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Richard Nash
Sr. Vice President R&B Promotion - Elektra Entertainment
If you are in the radio promotions game
or claim to know anything about it, then you are aware that
Richard Nash is one of the most respected individuals in the
promotions business period. With 20 years of experience, Nash
knows radio promotions like a historian knows history. Hailing
from Ithaca, New York, the promotions veteran graduated from
Syracuse University with a BS in Telecommunications and Marketing
in 1980, and has been rolling hard ever since.
Nash began his label career in Cleveland
as the Midwest Local Promotions Manager for Atlantic Records.
Over the course of 15 years, he continued to move up within
the ranks of Atlantic. From Local Manager to Regional Manager,
in 1986 Sylvia Rhone (then VP of Promotions) brought Nash
to the New York office as the National Director of Promotions.
Working with such artists as Brandy, Dr. Dre, Snoop (Doggy
Dogg), Intro, The System, EnVogue and Gerald Levert, Nash
was elevated to Vice President and finally to Senior Vice-President
of Promotions before joining Elektra Entertainment Group in
1995.
As the Senior Vice-President of Black Music
Promotion for EEG, Nash is the glue that holds everything
together. Whether it is charting a record on established artists
like Missy Elliott, Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat, garnering
BDS spins on developing artists like Lil Mo, Rell and Fabolous,
or providing opportunities for his staff to advance and develop,
Nash is affectionately known at the company as the go-to man
for any marketing strategy or plan that needs to be effectively
executed. Nash jests that his philosophy is “work til
you drop dead,” but in reality, his work ethic is incomparable.
"With the promotions staff, it’s
not just about going in and getting the record played. It
is about marketing yourself, the company and marketing the
artist outside of the company marketing plan," notes
Nash. “Overall, if you have everyone informed who’s
out there fighting in the trenches, and communicating what
is going on, that is only going to motivate them to work that
much harder…The promotions staff has to be in alignment
with how the company is focused and rolling” declares
the natural born leader.
Nash is inspired by and encouraging toward
his staff members. Co Vice-Presidents, Michelle Madison and
Mike Kelly are his right and left hands that help him keep
the staff motivated and inspired. “It is incumbent upon
me to give them the best opportunity” states the teacher
who practices what he preaches. In addition to his senior
level staff, Nash also acknowledges Monique Davis, Colleen
Wilson, Brian St. John and Courtney Powell as executives on
the rise, "it is important for me to be able to extend
knowledge and the resources so that they will have the opportunity
to go out there and be their own men and women in the business,"
declares Nash.
Not only is Nash a great promotions executive,
outside of the office he is a doting husband and father. Married
for eleven years and father for six, Nash cites wife Vida
and son Ryan as his greatest sources of strength. "Having
my family life in proper perspective helps me in my business…Without
them, it’s like you’re Superman and you have to
deal with the kryptonite everyday."
As the record business continues to evolve,
Nash’s perspective remains optimistic, “I try to
maintain a positive outlook and frame of mind. As long as
you keep that positive frame of mind, you’re going to
be able to go in and do the job that’s necessary. I do
have dreams so does help me continue to go on.” With
his wisdom and experience, Richard remains elektrafying Nash.
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