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10 Questions with ... Wendell Haskins
April 9, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. The music business has evolved for the artist to have more autonomy and business to make music much more accessible and shareable. I like that the artist can have more ownership than in the past, but record companies still have to serve as the experts in the business of music and how to optimize a songs potential through several verticals
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Former music industry executive who was heavily supported and sponsored by the golf industry. As a result, I started to produce other golf events and my own tournament started to become nationally recognized. Soon I found myself immersed in golf and in meetings with golf executives. One of those executives turned out to be the CEO of the PGA of America who asked me to come work for the PGA because of my unique skillset.
1) What did you learn in the music industry that you carried over to the golf business?
That people want to be entertained and made to feel good from an experience. Whether participating as a player or socializing during the event, people want to enjoy themselves. Also, everybody loves a star.
2) Would you explain the difference between the PGA Tour and the PGA USA?
The PGA Tour is the professional league made for the best players in the world to compete. It's what the NBA is to basketball, the NFL is to football, and MLB is to baseball. The PGA Tour runs the league and it's what you see when you turn your TV on and see Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and the professional golfer's people are most familiar with. There are roughly 125 players eligible to compete on Tour.
The PGA of America is an association of trained club professionals that teach golf, run golf facilities and are on the front lines of the business of golf. There are roughly 29,000 members of the PGA of America and they are called golf professionals. They are the people you are likely to meet when you walk into your local golf facility or country club. The PGA of America also owns and operates the PGA Championship, which is a major, and the Ryder Cup.
3) Could you tell us about the youth charity golf tournament you're involved with?
In the year 2000 I started the Original Tee Golf Classic to pay homage to the history of African-Americans in golf. I named it Original Tee because a black man named George Grant invented and patented the golf tee in 1899. Now going on 20 years the tournament has people of all ages and skill levels playing, including kids and professionals and we have donated money to numerous organizations over the years that support the participation of African Americans in the sport.
4) What are your views on the music business these days?
The music business has evolved for the artist to have more autonomy and business to make music much more accessible and shareable. I like that the artist can have more ownership than in the past, but record companies still have to serve as the experts in the business of music and how to optimize a songs potential through several verticals.
5) Who have been mentors and influencers in your career?
Mentors and influencers in my career have been Hiriam Hicks, Puffy, Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, Michael Vann and Anthony Spikes. From Hiriam I learned many things. He used to say, "There's no show if there's no business!" He also used to say, "Stay necessary." From Puffy I learned to believe in my own vision and pursue it with a passion. From the Def Jam crew, I learned to have fun, surround yourself with other smart people who love and respect the culture and to appreciate the uniqueness and greatness in the talent you work with. From them, I also learned the importance of branding your movement. From Michael Vann, I learned about the pursuit of entrepreneurship and from Anthony Spikes, I learned about golf culture and the importance of integrity.
6) How did you get started in the music business?
I got started in the music business by creating a music showcase called New York Live in the '90s with three other young music executives. They were Duane Taylor and Renee McLean who worked at Virgin Records and Kirk Burrowes, who later became the first GM of Badboy. As a result, I met Hiriam Records who gave me the opportunity to be an A&R and artist development person for his first imprint called Hiriam Records through Arista. He later headed Island Black Music where we had tremendous success and developed the careers of DruHill, Kelly Price, Uncle Luke and rebirthed the Isley Brothers, aka Mr Biggs.
7) What advice would you give someone wanting to go into the music industry?
Learn and understand the business of the industry and how people actually get paid. The dynamics of the music industry are forever evolving and changing so it's important to understand how the money is made so you can be a valuable and necessary part of the process.
8) And if someone wanted to go into the golf industry, what would advise?
Same thing as if they wanted to go into the music industry.
9) How do you see the golf industry evolving in the future?
The golf industry is a very homogenous industry. For the industry to grow and survive it is going to have to develop and engage more people of color on both the playing side and the business side. There are too few people of color involved in golf and that needs to change.
10) What are you most proud of?
Professionally, I'm most proud of starting the Original Tee Golf Classic to represent black culture in golf and celebrate it through a recognizable, branded platform. And I'm also most proud of leading the effort to have Charlie Sifford awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. To have been responsible for the first black golfer in professional golf to be immortalized from the first black President makes me extremely proud. I will be connected to Charlie Sifford in that way for eternity.
Bonus Questions
What are your plans for the future?
My plans are to continue elevating the Original Tee Golf Classic to be the #1 platform for people of color in golf and to be a force in the sports industry.
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