On the Cover – Universal Music Group

12/7/2004 – December 2004/January 2005

In the ever-more competitive major label landscape, standing still is not an option. Survival dictates change and earlier this year Universal Music Group Nashville welcomed DreamWorks Nashville under the UMG corporate umbrella. The newly consoldated UMG Nashville, which now includes Mercury, MCA, Lost Highway and DreamWorks, boasts an impressive roster of critically acclaimed and commercially successful artists.

The consolidation brings together two of Music City’s most respected record men-Luke Lewis and James Stroud-to lead UMG into the future. The two share responsibility for the new entity as Co-Chairman. (Stroud, however, is not involved in Lost Highway.)

The new UMG team has been busy establishing a bevy of hot new acts like Josh Turner, Julie Roberts, Billy Currington, Sugarland and Jimmy Wayne. The company is also making Christmas shopping easy for country fans with a fourth-quarter release schedule featuring new music from George Strait, Toby Keith, Shania Twain, Darryl Worley and Lee Ann Womack.

After stuffing all those holiday stockings with product, UMG’s New Year’s Resolution is really quite simple. Make great music for 2005.