Steve Moore Resigns As CEO of Country Music Association

Steve Moore

The County Music Association (CMA) Board of Directors announced today that Steve Moore has submitted his resignation as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 30, 2013.

Moore said, “After nearly four years in this position, and given the phenomenal success that the CMA team has achieved, this seemed like an appropriate time to step aside and pursue other corporate and philanthropic opportunities.”

Troy Tomlinson, the Country Music Association Board of Directors Chairman said, “Steve Moore’s dedication and hard work as a CMA Board member, CMA Board leader, and as CEO have taken our organization to new levels of success. He’s been a tremendous asset to CMA due to his high regard in the industry as a resourceful and tenacious advocate for Country Music.”

After serving as Interim CEO, then becoming CEO two and a half years ago, Moore was instrumental in securing the new long-term extension of the television partnership for the annual CMA Awards, the CMA Music Festival special, and the “CMA Country Christmas” special all on the ABC Television Network.

Under Moore, the 2013 CMA Music Festival hit a record attendance with an increase of 13 percent, more artist participation than ever before, and 11 music stages. He created and led the newly-formed The CMA Foundation. He also created the new CMA position of Community Outreach Manager to create a liaison with the music community, education community, and The CMA Foundation Board of Directors. Under his watch, CMA also created CMA EDU, a dynamic college community outreach that brings the power of Country Music to colleges. It was launched at three Middle Tennessee college campuses and several ambassador campuses nationwide.

Moore was also instrumental in re-invigorating the international Country Music agenda by instituting such things as the U.K. Songwriters Series, the first ever International Marketing Summit in Paris, France, and the inaugural Country 2 Country (C2C) Country Music Festival at the legendary O2 center in London in 2013.

A longtime member of the CMA Board of Directors (since 1989), Moore was elected President in 2008 and Chairman in 2009 before being asked to fill in as interim director of CMA after former CEO Tammy Genovese resigned in December 2009.

As a CMA Board member, Moore contributed his experience and knowledge to the Association through some of the most pivotal years in the organization’s history: from the move of Fan Fair from the state fairgrounds to downtown Nashville in 2001 and the creation of a companion, primetime network television special in 2004; the strategic move of the CMA Awards to New York City in 2005 and the subsequent return to Nashville to the downtown arena; the implementation of a massive research initiative in 2008 that has far-reaching benefits for the industry; and the creation of CMA’s music education program “Keep the Music Playing,” which has contributed more than $7.6 million since 2006 to purchase more than 4,000 instruments providing students in Metro Nashville Public Schools a strong reason to stay in school.

Moore has been prominent in the Nashville music community for 21 years, going back to his appointment as the first Executive Director of the popular concert venue Starwood Amphitheater and extending through his work as Senior Vice President of one of the world’s largest concert promotion, special event, and touring companies AEG Live!. His innovations and successes have earned him three SRO Awards as Promoter of the Year.

In 1985, Moore moved to Nashville from his home state of Texas to open Starwood Amphitheater on the outskirts of town. In 1992, he launched Moore Entertainment and continued to work with Country acts and blues festivals. After nine years, Moore sold his business to TBA Entertainment. He left in 2004 to reinvent his independent operation as Moore Entertainment Group, LLC, where he created the “CMT On Tour” franchise.

In April 2005, he entered a multi-year deal with AEG Live! and was named Senior Vice President. His activities included organizing tours; booking Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Tim McGraw into a run of sold-out New Year’s Eve concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; and a three-year effort that led to Sir Paul McCartney’s first-ever Music City performance at Bridgestone in July 2010.

An honored humanitarian, Moore is the founder and president of the Shalom Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, nutritional, and medical assistance to underprivileged children and their families in Guatemala. He and his wife, Charmione, have three sons, Remick, Sterling, and Hunter.