.  Little brother Cleve was only 6 years old when he began singing with the band, and legend has it that he was born in a three-piece-suit with a microphone in his hand.

Rachel Proctor just might be the most seasoned pro you’ve ever met. With one listen to her debut album, Where I Belong, you hear the enormous musical diversity in her background. But although she sings a variety of styles well, Rachel knows exactly where she belongs.

Dean Sams
Lonestar
Panelist - Management

Dean was raised in Garland, Texas where he spent most of his childhood playing all sports. Football was his main focus through most of high school and is also when he got into music for the first time.

After getting a scholarship to Southwest Texas State University, he attended college for three years before he decided he would put all his efforts into music instead of school. As most musicians have to do from time to time, Dean worked many odd jobs trying to make ends meet. He did everything from waiting tables to being a construction worker.

Troy Tomlinson
President/CEO
Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Troy Tomlinson has been in the publishing business for twenty years. He began his career at Multimedia Entertainment in 1983 as Professional Manager of the Nashville division.

He was Creative Manager of Don King Music and Rick Hall Music for three years. In 1988, Troy joined Acuff Rose as Creative Manager. In 1993, he was promoted to director and in 1996 was made Vice President of the Creative Department. Troy was made Executive Vice President of Acuff Rose in 1999.

Producer/creative director, Storme Warren joined the Travis Television production staff in 1999, after spending six years working on Music Row as an on-air reporter/producer for TNN’s “This Week in Country Music,” “Crook and Chase,” “Today’s Country,” and “TNN Country News.” Prior to coming to Nashville, Storme spent 5 years in the CNN Los Angeles Bureau, working for the network’s daily entertainment program “Showbiz Today.”

Fletcher Foster
Senior Vice-President Marketing
Capitol Records/Nashville

You'd expect a Nashville label executive's resume to include the likes of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Keith Urban and Trace Adkins.  You might not expect to see names like Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle, TLC and Live.

The fact that Fletcher Foster has worked with all of them is a key part of why he was tapped by Capitol President & CEO Mike Dungan for the position of Senior Vice-President, Marketing.  Foster's stints at labels in Los Angeles and Nashville have given him one of the most varied and eclectic backgrounds on Music Row.

Jon Elliot
VP Marketing & Artist Development
RCA Records Label/Arista Nashville

Jon Elliot is the Vice President of Marketing & Artist Development for the RCA Records Label/Arista Nashville.  Among his responsibilities at the dual labels are to oversee all of the marketing initiatives and day-to-day for the RCA and Arista rosters.  Jon, a native of Scarsdale, NY started at the label in 1994 as manager of Sales & Advertising in the New York offices. While there he played a significant role in the launch of Dave Matthew Band.

Jon’s artist roster includes Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Pat Green, Los Trailers, Jeff Bates and Catherine Britt.

Stewart Harris
Songwriter
Songwriting & Publishing Panel

Stewart Harris had an epiphany one day in his sociology class at the University of South Carolina. “There was a substitute teacher but it was like I couldn’t hear him. I was just jotting down song titles – about 25 titles during the 50-minute class. I shut my book and told one of my fraternity brothers I was leaving school that day!”

Chip Petree
General Manager & Vice President, Business Affairs Copyright Exchange Panelist - Scam Busters

As a solo practitioner specializing in transactional work in the music and entertainment industries, Petree represents a diverse group of songwriters, artists and music publishers, as well as technology and e-commerce companies. From 2000 to 2002 he practiced technology law in Silicon Valley, and prior to that served in the in-house legal departments at the RIAA, BMG and MTV Networks, where he was primary counsel to CMT.

Sharon Eaves-Harding
President, Fan Clubhouse
Panelist - Marketing & Publicity

Sharon Eaves-Harding began her career in the music industry in 1983 as a production assistant to super-producer and now head of Warner Bros. Records Paul Worley.  During that time she also worked at Sony Tree Music Publishing.  In 1989 Eaves-Harding opened an artist management company.  Her clients included Wild Rose, The McCarter Sisters, Billy Montana, Rob Crosby, and John Berry.

Eaves-Harding currently owns and operates Fan Clubhouse, where she offers a variety of services including fan club operations, marketing, promotion, tour press, and merchandise fulfillment for her clients including Gary Allan, Joe Nichols, Chris Cagle, Jamie O’Neal, SHeDAISY, Trick Pony, Mark Wills, Darryl Worley, Tracy Byrd, Hot Apple Pie, and Bryan White.

She is a 9-year member of the Radio Advisory Board for the St. Jude Country Cares radio program, and is a member of the ACM, CMA, and Source.  You can find out more about Sharon Eaves-Harding and Fan Clubhouse by visiting her website at www.fan-clubhouse.com.

Cole Wright
Wright of Center Music
Panelist - Scam Busters

As the owner of Wright of Center Music, Cole Wright represents a “who’s who” of songwriters, including Steven Dale Jones, Hillary Lindsey, Aimee Mayo, Dallas Davidson and Angelo.  Wright’s career in the music business has also included positions at music publishers Island Bound Music, Marathon Key Music, King Lizard Music, as well as tenures at record companies including Mammoth Records, Blue Note Records, and Arista Texas.

Bradley Collins
Assoc. Director Writer/ Publisher Relations, BMI
Panelist - Songwriting and Publishing

In his position as Associate Director, Writer/Publisher Relations of BMI, Bradley Collins works with people in every aspect of the music business -- songwriters, artists, publishing companies, record labels, producers, managers and attorneys -- as he assists BMI writers and publishers in the administration of their musical works.

Jimmy Carter
Panelist - Scambusters

Some make their name in front of the mike or camera . . . others do it as a producer, writer or technician. Jimmy Carter has done them all!

Since 1968, at age 15, when he started his on-the-job training at his favorite rock radio station, Carter has taken in firsthand knowledge of what it takes to make a successful radio and television show...

Tom Lord
VP Marketing Universal Music Group
Panelist - What Do Record Labels Really Want?

Tom Lord has been in the marketing department with Universal Music Nashville, the country music division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s largest music company, since 2000.  Now VP Marketing, Lord helps coordinate the advertising and marketing for such artists as Shania Twain, George Strait, Josh Turner, Billy Currington, and others.

Brian Jones
Booking Agent, The Bobby Roberts Company
Panelist - The Road

A 1994 Graduate of Belmont University's Music Business Program began his career in the Music Industry as an intern at Performance Magazine.  With a little luck by being in the right place at the right time, the location of the office for this concert industry trade magazine was located in the same building as one of Nashville's major Booking Agencies, Buddy Lee Attractions. 

Kathy White
On Air Talent, WSM 95.5 The Wolf
Panelist - Marketing and Publicity

Kathy White actually started her love of the microphone like many, atop the coffee table at age 5 with a hairbrush, singing "Viva Las Vegas" to all that would listen. Little did she know that that mic would turn into a life long career.