Lipscomb takes on Music City

Lacey Klotz | 03/03/2016

Located in the heart of Music City, it’s no surprise that Lipscomb sees an undeniable amount of talent in its student body, year after year.

From singer/songwriters, managers and producers, to label heads and musicians, Lipscomb has been well represented as alumni have found fame and success in the country and Christian music industries.

This year, Lipscomb has three alumni nominated for the 51^st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 3, including Thomas Rhett, up for New Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Single Record of the Year; Kelsea Ballerini, nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and New Female Vocalist of the Year; and Kerri Edwards, manager of Luke Bryan who is up for the ACM Entertainer of the Year honor; and Lipscomb hosted the 46th Annual GMA Dove Awards in October.

While Lipscomb’s recently launched Contemporary Music Program in the College of Entertainment & the Arts prepares the next generation of entrepreneurial artist for careers in the music industry, the Lipscomb alumni in this story will continue to wow us with their chart-topping music and star-studded journeys.

Alumna Kerri Edwards guides some of today’s brightest country music stars

Luke Bryan is one of country music’s hottest singers and faces of Music City, today. Cole Swindell and Kelleigh Bannen are two more names currently on the rise to success. While they have country music as a common thread, they have at least one more: a Lipscomb alumna who is behind-the-scenes building their careers.

Kerri (Pauley) Edwards (’93), president of KP Entertainment, is a seasoned industry veteran who has had over 20 years of experience helping artists trail blaze their way to success in the music industry.

A native of small town, Alum Creek, West Virginia, Edwards came to Nashville to attend Lipscomb in 1990. A member of the Pi Delta social club, Edwards studied communications, and during a fate-like encounter, was offered an internship at Arista Records and through this experience fell in love with the industry.

Following graduation from Lipscomb University, Edwards spent seven years in Artists and Repertoire (A&R) at Arista Records and had the opportunity to work with acts such as Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio and more.

In 2000, Edwards transitioned into the publishing world as the creative director for Deston Songs as well as the production coordinator for Mark Bright Productions. In 2002 she joined Murrah Music as creative director where she was introduced to an ambitious young singer/songwriter named Luke Bryan. Unsigned to a record deal at the time, Edwards began to help Bryan find artists to record his songs, and it wasn’t until Edwards saw Bryan perform live at a concert in Georgia that she committed to helping him in his career as a solo artist.

Edwards launched KP Entertainment in 2005 to manage Bryan and helped him to land a record deal with Capitol Records. Bryan’s first single, “All My Friends Say,” went to radio in 2007 and since then he has had over 13 No. 1 singles and has sold nearly eight million albums as well as several awards including two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year and 2014 CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, all with Edwards by his side.

Edwards credited the influence of inspiring leaders to her success and listed Mike Dungan, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group; Mark Bright, producer and owner of Mark Bright Productions; and Tim DuBois, music executive and owner of Tim DuBois Entertainment as mentors.

“Throughout the years these three men have given me jobs and responsibility, and have let me grow in different roles throughout my career in the music industry,” said Edwards. “Not only have they given me great advice and support, they have believed in me and in what I could offer to their companies.”

Edwards explained that one of the reasons she has remained in the industry is for the people that she gets to work with.

“All of the people I get to work with in my office as well as within all my artist organizations, they are my second family,” said Edwards. “I have a great team.”

Working for over 20 years in an approximately $9.8 billion dollar industry, Edwards has seen just about all there is to see, but one part of her job, she never gets tired of is the creative process.

“One of my favorite moments is when a songwriter comes out of a co-write with a song that you immediately know is going to be a hit and change lives - it's hard to beat that moment,” she said. “It’s so fun to see how powerful music really is.”

Today, with a full resume of experience and success under her belt, Edwards is running her growing management company, KP Entertainment, and managing Bryan through a partnership with Coran Capshaw and Red Light Management, as well as Cole Swindell, Kelleigh Bannen and up-and-comers, Chancie Neal, Jon Langston and CB30. Edwards also serves on the Academy of Country Music board of directors and the Country Music Association board of directors. She was named the 2014 CMA Nashville Manager of the Year and was one of Nashville Business Journal’s 2014 Women in Music City award winners.

Edwards and her husband currently reside in Nashville and have remained an active part of the Lipscomb community as their 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter currently attend Lipscomb Academy.

“It is fun to still be a part of the Lipscomb community and have my kids attend the academy,” explained Edwards. “We enjoy attending sporting events, school plays and love going to Lighting of the Green.”

Edwards has also been able to work with other Lipscomb alumni throughout her career in the industry including Marty Roe of Diamond Rio during her time at Arista Records, was a part of Thomas Rhett’s No. 1 gold single “Get Me Some of That” through KP Entertainment’s publishing arm and recently Dustin Lynch after he joined Luke Bryan on his 2015 Kick The Dust Up Tour.

Edwards’s advice to current Lipscomb students pursuing a career in music city, “work really hard and surround yourself with people who believe in you.”

Lipscomb alumni have long been an important part of Music City’s star-making industry. Check out these other noteworthy alumni.

Although this is not a complete list of alumni who have had great success in the music industry, here are a few noteworthy individuals: