Big Loud Records Adds H. Read Davis As Senior Director, Digital
H. Read Davis. Photo: Chris Hornbuckle
Big Loud Records has added H. Read Davis as Senior Director of Digital, effective immediately. A Belmont University alum and Texas native, Davis joins Big Loud after previous stops at Spotify as Social Media Manager and Crowd Surf as Director of Creative Operations. He also interned at Chrysalis Music Group, Propel Music Group and Big Yellow Dog Music.
At Spotify, Davis collaborated on the multi-faceted launch of Spotify’s ’90s Country campaign, helped launch Spotify Hot Country’s annual Artists to Watch initiative, led social marketing campaigns around their most-viewed livestream at launch time with pop singer Lauv, and offered expertise on key album campaigns for artists including Adele, Thomas Rhett, Kacey Musgraves and more. At Crowd Surf, Davis helped orchestrate the social presence of Steven Tyler’s Janie‘s Fund charity, mapped out promotional strategy and on-site content capture for Seth Rogen‘s annual Hilarity for Charity event, and worked on social strategy, content, and release promotions for Cody Johnson, Black Eyed Peas, Matthew West, Chris Rock, and more.
“We are extremely excited to bring Read Davis on board at Big Loud,” shares SVP of Marketing, Candice Watkins. “Read’s attitude and expertise in digital culture made him an exceptional fit for our team; his leadership and creative contributions are already making an impact.”
“I’m so grateful to the entire Big Loud team for letting me join in the fun,” Davis adds. “It’s an incredible pool of talented minds doing incredible things for a roster of wildly talented artists, and I can’t wait to jump in.”
Southern Signal Launches For Independent Artists
Pictured (L-R): Ben Goodvich, Rob Harvell, Jason Cross, Chase Butler, Bruce Johnson-Castille
Ben Goodvich, Chase Butler, Rob Harvell and Bruce Johnson-Castille, who collectively tally over 50 years of music industry experience, have launched Southern Signal Nashville, a company aimed at developing independent artists. Jason Cross marks the company’s flagship signee.
“Southern Signal is an opportunity for us to work with talented and hardworking independent artists that are just a few contacts and resources away from accomplishing their dreams,” the founders explain. “Cross is loved the second he enters a room or steps on a stage. We have not met anyone in Nashville that is more loved by the locals for not just his incredible talent as an artist but also for being a genuinely great person. We’re excited to work with Jason to show the world what Nashville has seen for the past year and a half he has lived in town.”
“I’m absolutely thrilled and blessed to be signing a management deal with Southern Signal. It’s honestly such a perfect scenario to be guided and supported in the music industry by such hard working and motivated people such as the guys on this team. I know for a fact these men are driven to see me succeed and I also know they have what it takes to accelerate my music career,” Cross shares. “I’m fired up to take the leap into this next chapter of my life and excited to see what it has in store for me, Southern Signal, and anyone who becomes a part of this team in the future. God is good!”
IBMA Foundation Announces 2022 Grant Recipients For 2022 Arnold Schultz
The IBMA Foundation has awarded a total of $19,170 in Arnold Shultz Fund project grants to programs and individuals in Alaska, Arizona, California, China, Hawaii, Kenya, and North Carolina. Established in 2020, the Arnold Shultz Fund serves to encourage participation in bluegrass music by people of color.
“We’re proud to announce a significant increase in the amount of Shultz Fund grants in 2022, compared to the $12,050 we awarded last year,” says Dr. Richard Brown, co-chair of the Arnold Shultz Fund advisory committee along with Neil Rosenberg, Ph.D. “We hope to keep doing this for many years to come, and we’re pleased to include two international programs this year. The IBMA Foundation seeks to offer a proactive, helping hand to individuals who come from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the bluegrass community. Bluegrass music belongs to everyone. We are grateful to donors who continue to support the Arnold Shultz Fund and all the other Foundation initiatives, especially during the COVID pandemic. Their generosity has made it possible to award grants to these very deserving musicians and program organizers.”
The deadline to apply for the next round of Arnold Shultz Fund grants is Jan. 31, 2023. For information on applying for an Arnold Shultz Fund grant, becoming a sponsor of an IBMA Foundation Arnold Shultz Fund project or individual grant, or making a donation to the Arnold Shultz Fund, click here.
2022 Arnold Shultz Fund Project Grant Recipients:
Dancing with the Spirit (Fairbanks, AK): Bluegrass Song Videos & Curriculum for Alaskan Village Schools
Jam Pak Blues ‘N’ Grass (Chandler, AZ): Fair Black Rose Band World of Bluegrass Performance CD
The Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings (Kailua, HI): Dreadnought Hawai’i – The Royal Hawaiian Roots of America’s Acoustic Heart documentary film
Oscar Chilumo Mbwana and Stephanie Waithera Mwaura (Nairobi, Kenya): Zoom music lessons
The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (Oakland, CA): Banjos & Fiddles for Students
PineCone (Raleigh, NC): Arnold Shultz Tribute Performance at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass and Documentary Video
Eric Shi (Liang Shi) (Zhejiang, China): Educational Bluegrass Videos for China
New Country, Z100 Wraps Record-Breaking Year For St. Jude Radiothon
Z100/River Radio Staff
New Country, Z100 (WOOZ-FM) in Southern Illinois (Marion-Carbondale) just wrapped a record-breaking year for their St. Jude Radiothon with a final total of $331,148.14.
This includes a record 4.8 million+ “pennies” and over $47,000 from auctions. This gives New Country, Z100 a cumulative 28-year total of $4,830,977 for the life-saving research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“The generosity of our listeners is unsurpassed,” shares PD, Tracy McSherry-McKown.
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