Join us for this webinar hosted by the Nashville Chapter to celebrate these legends of Music Row! Leeds Levy will sit down with David Conrad, Karen Conrad, and Pat Rolfe to talk about the days of old and how each of them have made a name for themselves in Nashville\’s music industry.
Speakers:
• David Conrad – David Conrad’s career spans over thirty five years in the music publishing business. He has played a major role in the development of Nashville as one of the world’s primary songwriting capitals. Born in Winston Salem, North Carolina, Conrad received a degree in Radio/Television/Motion Picture Production from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also studied classical guitar with Jesus Silva and attended master classes with Andre Segovia. With the encouragement of his friend Chet Atkins, Conrad moved to Nashville in 1971. He began working for Jerry Reed’s Vector Music, and was also hired for live and studio guitar playing. Conrad’s publishing career was interrupted for two years as he traveled and performed with the United States Army Special Services Show. In 1973, he was hired as general manager for Charley Pride’s Pi Gem/Chess Music publishing catalogues where he managed a staff of 15 songwriters and was involved in the development of such award winning tunesmiths as Kent Robbins, Dennis Morgan, Kye Fleming and Archie Jordan. He was also involved in the careers of and selected material for Pride and other Country Music Hall of Famers Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell. In 1981, Conrad opened the Nashville office of Almo (ASCAP) and Irving Music (BMI), the publishing arm of A&M Records. Through his direction the company became a leader in cultivating songwriting of all genres placing hundreds of songs not only on the country music charts but pop, adult contemporary and R&B as well. Through his publishing years at Almo/Irving Conrad worked with a diverse roster of songwriters and artists that included Pat Alger, John Anderson, Max D. Barnes, Jimmy Buffett, Beth Nielson-Chapman, Kye Fleming, Patti Griffin, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Wayland Holyfield, Waylon Jennings, Will Jennings, Paul Kennerley, Fred Knobloch, Mark Knopfler, Mike Reid, Kimmie Rhodes, Kent Robbins, Annie Roboff, Don Schlitz, Thom Schuyler, Gary Scruggs, Troy Seals, Allen Shamblin, Bruce Springsteen, Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch, Paul Williams and Craig Wiseman. David is past president of the Board of Directors of the Country Music Association, served as a board member of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation and held two terms as president of the Nashville Entertainment Association. The Nashville Songwriter’s Association awarded him the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award for his work in supporting Nashville songwriters. He is credited with starting and producing the concert series Stars for Second Harvest Food Bank raising over a million dollars for the organization. A graduate of Leadership Nashville, Leadership Music and Faith Leader, he has served on the board of the Country Music Foundation for 32 years and as Trustee for 16. He is honored as one of six members of the Country Music Foundation’s Circle Guard.
• KAREN CONRAD BEGAN HER CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS RECEPTIONIST FOR THE HUBERT LONG AGENCY. SHE DISCOVERED EARLY ON THAT SHE LOVED WORKING WITH CREATIVE PEOPLE AND FOLLOWED A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE INTO THE WORLD OF SONGWRITING AND PUBLISHING. AFTER STINTS AT MERCURY RECORDS IN PROMOTION AND ASCAP AS WRITER ADMINISTER, SHE WAS TAPPED BY JIMMY BUFFETT TO HANDLE TOUR COORDINATION AND PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATION FOR HIS CORAL REEFER MUSIC. BUFFETT’S MANAGEMENT MOVED HIS OPERATIONS TO THE WEST COAST AND SHE FINALLY GOT HER CHANCE TO BE A FULL FLEDGED PUBLISHER WHEN SHE WAS ASKED TO OPEN THE NASHVILLE OFFICE OF BLENDINGWELL/SISTER JOHN MUSIC. HER FIRST RECORDING AS A PUBLISHER WAS AN ALBUM TRIBUTE BY JERRY REED OF JIM CROCE SONGS – TEN SONGS PRODUCED BY CHIP YOUNG – GARNERING THE FIRST TWO OF MANY ASCAP AND BMI AWARDS. A HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND ASKED HER TO PARTNER WITH HIM IN A PUBLISHING COMPANY. AFTER A TWO YEAR PARTNERSHIP SHE BOUGHT HIM OUT AND BECAME SOLE OWNER OF AMR/NEW HAVEN MUSIC. SHE WORKED WITH AND HELPED DEVELOP THE CAREERS OF SONGWRITERS KAREN STALEY, BOB REGAN, ED HILL, AIMEE MAYO, AND BILL LUTHER. REBA McENTIRE, TIM McGRAW, MARTINA McBRIDE, SARA EVANS, FAITH HILL, TRISHA YEARWOOD, TRACY LAWRENCE , JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, DOLLY PARTON AND TRACY BYRD ARE A FEW OF THE ARTISTS WHO RECORDED AMR/NEW HAVEN MUSIC SONGS. BMG MUSIC PUBLISHING, A WORLDWIDE ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, APPROACHED HER TO HEAD UP THEIR NASHVILLE OFFICE RESULTING IN THE PURCHASE OF AMR/NEW HAVEN MUSIC BY BMG AND MERGING THE ENTIRE STAFF OF WRITERS AND EMPLOYEES WITH BMG’S EXISTING NASHVILLE OFFICE, QUADRUPLING THE NUMBER OF WRITERS AND STAFF MEMBERS. HER STELLAR CIRCLE OF WRITERS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MARCUS HUMMON, HUGH PRESTWOOD, LUKE LAIRD, JOSH KEAR, CRAIG WISEMAN AND OTHERS. AFTER TEN YEARS AND ACHIEVING THE POSITION OF SR. VICE PRESIDENT OF BMG SHE RETIRED FROM THE ORGANIZATION IN 2007 TAKING ON A CONSULTANCY POSTION WITH THEM. SOME OF THE AWARD WINNING SONGS SHE PUBLISHED ARE “AMAZED” RECORDED BY LONESTAR; “BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD” BY RASCAL FLATTS; “KEEPER OF THE STARS” BY TRACY BYRD; “YOUR EVERYTHNG” BY KEITH URBAN; “COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY” & “READY TO RUN” BY DIXIE CHICKS; ”HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT,” “MY BEST FRIEND” & “REAL GOOD MAN” BY TIM McGRAW; “ WHATEVER YOU SAY” & “THIS ONE’S FOR THE GIRLS” BY MARTINA McBRIDE; “LET’S MAKE LOVE” & “IT MATTERS TO ME” BY FAITH HILL; “YOUNG” BY KENNY CHESNEY, AND ALSO OVERSEEING THE CATALOG OF STANDARDS RECORDED BY GARTH BROOKS, GEORGE STRAIT, ALABAMA, WYNONA, RANDY TRAVIS AND MANY OTHERS. SHE HAS SERVED ON THE BOARDS OF NARAS (THE GRAMMY ORGANIZATION), NSAI; NEA; LEADERSHIP MUSIC AND THE SONGWRITER’S FOUNDATION. SHE IS CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE BOARDS OF SOURCE, THE SOURCE AWARDS , FAITH LEADER, THE MILLER HARRIS FOUNDATION AND SAFE HAVEN FAMILY SHELTER (ADVISORY). HER PASSION IS HELPING FAMILIES IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IN THAT EFFORT HAS FOUNDED THE NEHEMIAH PROJECT.
• Pat Rolfe began her career in the music industry when Lamar Fike, at Hill & Range songs, called her in 1966 and asked her to join him at the company. From then until 1972 she worked with luminaries such as Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, Eddie Rabbit, Bill Monroe, George Morgan and many other legends. One of her career highlights during this time was working with Elvis Presley. In 1972 she was elevated to general manager, becoming one of the first females to head a major publishing company. She brought Celia Froehlig into the company and they stayed until 1975, when Chappell Music purchased the Hill & Range companies and Pat joined Chappell Music. During her tenure, the company was named ASCAP Publisher of the Year seven times on the hits of writers Rory Bourke, Charlie Black, Jan Crutchfield, Randy Goodrum, Johnny Wilson, Johnny MacRae, Gene Dobbins, Rafe Van Hoy and Layng Martine, among others. Pat rose to the position of vice-president and held that post until 1987 when Warner Bros. Music purchased Chappell. That same year Connie Bradley, ASCAP Nashville’s chief, offered her the position of director of membership relations and she remained with ASCAP, rising to the position of vice president until 2010. She co-founded SOURCE Nashville and the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament and served on the boards of the Nashville Songwriters Association, the Nashville Music Association, Baptist Hospital and the Copyright Society of the South. Among the writers she brought to ASCAP were Tony Mullins, Deryl Dodd, Trevor Rosen, Hillary Lindsey, Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins, Michael Knox, Gerry House, Tim Ryan, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Wynonna. Pat is currently enjoying retirement and spending time with her husband and their two dogs and traveling.
• Leeds Levy (Moderator) – A current member of the Board of Directors of both ASCAP and NMPA, and president of his own independent music publishing company, Leeds Music, Leeds Levy serves as co-chair of ASCAP’s Survey & Distribution Committee and as a member of ASCAP’s Strategic Planning, Governance and Legislative committees. He has also served as president of MCA Music Publishing worldwide and president of the Chrysalis Music Group. Beginning his career in music publishing at ASCAP, first in General Licensing and later in Membership, he subsequently established Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s Rocket Music publishing companies in North America. Levy then moved on to MCA Music Publishing (today’s Universal Music Publishing Group), the world’s second largest music publisher. As MCA’s head of creative, he expanded the company’s domestic creative team and grew its roster of songwriters, writer producers and writer recording artists. Later appointed president of MCA’s worldwide operations, Levy rapidly grew the firm’s revenues sixfold by opening multiple offices in key global music markets, launching three separate and successful multi-genre record labels as well as in-house record production. These combined initiatives resulted in multi-platinum selling artists, including Michael Jackson, The Pointer Sisters, Lee Greenwood, Alanis Morissette and INXS. During his tenure with Chrysalis, Levy published multiple chart recordings by Elvis Presley, Avril Lavigne, Andrea Bocelli and OutKast. Throughout his career, he’s published hits by The Beatles, Madonna, Earth, Wind & Fire, Faith Hill, Soul Asylum, David Foster, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, Sarah McLachlan, David Sanborn, Randy Travis, George Strait, Lee Greenwood, Alannah Myles and Bobby Brown, as well as numerous scores to motion pictures, television productions and Broadway musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar, Twin Peaks, E.T. and Evita. Levy continues to be an active music publisher through his associations with Sony/ATV, Universal Music, BMG Music, peermusic and the Kobalt Music Group. He is a frequent speaker on music industry business practices. A native of New York, Levy was educated at The Juilliard School and the Berklee College of Music and is a graduate of Boston University.