3 Ring Circus Music Hires Two, Promotes One

Casey LeVasseur

3 Ring Circus Music, the independent publishing company founded in 2004 by songwriter Jeffrey Steele, has expanded its staff.

Casey LeVasseur has been promoted to director of A&R. LeVasseur, who joined 3 Ring Circus in 2007 as song plugger for the Jeffrey Steele Music, Gottahaveable Music and Soulride Music catalogs, previously directed creative activities including licensing and administration issues and songwriter “boot camp” workshops.

In her new role, LeVasseur (Steele’s daughter) will continue to work with rising country trio The Shuggah Pies, develop new talent and expand the writer roster, as well as spearhead her family’s efforts on behalf the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. She holds a B.A in Cinema Arts from California State University at Northridge.

Whitney Taylor Parker

Whitney Taylor Parker has been hired as creative director. Parker most recently was creative coordinator at ole Music, where she assisted in song placement, writer management, sponsorship and events.

While earning a Bachelor of Music degree from Belmont University, she held internships at NSAI, CMA and Warner Bros. Records. In her new position, Parker will handle pitching songs and signing and developing new writers.

Darrell Franklin

Darrell Franklin has been added as a consultant to 3 Ring Circus Music and management representative for Steele. Franklin began his career as a road manager before entering the publishing world at Almo Irving Music and later the A&R arena at Universal Music Group.

Since 1999, he has handled A&R duties for producer Dann Huff (finding the Steele-penned hits “What Hurts the Most,” “My Wish,” “These Days” for Rascal Flatts, “I’m Tryin’” for Trace Adkins, “When The Lights Go Down” for Faith Hill, among others). In 2006, Franklin and Huff formed Crosstown Songs. After Crosstown’s 2009 purchase by BMG Chrysalis Nashville, Franklin was executive vice president until March 2013, when he launched Franklin Publishing and Writer Management.

LeVasseur, Parker and Franklin can be reached via Casey@3RingCircusMusic.com, Whitney@3RingCircusMusic.com and darrell.franklin@me.com.