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Becky Gardenhire Named Co-Head Of WME Nashville Office
Courtesy WME Nashville – Becky Gardenhire
Becky Gardenhire was named co-head of WME Nashville today (Sept. 17), joining Scott Clayton, Joey Lee and Jay Williams at the helm of the fast-growing office and becoming one of the of first women to lead a major agency office.
She will help oversee day-to-day operations in the agency’s Music City outpost and the promotion comes 17 years after she joined WME as an assistant in the Beverly Hills, Calif., TV department, and two years after Gardenhire was made partner. She relocated to Nashville in 2003 and the new position is the culmination of the years helping lead WME’s continued growth there.
In addition to her leadership position, Gardenhire also oversees touring, television, literary and sponsorship opportunities for artists including Jake Owen, Jordan Davis, LANCO, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Tenille Townes, Ingrid Andress, Sara Evans and Trisha Yearwood. Gardenhire has also spearheaded social impact initiatives for WME and the Nashville music community, such as Talk the Talk, a long-running monthly lecture series that connects women across the Nashville music business.
“Becky has demonstrated time and again her commitment to her colleagues, clients, and the Nashville community,” said Clayton, Lee and Williams in a joint statement. “Becky embodies the spirit of WME’s Nashville office, and we look forward to the perspective and insight she will bring to this role.”
“I am honored and humbled to be a part of the WME family, and am very excited about taking on this new leadership position,” said Gardenhire. “I look forward to taking my passion to serve the Nashville office to the next level, and working alongside Jay, Joey and Scott to create further opportunities for our clients and colleagues.”
Last year, Gardenhire was named CMA’s Talent Agent of the Year, and Gardenhire currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Country Music, the Board of Directors for TJ Martell’s Nashville chapter and the Board of Directors for the W.O. Smith Music School.
WME’s Nashville office booked more than 14,000 dates in the past year, according to a company statement. In the past two years, the office has significantly grown its presence in the contemporary music space through the hire of key agents and new signings. The agency has also expanded its offerings to its clients through providing additional resources for film, television, literary, digital, and endorsement opportunities.