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10 Questions with ... Clay Henderson
November 13, 2006
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NAME:Clay HendersonTITLE:Director of Promotion SoutheastMARKET:SoutheastCOMPANY:Midas Records NashvilleBORN:Miami, TXRAISED:Miami, TX
Please outline your radio career so far:
Aristomedia/Marco Promotions 98-02, Warner Bros. 02-03, Universal South 03-04, miscellaneous gigs O5 and finally Midas 06.
1. Go back in time. With the state of the industry today and knowing what you know now, would you still have chosen your same career path in the Music Industry? And, would you recommend a younger sibling to make a career in the Music Industry?
Yes, without a doubt. Here's what I'd tell every high school senior that has aspirations of getting in the biz. Go to college, major in something else, then after graduation try out the music biz. That way if you don't like it, you'll be prepared for something else. This business isn't for the timid or those without passion for it.
2. You are the remaining survivor on a remote tropical island with no chance for rescue. You have a CD/DVD player with endless power. What five CD's are a "must" to have with you? What five movies?
CD's:
* Radney Foster "See What You Wanna See"
* Steve Azar "Indianola"
* Eric Church "Sinners Like Me"
* Here Come the Mummies "Terrifying Funk from Beyond the Grave"
* Bowling For Soup "A Hangover You Don't Deserve."MOVIES:
* Christmas Vacation
* Tombstone
* Smokey & the Bandit
* The Big Lebowski
* High Fidelity3. What would you say is the toughest region in the country to work Country music today?
Southwest is tough, but every region has their stations.
4. Do you think that showcases, artist visits and conference room concerts are all viable in getting new acts introduced to radio?
It's a solid way to get radio's attention and if it works can help break an act.
5. In your opinion, how has the slowness of the chart hurt the format, and what would you like to see done to speed it up, if in fact that's something that should happen?
Apparently radio likes the current speed. They're not in any hurry to make new superstars. They've got enough acts to pick and choose from and a plethora of quality music on their desk. They'll maintain their pace and it'll be the survival of the fittest. I'd love to see it speed up, but I'm not expecting to see that happen any time soon.
6. In your opinion does syndication contribute in a positive or negative way to how he charts are compiled?
It's a little of both. It can help keep records alive that are in a rough patch, but it can also prolong the inevitable death of record. Charts are charts. If syndication went away someone would figure out a way to work them to their advantage. It's what promo people do. Is it an accurate reflection of what's actually happening at radio, maybe, maybe not.
7. How do you handle it when a programmer tells you that your single is too country or too pop?
I think that is a phrase that's going by the wayside. The boundaries of our format continue to stretch allowing music that could fit in a variety of different formats. If artists like Bon Jovi & Michelle Branch can find success in our format, then the boundaries should be relatively open. If a station gave me that line I'd probably hear, I think your stuff sucks but I like you too much to tell you that.
8. In your opinion, does the use of callout research help to determine "real" records?
It absolutely helps, but there isn't a programmer out there that solely bases their opinions of singles on callout alone. One of my favorite phrases is though-"Research either matters or it doesn't." Basically, if you use it to hide behind when you don't want to add my record, fine, but when it starts testing strong expect to be hearing from me soon.
9. How do you go about building relationships in your region? How important are they in obtaining airplay?
Travel, travel, travel! It's a necessity these days. Relationships are vital to having any early success with singles. It's about balance. No single is worth ruining a relationship, however in order to get the airplay necessary we've got to do whatever it takes.
10. In this the day of many labels releasing just one or two singles on an artist in order to see how it does before actually investing in a complete project ... what do you feel this practice does to your creditability with programmers?
Nothing says "We Believe" in an act like getting one single out then deciding if there's going to be a record. It just doesn't make any sense and I think radio would see that as a lack of commitment to an artist.
Bonus Questions
1. What is the first artist you ever worked to radio?
1st single at a label, Blake Shelton's "The Baby"
2. Do you remember the first record that you ever bought?
If my memory serves me it was Alvin & the Chipmunks "Urban Chipmunk." And yes, that was on vinyl. It was 1981 and I was 9.
3. Best road story?
I'm in a drunken foot race with Pat Green down a brick alley in Charleston, SC where I proceed to wipeout in the grandest of forms. Ruined a perfectly good pair of jeans and made the palms of my hand look like they went through a cheese grater. Remember kids, don't drink and run!
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