When asked how she broke into the Music Row Community of “Good Old
Boys,” Sharon Dennis of Dennis Management replied, “the ‘Good Old Boys’ opened
doors for me when they found out I’d spent more time behind the ‘chicken wire’
than they had.” She began her professional career in Texas at twelve years old
playing drums in beer joints. When asked, what kind of a father would allow his
daughter to do that, Sharon said, “a father with great perspective. You see, my
daddy was a beer distributor, and those were not beer joints, they were
prime-retail-outlets!”
Unlike most artist managers, Sharon knows what it’s like to be a touring artist
because of the time she spent “behind that chicken wire,” working as a fulltime touring musician. That
experience gives her a unique perspective and desire to help artists develop
their talents and find their path to success. She has established a set of
principles that she feels is key to success in the management game.
“Success as a manager is based on the success of the
artist,” she contends. “So it’s important to listen to the artists and work toward
executing their dream. When the artist’s best interests are given priority, the
manager’s best interest will follow. We work for them. We present options, possible outcomes, and
make recommendations, but the artist still has veto power. They decide, we implement. We can disagree behind closed doors. When the door opens, we’re a team.”
Even though she enjoys working with established artists, such
as the platinum selling country artist, Michael Peterson and gold
selling artist, Jeff Carson, her inspired approach to the craft lends itself to
artist development.
“Not all managers are skilled at artist development, nor do
they enjoy it. We love the challenges
and rewards associated with the process. We have always saved space on our
roster for promising new artists.”
What constitutes a “promising” new artist? “An artist with an identifiable sound in the
voice, with a good sense of self who knows who he is as an artist, and one who
has global, commercial appeal.”
Sharon loves the hands on work during the development
process of fine-tuning an artist’s vocal skills, writing ability and stage presence. She works with a team of professionals, such
as vocal coaches, image consultants, and established songwriters to turn her
hopefuls into potential stars.
Additionally, with the glut of artists on the scene, a
manager “has to think out of the box, and be creative” to ensure that his or
her artist rises above the pack to create a career, not a one-hit-wonder.
An example of Sharon’s out of the box thinking is the soon
to be released debut project from eighteen year old Mary Sarah. The album features vocal duets with ten of the
greatest living legends in country music, including the late Ray Price. “Bridges” introduces the young performer to
longtime country fans and familiarizes young fans with the contributions made
by these country greats. Artists who
participated include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price,
Vince Gill, Ronnie Milsap, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, Lynn Anderson, and
Big & Rich. There is a Bonus Track with Neil Sedaka singing “Where The Boys
Are.”
“This project is
unique,” says Sharon. “There have been
duet albums before, but never featuring a young up and coming talent with so
many giants of the genre.”
“It’s important to think globally,” she continues, “and
create a universal presence via social media and other global avenues.”
Television is one of those global avenues, and she is
currently working with CMT and Leftfield Pictures on a reality show project for
one of her newest clients. “Tobacco
Wars” is scheduled to air this summer, but until CMT makes the announcement, we
can’t divulge the cast (sorry!!!) Read
the tidbit in Variety!
“If an artist wants to act,” she says, “I encourage it. TV is a powerful medium. TV can take an
artist to the masses and broaden the audience demographic; however, it’s
important that management guards the artist as he diversifies to avoid losing
momentum in his primary career. “
Sharon’s strategy is simple and straightforward. “We are managers. We’re not booking agents, accountants,
attorneys, or business advisors. The role
of personal management is to guide and support the artist in developing,
growing, and sustaining his career. We’re
aware of pitfalls, and we have access to resources that can help avoid
them. We fight to protect the artist's
interests with record labels, producers, publishers, booking agents, promoters,
sponsors, employees, and fans while the artist remains a friend to all. In other words, we are a combination of
co-planner, chief operating officer, resource analyst, opportunity creator,
option presenter, negotiator, monitor, buffer, respite provider, truth teller,
and confidante. We are managers.”
