Chris Oglesby
Oglesby Writer Management
Panelist - Publishing

CHRIS OGLESBY IS A 20-YEAR VETERAN OF THE MUSIC PUBLISHING INDUSTRY WHO MOVED TO NASHVILLE IN 1985 WITH DREAMS OF BECOMING A STAR. HIS REAL TALENT LAY IN WORKING WITH SONGS AND SONGWRITERS.

HE PURSUADED NASHVILLE PUBLISHER KAREN CONRAD INTO LETTING HIM HELP OUT AT HER COMPANY, AMR PUBLICATIONS. AFTER WORKING THERE FOR A YEAR, KAREN URGED CHRIS TO TALK TO DAVID CONRAD, WHO WAS HEADING ALMO/IRVING MUSIC. CHRIS WORKED FOR ALMO/IRVING FOR SIX YEARS SIGNING CRAIG WISEMAN AND JESS BROWN (LITTLE PAST LITTLE ROCK – LEE ANN WOMACK; ROPE THE MOON – JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY) BEFORE ACCEPTING A JOB TO RUN A BRAND NEW PUBLISHING COMPANY CALLED DREAMCATCHER MUSIC. UNDER CHRIS, DREAMCATCHER WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH A REPUTATION FOR HAVING CUTABLE SONGS. “WE STARTED WITH A HANDFUL OF SONGS, TWO WRITERS IN THEIR FIRST PUBLISHING DEALS AND SOME BIG DREAMS.” DURING AN 18-MONTH TENURE WITH OWNERS KYE FLEMING (3 TIME BMI WRITER OF THE YEAR COUNTRY AND POP) AND BOB DOYLE (MANAGER OF GARTH BROOKS), THE COMPANY LANDED 18 CUTS AND THREE SINGLES INCLUDING THE PAM TILLS HIT “MI VIDA LOCA”.

OGLESBY THEN MOVED TO BMG MUSIC PUBLISHING WHERE HE WORKED FOR 10 YEARS. CHRIS HAD THE PRIVELEDGE OF WORKING WITH SUCH NOTABLE SONGWRITERS AS, MARCUS HUMMON, HUGH PRESTWOOD, JOHN HIATT, KEITH FOLLESE, RICK GILES AND STEVEN DALE JONES TO NAME A FEW AND SIGNED EMERGING SUPERSTAR TALENT LIKE DAVID LEE AND BARRY DEAN AS WELL AS HOOKING BACK UP WITH HIS LONGTIME FRIEND CRAIG WISEMAN. CHRIS HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR AND A PART OF SUCH HIT SONGS AS; “PRAYIN’ FOR DAYLIGHT” RASCAL FLATTS; “CHECK YES OR NO” GEORGE STRAIT; “YOUNG” KENNY CHESNEY; “AMAZED” LONE STAR; “19 SOMETHING” MARK WILLS; “THE GOOD STUFF” KENNY CHESNEY; “LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING” TIM MCGRAW AND THE MARTINA MCBRIDE SINGLE “GOD’S WILL”.

CURRENTLY CHRIS HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF “WRITER MANAGER”. HE SET OUT, IN APRIL 2004, ON HIS OWN TO WORK WITH THE PEOPLE HE LOVES MOST – THE SONGWRITERS. OGLESBY WRITER MANAGEMENT IS A JOINT VENTURE WITH MUSIC INDUSTRY POWERHOUSE NATIVE/19 MANAGEMENT BASED IN LONDON. CHRIS OGLESBY WORKS WITH SONGWRITERS; TREY BRUCE; DAN COUCH; BARRY DEAN; DENNIS MATKOSKY; STEVE MCEWAN; JIMMY MELTON, SCOTT STEPAKOFF AND WRITERS THAT COME TO NASHVILLE FROM THE NATIVE/19 CAMP. CHRIS IS CONTINULALLY LOOKING FOR NEW SONGWRITERS