Sony Nashville CEO Gary Overton is Stepping Down
Well the saga of Sony Nashville CEO Gary Overton’s comments to The Tennessean of “If you’re not on country radio, you don’t exist” uttered in late February just took another interesting turn. Gary Overton is out at one of Music Row’s very top executive spots.
Announced Tuesday morning (3-17), Gary Overton is stepping down from his position as Sony Nashville’s top executive at the end of March. It is the result of a “mutual agreement” between Overton and parent company Sony Music Entertainment.
“Working at Sony Music has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” Overton said briefly in a press release. “I will deeply miss the talented team at SMN [Sony Music Nashville], but I am also excited about starting the next chapter of my career. I want to thank the amazing staff for their tireless commitment to supporting our incredible artists.”
Gary Overton has been the Chairman and CEO of Sony Nashville since 2010. The imprint also includes Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville, and RCA Nashville, and one of the largest gatherings of mainstream country music talent in the major label business. Overton has also worked as the executive vice president at EMI Music Publishing, at BNA Entertainment, and as the personal manager for Alan Jackson.
Though no specific reasons were given for Gary Overton’s departure, Billboard cites the firestorm over Gary Overton’s radio comments as one of the factors, as well as disparaging comments from the country outfit Love & Theft recently about how they were treated by the label.
Gary Overton’s radio comments had many artists in the successful Texas country scene speaking out, including Aaron Watson who said to Saving Country Music, “My name is Aaron Watson. I’m not played on country radio. And I have the #1 record in country music this week. I do exist.” Charlie Robison, who had worked with Gary Overton in the past, also went on a rant about the comments, stimulating Florida Georgia Line to respond to Robison. It all sparked a debate about the nature of success in the music business and the role of radio. The debate regularly put Overton’s perspective at odds with others, including Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta, who called the comments a “very broad statement” and cited Sturgill Simpson as an example why they were incorrect.
In the end Overton’s radio comments were likely just another piece of evidence in the growing case against Gary keeping his job. Apparently the rumors of his impending demise at Sony were swirling around Music Row for the last few months, and likely have more to do with his inability to develop top tier talent—something the entire country music industry is struggling with. Though there appears to be no current plans for restructuring Sony Nashville in the aftermath of Overton’s departure, Sony Nashville artists such as Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and even Garth Brooks will keep a close eye on developments to watch for any further shakeups.
March 17, 2015 @ 11:14 am
wow!
March 17, 2015 @ 11:28 am
Woah… holy crap!
Down goes Overton.
Good work, Triggerman, LOL.
You did it… somehow?
March 17, 2015 @ 11:48 am
Yeah, I don’t know if I deserve credit for anything here aside from maybe helping to spread the word about what Overton said, and narrating what happened subsequently. For all we know his goose was cooked even before he made his radio comments.
March 17, 2015 @ 1:54 pm
If you really did have the mystical power to get people fired, I’d urge you to please use it on Bobby Bones.
March 20, 2015 @ 10:58 am
Can you make it work on Obama?
March 17, 2015 @ 11:29 am
It can only be construed as a net positive, in my view.
Music Row is in dire need of some fresh oxygen pumped into its bloodstream at the apex. I certainly don’t expect his successor to aggressively cater to the “Old Farts & Jackasses” among us……………..but fresh faces could result in fresh perspectives, and there seemed to be consensus that Overton’s business philosophy was short-sighted following his remarks, for instance.
Perhaps mismanaging some of Garth Brooks’ comeback (though much of it is self-inflicted on Brooks’ part, in all honesty) hurt him too.
March 17, 2015 @ 11:38 am
Thank you very much trigger. You’re the hero of the day!
March 17, 2015 @ 12:04 pm
Great job in spreading the news and sparking the movement that led to this, Trigger! Just like the Blake Shelton firestorm 2 years ago, this shows why SCM is so essential.
If we can keep this up, maybe we can fundamentally shake up the music industry.
March 17, 2015 @ 2:16 pm
What a fascinating turn of events. I would be interested to know how much Overton’s comments about radio had to do with it, but either way they did serve to make him (and Sony, by extension) look quite out of touch.
March 17, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
I’m not privy to the sausage making process, but I do have an in with someone in the business. At this point, this person doesn’t know. If they come forth with any inside the beltway info, I’ll comment here.
I’m thinking that it may just have been the proverbial straw. But whatever. It’s probably good that such an out-of-touch CEO gets the boot. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that things could get better. They may get worse.
March 17, 2015 @ 3:38 pm
Worse ? ….Worse than Sam Hunt ? Worse than Little Big Town ? Worse than ” That’s My Kinda Night “, ” Day Drinkin ” or ” Sun Daze ” ?
They’ve scared ( scarred ) away just about every last person who knows ,understands or even remotely cares about real country music . There’s no further amount of disrespect they could show to the genre , a fan or its REAL artists than they’ve shown in the past several years . They replaced George Strait and Alan Jackson’s airplay with sappy, generic half-written shit like the above-mentioned acts are churning out , they’ve referred to the fucking BUILDERS of the genre as farts and jackasses , they’ve discredited and insulted an entire industry with the ” you don’t exist ” comment , they’ve all but banned women from radio , they insult honest , professional veteran AND up- and- coming songwriters of integrity with every new piece of shit they force upon an unknowing youth demographic AND they promote alcohol consumption and stereotyping of country fans , in particular women , in 99% of the lyrics in these garbage nursery rhymes ., they parachute pop stars to the award show stages to create some sort of false ‘country ‘ profile for themselves , they ignore and disrespect GREAT vocalists , instrumentalists and producers every time they release a mastered product to radio , they program playlists for the nation , not for regional stations that may give a local act an honest shot at creating interesting , thoughtful and relevant country music and make NO apologies , excuses or amends and take no responsibility for all of this .
Worse ?? How the hell could the country music industry get any WORSE ??
March 17, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
The thing is, we all thought country music was at it’s worst in 2005. We all thought country music was at it’s worst in 2008. We all thought country music was at it’s worst in 2011. We all thought women had it bad back then, now not even a single woman can get a solo #1. We all though that Taylor, Carrie & Rascal Flatts were the worst artists in the business, making vanilla pop-oriented albums with no artistic merit. Now, we were rewarded with the likes of Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and FGL (Hell, even Carrie & Taylor’s albums were better than this). We thought that singing couldn’t be more off-pitch than Taylor Swift, but now we have Brian Kelly (FGL dude). We all thought it couldn’t get any worse than pop country. What do we have now? Bro-country, R&B country, country-rap. We all thought back then that things couldn’t get any worse, yet somehow, in 2015, things have only gone south. It might not seem that it could get any worse, but there is always something that could happen that will drive country further to it’s grave.
Sorry to be such a downer. I hope that this is the lowest point that country music can reach, and that from here on now things will start to get better, but I can’t shake these pessimist feelings from my head.I believe that bro-country is just a phase – a dying-out phase – but the question is what replaces it? More traditional artists like Sturgill? More progressive artists like Kacey? More females artists such as Mickey Guyton being played on radio? Pop music like Sam Hunt? R&B influenced music? I can only hope for the best, but my pessimist-self just can’t shake these bad feelings.
March 17, 2015 @ 5:57 pm
Just in case you have a point about the downward spiral , Rosalie , I’ve asked my family to hide any sharp household objects from me .
January 12, 2024 @ 2:09 pm
How can ” If You’re Not on Country Radio, Do You Exist? ” banned woman?
March 17, 2015 @ 7:11 pm
Again, I’m not privy to any inside info nor do I possess a crystal ball, but just when you think things have hit rock bottom, somebody pulls out a shovel and a pick and starts digging. I sincerely HOPE things don’t get any worse, but given the recent track record, nothing would surprise me.
All mainstream music is in the crapper right now. That’s why sites like this exist. Do not underestimate how far the down the lowest common denominator is. It seems to be shrinking on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I think country music will have to become irrelevant in order to redistribute its priorities and maybe become relevant again.
March 17, 2015 @ 2:44 pm
I’m not going to lie to fit in. I do feel some level of sympathy for the man. Music Row is a hydra, you slay one head and another will arise to replace it.
March 17, 2015 @ 3:10 pm
Why would anyone feel any sympathy for him? He’s been a highly-paid executive in the music business for many years, he’ll get a nice severance package, and someone out there is just waiting to give him another cushy job as the result of some good ol’ boy connection.
I’m more inclined to feel sympathy for all the artists out there who haven’t gotten a fair shake from him due to his narrow-mindedness.
March 17, 2015 @ 3:24 pm
Tom,
I agree with all your points. I guess, I just have a soft heart.
March 17, 2015 @ 3:46 pm
I agree with both of you.
March 18, 2015 @ 8:40 am
Tomorrow…Big Machine will stand master of the world. Borne to victory on the wings of Taylor Swift. The “old farts and jackasses” shall be powerless against us…..
…..If they get one Nashville suit fired, hundreds more will rain bro country and metro-politain upon them!!!!
If they cut off one head….two more shall take its place….
HAIL HYDRA!!!!
March 17, 2015 @ 3:02 pm
So long you antiquated suit! Maybe, you can be an executive for the US Postal Service, a fledging cable company, or McDonalds.
March 17, 2015 @ 4:07 pm
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
I hope he gets depressed and (the rest censored by SCM Gestapo-style mgmt.).
March 17, 2015 @ 4:37 pm
Ah Yes another useful comment from Clint.
March 17, 2015 @ 4:58 pm
But you keep reading them, don’t you Brad? Why?
March 17, 2015 @ 5:17 pm
Clint’s just our resident curmudgeon. He’s useful sometimes.
We let the bigoted comments slide because sometimes he’s comical. Sometimes both at the same time.
Doesn’t really matter the topic or article, we just expect him to show up and shake his fist, like old men do to the teenagers at the mall, even the ones who really aren’t doin nothing nefarious.
March 17, 2015 @ 5:32 pm
Some bigoted language can slide, but when it comes to either threats or other language that wishes physical harm or even death upon others, it becomes a direct legal liability for this site.
March 17, 2015 @ 7:13 pm
“the rest censored by SCM Gestapo-style mgmt.”
Hilarious!
I’m trying to recall any older comments that have been censored to see if this is your standard statement or if each censored comment gets its on little censorship witticism.
March 17, 2015 @ 5:35 pm
Except I’m not a bigot, and I hate malls; but whatever.
I just get tired of every time I comment, some A-hole like Brad has to come along and make it about me.
March 17, 2015 @ 7:18 pm
Well you’re kind of infamous/famous….let’s just say you have a reputation.
I look forward to your comments; sometimes they frustrate me, sometimes they make me chuckle, sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I’m just, “Awww, that’s just Clint being Clint. No need to get all upset.”
March 20, 2015 @ 12:55 pm
lol if you would say something useful once in awhile then Aholes like me would probably respond in kind.
March 17, 2015 @ 4:42 pm
Well if nothing else I can now close my personal vendetta on this: I was originally gonna distance myself from buying anymore Garth records on RCA Records because of Overton’s comments and how they affected me personally.
I had long since quit Country Radio because of how Nashville threw Jack Ingram in the trash after he saved my life a few years ago and I never forgave them for it. Now that he’s stepping down I don’t have to go Garth-less again.
March 17, 2015 @ 9:10 pm
Cool.
March 18, 2015 @ 9:14 am
I think that the other point missing here is that this move is also an economic barometer of Sony Nashville as a whole, and its inability to keep up with the other majors who have exploited the current trends for economic gain.
March 18, 2015 @ 9:23 am
Wasn’t aware that Overton signed Jamey Johnson to EMI before “The Dollar” was released.
March 18, 2015 @ 7:19 pm
Will this affect Sony Nashville in the future?
March 20, 2015 @ 10:14 am
Seeing as he’s no longer in country radio,does this mean he no longer exists?
March 22, 2015 @ 9:47 am
This is good. Maybe now country music will adjust, and start getting back to the basics, and the artists that are good, will finally start making better music. Hopefully more woman will be played on the radio, and FGL, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean will slowly fade away
March 25, 2015 @ 4:31 pm
Don’t exist, can’t comment.