Joe Galante
Joe Galante has been named co-chair of the Music City Music Council by Nashville mayor Megan Barry. Barry will also serve as co-chair of the council, as previous mayor Karl Dean did before her.
The organization will continue to focus on helping music-related businesses expand or relocate to Nashville; bringing televised music shows and music-related award shows across all genres to the city; and recruiting more music-related events and conventions. Priorities also include supporting and expanding live music in Nashville and music education in public schools.
Galante began his career at RCA Records and rose to serve as president of the label and chairman of RCA Label Group/Nashville. He also oversaw the creation of Sony Music Nashville, where he served as chairman until 2010. He currently serves as mentor-in-residence at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center
Ed Hardy, former president of Great American Country, currently holds the co-chair title. He has served in that role since October 2014.
One of the first tasks for the Music Council under Galante’s leadership will be hiring a new executive director – the first time the organization will employ someone in the position full-time. Hardy and Galante will lead the search for an executive director, working together during a transition period until Galante officially takes on the co-chair role on Jan. 1.
The Music City Music Council, a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, was created in 2009 to capitalize on Nashville’s identity as Music City. During her campaign this year, Mayor Barry strongly supported the Music Council, and she named Hardy to her transition team after her election.
Scott Clayton, a music agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and co-head of CAA Music’s Nashville operations, will serve as vice chair of the Music Council beginning Jan. 1. He represents many of the world’s leading musicians, including John Mayer, Train, Dead & Company, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, Guster, Steve Winwood, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Zac Brown Band, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Michael Franti, Natalie Merchant, Mat Kearney, and Iron & Wine, among other artists.
“I look forward to building on the successes of the previous co-chairs as we work to bring new entertainment jobs, conventions, and televised music and award shows that add to the richness and growth of Nashville,” Galante said. “I am honored and excited to work with Mayor Barry in support of her vision to accelerate the growth of the entertainment industry in Music City.”
“I am committed to continuing the great work of the Music Council, which has done so much this past year under the leadership of Ed Hardy to promote the Music City brand,” Mayor Barry said. “The Music Council will continue to be a leading advocate for our entertainment industry under the direction of Joe Galante, who understands every aspect of the music business and how the industry has evolved.
“Joe’s background leading two giants in the music industry – RCA and Sony – and his current work mentoring future business leaders at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center makes Joe the kind of visionary we want in our corner as we recruit entertainment companies to move here or expand in our city.”
Previous co-chairs of the Music Council have included Hardy; Randy Goodman, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville; and Mary Ann McCready, co-founder and president at Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy.
Along with Mayor Barry, members of the Music City Music Council include Galante (co-chair); Clayton (vice chair); Hardy (immediate past co-chair); Goodman (past co-chair); McCready (past co-chair); David Bohan, President/CEO, BOHAN; Ken Levitan, Founder and Co-President, Vector Management; Hank Adam Locklin, entertainment attorney; Ken Paulson, Dean, College of Media and Entertainment, Middle Tennessee State University; Colin Reed, Chairman and CEO, Ryman Hospitality Properties; Ralph Schulz, President and CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce; Nancy Shapiro, Senior Vice President, The Recording Academy; Clarence Spalding, Partner, Maverick Management; Butch Spyridon, President and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp; Troy Tomlinson, CEO, SONY/ATV Publishing; Jason Moon Wilkins, Co-Founder, Do615 LLC; and Sally Williams, Vice President of Business and Partnership Development, Opry Entertainment Group, and General Manager, Ryman Auditorium.
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