Bruce Burch
Bruce Burch has had success in many facets of the music business including being a hit songwriter, operating his own publishing companies of hit songs, working for a major music publishing company, as well as being an artist manager.
As a songwriter, Burch cowrote two #1 singles for Reba McEntire, “Rumor Has It” and “It’s Your Call”. These two songs were also the album titles for two of Reba’s most successful albums. Burch also cowrote songs on two other Reba albums, all of which have gone multi-platinum, selling well over 15 million records and CDs. He has also had top 10 songs on Billy Joe Royal (“Out Of Sight and On My Mind”), and T. Graham Brown (“The Last Resort”), a Top 20 song “Train Of Thought” recorded by Barbara Mandrell, and a Top 40 single “You Can’t Keep A Good Memory Down” recorded by John Anderson. Bruce has also had platinum and gold album recordings by George Jones, The Oak Ridge Boys, Collin Raye and Dan Seals.
As a music publisher, Burch operated two companies, Burch Brothers Music and Bruce Burch Music. These two catalogs contain songs cowritten by Burch and recorded by Aaron Tippin (Top Twenty Hit, “I Got It Honest”), T. Graham Brown (Top 40 hit “Wine Into Water), Faith Hill (Multi-platinum album recording “I’ve Got This Friend”), and his second Collin Raye recording (“It Could Happen Again” on Collin’s critically acclaimed Christmas album w/ Johnny Cash providing narration).
Bruce served as Creative Director at EMI Music Publishing, the world’s largest music publisher with over a million songs in it’s vast catalog. During this time he worked with artists such as Brad Paisley, Phil Vassar, Jamie O’neal, Darryl Worley, and Joe Nichols. He has gotten songs placed as a songplugger on projects by Travis Tritt, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and Aaron Tippin among others. Burch also worked with EMI’s older catalog songs and has gotten cover recordings of the classic tunes of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Todd Rundgren, and Tammy Wynnette. He has gone in the studio with Mac Davis, Billy Swan, and Tony Joe White (“Rainy Night In Georgia”) to produce new demos of many of their hit songs from the past to bring them up to date for possible placement in today’s market.
Bruce also authored a book “Songs That Changed Our Lives”. Two chapters of this inspiring book were picked to be included in the “Chicken Soup For The Soul” series of books.
Burch was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in November 2003.
Ian Burke
The birth of Burke’s career was as the South East director of A&R for Elektra Records (part of the WEACorp.) where he focused on music quality over song quantity. Burke’s stint at Elektra included signing the teen R&B group Mista, which featured a young Bobby Valentino, and super producer and current chart topping Akon. Other accomplishments during his tenure there included, spearheading special events such as the Church Fire Benefit Concert in Atlanta, which aided in the restoration of churches burned throughout the south. The concert featured Mista, Akon, Keith Sweat, Silk, Michael Speaks, Goodie Mob and Kut Klose and raised more than $50,000.00.
After his tenure at Elektra, Burke accepted the position of senior director of creative affairs for ASCAP (American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers) in Atlanta, where he set out to introduce new sounds and talent from the south. As senior director, Burke concentrated on the areas of urban-alternative, R&B, hip-hop and rock.
In addition to re-branding ASCAP as the industry leader for representing some of the hottest talents in the south, Burke launched as an independent manager and A&R consultant, many notable acts such as Arrested Development (Chrysalis/EMI), TLC and Outkast (LaFace/Arista), Kris-Kross (Ruff House/Columbia), Xscape (SoSoDef), Sole` (Dreamworks), Debra Killings (Verity/Jive) and Blaque (Track Masters/Columbia), the 3 McClain Girls, a young group of singers/actors (who recently had their theatrical debut in “The Gospel,”) as well as producers Organized Noize and Nitti. He also served as general manager of such Atlanta based production companies as Organized Noize Production, Inc. and Playmaker Music, LLC.
Burke served as a consultant to Jermaine Dupri’s label, SoSo Def, now an affiliate of Island Records. As consultant to SoSo Def, Burke brought new recording artists, Jarvis (SoSo Def/Jive) and 13 year-old singer/songwriter sensation, Maestro Harrell (SoSo Def/Virgin), to the forefront as well as SoSo Def producer, Chadron “Nitti” Moore, who played a pivotal role in the SoSo Def/Virgin merger. Burke and Nitti have developed up and coming songwriters, Yung Joc (“It’s Going Down”) and Young Capone (“I’m Hot”).
Entering a new phase in his career, with more than two decades of experience, Burke left ASCAP to launch his biggest venture yet, Launch Pad Records, LLC, Atlanta’s premier independent A&R/Artist Development company. The mission of Launch Pad Records, LLC is to aggressively seek out, develop and record new up and coming recording artists and shop them to major production companies and labels. Currently Mr. Burke serves as president of the new Atlanta based recording company Drift City Records.
Leslie Fram
As Program Director for Cumulus - Atlanta WMMX-99X and one of 99X's favorite on-air personalities, Leslie Fram is largely responsible for 99X's cutting edge format and innovative programming. Fram was one of the original architects for 99X when the radio station signed-on in 1992. She has helped establish the station as an industry leader. She's known as hit-maker, trendsetter and trailblazer. Among her many awards and honors, Leslie is the first woman to receive the TJ Martell Award in recognition of outstanding performance in the music industry in 2000. In 2003, she was presented with the NARAS-Atlanta Chapter Heroes Award for her outstanding contributions to music and the music community,. She is also an Associate Member and on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Chapter of NARAS. Although her accolades and awards span her career, her true accomplishments can be seen on the walls of her office; countless gold and platinum albums line her walls with thank yous and praises from the artist she has supported.
Fram's profound influence is also felt in the community. An avid philanthropist and spokesperson, Fram uses her voice and power to help numerous non-profits and organizations including the Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper, the Aids Survival Project, AID Atlanta, Atlanta Food Bank, Susan G. Komen For Cure, Keep-A-Breast, Atlanta Pet Rescue and many more.
Fram's greatest accomplishment? Leading by example every day of her life. Leslie is one the co hosts of the new Morning X on 99X, Program Director of 99X and is a voice-over talent! She is also a small business owner; co-owner of 4Bags boutique in Fairhope, Alabama, 4Bags, Inc. (a handbag company that provides handbags and accessories for boutiques in the Atlanta area like LUXE -Atlanta and Pink Lemonade) and Co-Owner of 1*FIVE*0 and LUXE - Atlanta boutiques in West Atlanta. She is living her dream and loving it every day!
Eddie Horst
Eddie Horst is a composer and producer of music for film, TV, recording artists, video games and performance. Working on a wide variety of projects, Eddie has been achieving success and winning industry awards, including the Emmy, Clio, BDA, and Promax. In September, 2005, he was inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Accomplishments include, half a dozen feature films, such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Fatwa, arrangements for many pop artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Cole, The Bravery, Leona Lewis, R.E.M., Monica, Pearl Jam, Train,Collective Soul , and Kelly Price, scoring the music for two seasons of the CBS-TV series, In The Heat Of The Night and many show opens (Cartoon Network-Space Ghost, PBS-Salsa), documentaries(CNN's 9/11 Specials, FDR At The Little White House), commercials (Kodak, Goodwill Games), and promos (NBA, Geraldo Rivera).
Eddie is a versatile and gifted composer. Although based in Atlanta , Eddie creates music that is heard worldwide. He works in many contemporary areas including: creating instrumental arrangements for popular recording artists, scores for feature and independent films, dramatic music for episodic television shows, and music for countless TV promotional and commercial productions. Eddie is equally adept at writing for the orchestra as well as the complex and exciting digital work station.
The following is a short list of Eddie's accomplishments:
Arrangements: For Brendan O'Brien: Bruce Springsteen, Train; for Dallas Austin: Natalie Cole, Monica; others: R.E.M., Collective Soul, Kelly Price, Francine Reed; Films: Fatwa, FDR; TV: Cartoon Network-Space Ghost, Brak; In the Heat of the Night; Performance: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Libby Whittemore
Libby Whittemore has spent most of her professional career in her hometown of Atlanta, Ga. She started out in local theaters and then moved on to nightclubs and cabarets where she gained quite a following. Manhattan Yellow Pages, Showcase Cabaret and Upstairs @ Gene & Gabe’s were the places where Atlanta audiences came to know and appreciate Libby’s talent for entertaining. It was during this time that a phenomenon called “Della’s Diner” occurred in Atlanta. It was in this musical that Libby originated the role of Connie Sue Day, the “31st Lady of Country Music”. Connie Sue was supposed to be a culmination of a lot of female country singers and has since grown into a character all her own.
In the 90’s the cabaret scene sort of died out in Atlanta and Libby began appearing in films and TV movies as well as a few TV shows. “Something To Talk About”, “Forces Of Nature”, “That Darn Cat”, “The Price Of A Broken Heart”, “A Season In Purgatory”, “In The Heat Of The Night”, “I’ll Fly Away”, “Profiler” and most recently in the Lifetime Network movie “Queen Size”.
In 2000 Libby opened her own cabaret oddly enough called “Libby’s”. For the next 6 and a half years the room showcased the “..best cabaret talent from around the corner and around the country.”. Whether it was solo performers, Libby doing her own show or musical revues, “Libby’s” was touted as the best cabaret in town. (Granted it was the only cabaret in town but still…). In between directing and performing at her club Libby also appeared onstage at Actor’s Express as Mama Rose in their production of “Gypsy”.
After struggling financially for 6 years Libby finally closed the club on December 31, 2006, it was a bitter sweet decision because while the club had built a fabulous reputation and a wonderfully devoted following, the stress of trying to make ends meet every month in Libby’s words, “was just about to put me in a home”.
She made another appearance in the spring of 2007 at Actor’s Express in “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” and in December of that same year, Actor’s Express offered their space to Libby where she appeared for 4 sold out nights performing her annual Holiday Show.
|