Troy Tomlinson: A "Song Guy" Takes the Reins at Sony/ATV Music Publishing
By Crystal Caviness
© 2007 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.
Day in, day out, Troy Tomlinson asks himself the same question when making decisions in his Music Row office as President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. "Does this contribute to an environment that is healthy for our writers and our employees?"
"Every decision we make must pass through that filter," Tomlinson said. "It's about putting our writers and employees top of mind in all decisions."
The music business is in Tomlinson's blood. As far back as the Portland, Tenn., native can remember he has been around creative types. His earliest memories involve drinking his fill of pink lemonade and then falling asleep backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, while his brother played bass with Opry star Hank Snow.
When he was 20 years of age, Tomlinson got an opportunity to make his own mark in the music business when friend Cliff Williamson of Multimedia Publishing hired him as the tape copy guy/song plugger, a job that led Tomlinson to two independent publishing companies: Don King Music and Rick Hall Music.
In 1988, Tomlinson went to work for Jerry Bradley at Acuff-Rose Music. He held several positions there, before being named Executive Vice President in 1999. "Jerry Bradley is truly my mentor," Tomlinson said. "He gave me so many opportunities to grow."
In 2002, Gaylord Entertainment sold Acuff-Rose to Sony/ATV Music Publishing, where Tomlinson was hired as Vice President of the Creative Department.
Tomlinson was named President and CEO on Jan. 1, 2006, when Donna Hilley retired from the position after a 31-year career that had distinguished her as one of the Country Music industry's most influential and well-loved leaders.
"Donna's shoes will never be filled," Tomlinson said. "She burned a path not only for publishers in general, but for a female executive to rise to the level she rose to in this company and to have the ability to effect change and influence people's lives, she really was a trailblazer."
One year into his new office and responsibilities, asking that question of himself and others at the publishing company has resulted in moving the company closer to Tomlinson's overall goal of creating "a place of excellence."
"I want the best song pluggers in Nashville to say 'Man, I'd give anything to be over at Sony/ATV working that catalog,'" Tomlinson said. "I want the best writers to say 'I'd give anything to write for Sony/ATV,' and the basis for that has already been laid by Donna and her predecessors."
"Tweaking the creative department," Tomlinson said, as well as making aesthetic changes to the creative building and writers' building and implementing an aggressive plan to exploit Sony/ATVs' music catalog for film, television and advertising opportunities are first steps toward his vision of making Sony/ATV a place of excellence. He's especially excited about the creation of the new Sync Department.
"When I got this position, I felt we had to be more proactive in marketing our copyrights from Nashville," Tomlinson said. "Sony/ATV has a great Sync Department in Los Angeles and they work our songs, but it was important to me to have a sync executive in the Nashville office talking to me about national ads, film spots, TV show spots. I wanted a person who would be in New York, Chicago, L.A., Dallas, Atlanta, getting to know the creative departments at these ad agencies so we could make sure that our music was top of mind when they had a need for music."
Enter Marc Wood. Tomlinson had worked with Wood at Acuff-Rose, where Wood had held positions in its Royalty, International Business and Synchronization Licensing Departments.
"Nobody in town is better qualified than Marc to actively market our impressive catalog," Tomlinson said.
In recent months, Wood and his team have placed Sony/ATV music in ad spots for Hallmark TV and Dr. Pepper; major films ("Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" with Will Ferrell, "RV" with Robin Williams and the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line") and numerous songs in HBO's popular series "The Sopranos."
Tomlinson is clear about the "business" part of the music business.
"It is a business," he said. "I tend to surround myself with people who take as seriously as I do what we are about everyday. I can't afford to spend my time with those who aren't taking this seriously."
Hit songwriter Tom Douglas (Tim McGraw's "Grown Men Don't Cry" and Collin Raye's "Little Rock") respects Tomlinson foremost for being a "song guy."
"Look at the writers that he has signed since he's been in the business," Douglas said. "He signed Kenny Chesney as a songwriter before he was a major star. He's been surrounded by stellar songwriters, such as (veterans) Dean Dillon and Skip Ewing. He attracts those guys. He's a great song guy and when you love songs, it brings out the best in songwriters."
Brooks & Dunn, Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Gretchen Wilson are among the artists/songwriters signed to Sony/ATV, along with new talents including Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift.
Business savvy notwithstanding, Tomlinson's most evident trait on the job is his love for songs, which he views not so much as a businessman, but as a caretaker for the catalog of legendary tunes and new hits he oversees.
"Songs are the children of our writers," Tomlinson said. "As publishers who understand their obligation to writers, I see the role as a steward of those children."
The care Tomlinson gives the catalog is not lost on Douglas.
"When you have a big company like this, it can become impersonal," Douglas said. "Troy represents yesterday, today and tomorrow. We've got Hank Williams' songs, which is a really sacred thing. But at the same time, he's signing brand new artists. We're blessed to have him in that position."
On the Web: www.sonyatv.com
Photograph by Jimmy Lenner
January 2, 2007
