On Music Row: FlySongs launches with film strategy

Also: Gibson marketer joins Sony and Sound & Speed on its way [From our print edition featured in Tuesday's City Paper]

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Sandra Fox

Nashville music publishing veteran Sandra Fox has launched FlySongs, a venture that specializes in marketing the music of Texas, Tennessee and Louisiana to the film and television industry.

“We have spent our energies developing deep production and film industry contacts,” said Fox. “There is a wealth of opportunity, but success demands immediate response. Filmmakers very often phone to say they need a specific type song for a project and, especially when dealing with television, they need it now! Our job is to quickly and expertly provide those songs.”

Fox has spent more than 25 years in the publishing business, with more than half of those coming at MCA Nashville Publishing. She also has worked at EMI-Tower Street, Mercury Records, Big Picture Entertainment and others.

“I was fortunate to have been mentored by two of the best in the business, Gary Smith and Keith Stegall,” she said. “The next step for me was a logical one, to open my own company and to represent the best songs available. I was born in Louisiana, raised in Texas and learned about the music industry in Tennessee. That’s where FlySongs will look for the music we present to filmmakers.”

Gibson marketer moves to Sony

Ray Uhlir has joined Sony Music Nashville as senior director of marketing and artist development, reporting directly to Marketing Vice President Tom Baldrica. Uhlir most recently was VP of brand licensing at Gibson Guitar.

“Ray is a marketing leader with proven experience and demonstrated marketing success,” Baldrica said. “His tremendous skills and his unique perspective will be a great addition to our marketing department.”

Sony Nashville’s marketing department has seen quite a few changes of late. Executive VP Butch Waugh announced his retirement two weeks ago, while Laura McKinley has assumed the position of manager of marketing and artist development for the group’s Arista and RCA imprints. In addition, Kerri Fox-Metoyer was recently named vice president of sales.

Sound & Speed around the corner

The fifth annual edition of the Sound & Speed festival, which marries music and NASCAR, will return to Nashville in early January with two nights of shows.

On Fri. Jan. 8, some of country’s hottest acts will fire up the Ryman Auditorium stage with two shows. Among the artists performing will be Hank Williams Jr., Chris Young and NASCAR legend Kyle Petty. A day later, the Municipal Auditorium will host several NASCAR drivers as well as country stars Jason Michael Carroll, Josh Turner, members of Diamond Rio, and Chris Young. More drivers and artists will join the lineup in coming weeks.

Since its inception, Sound & Speed has attracted about 40,000 fans and raised more than $800,000 for Victory Junction, a camp founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty for children with chronic medical conditions, as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

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