Sony Music Nashville chairman Gary Overton will speak at MTSU on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. in LRC 221. The event is free and open to the public.
Overton, who is one of the Department of Recording Industry’s most successful graduates, is the first speaker in the Recording Industry Department’s new Chair’s Speakers Series.
He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Nashville, home of country superstars Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. Sony Music Nashville is comprised of three country label imprints – RCA Nashville, Columbia Nashville and Arista Nashville – and Provident Music Group, one of the world’s leading Christian music companies.
Overton arrived at the company in May of 2010 after 15 years as Executive Vice President and General Manager of EMI Music Publishing’s Nashville division, where he was responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, including the exploitation of copyrights, acquisition of catalogs, signing of writers and artists, and securing record deals. During his tenure, the company earned Publisher of the Year honors from ASCAP, BMI, and/or SESAC a total of twelve times.
Prior to joining EMI, Overton was personal manager for superstar Alan Jackson, and served tenures as head of A&R for BNA Entertainment and Vice President of Warner/Chappell Music.
Overton is a member of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and serves on the Board of Directors for Country Radio Broadcasters, SunTrust Bank and the Country Music Association, where he was Chairman in 2012. He is a past Board member for Monroe Carrell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Oak Hill School.
He is a 1984 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recording Industry Management. He was recently inducted into the MTSU Mass Communication Wall of Fame.
Please contact Beverly Keel at beverly.keel@mtsu.edu or 898-5150 if you have any questions.