Irving Azoff
Billboard recently released its 2012 Power 100 Index, and some of Nashville’s power brokers are included among the management and touring industries’ biggest names as well as artist moguls like Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles.
Topping the list is Front Line Management/LiveNation chief Irving Azoff, whose leadership role at the intersection of touring and management makes his influence far-reaching. At No. 2 is Coran Capshaw, whose Red Light Management empire includes country heavies Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Dierks Bentley in addition to Dave Matthews Band and artist-friendly labels ATO Records and TBD Records. Label heads Grainge, Morris, Blavatnik and Iovine all fall in the Top 10.
Cumulus Sr. VP Programming Jan Jeffries, who controls music on stations in 68 cities, ranks at No. 52. Big Machine Label Group head Scott Borchetta comes in right behind at No. 54, and his superstar artist Taylor Swift ranks a few steps down at No. 78. Other Music City notables include CMA CEO Steve Moore at No. 61, Morris Management Group President Clint Higham at No. 68, Capitol/EMI Records Nashville President Mike Dungan at No. 85, and Sony Music Nashville Chairman Gary Overton at No. 98.
