THE CHANGE AGENT
John Esposito, 61
Chairman/CEO, Warner Music Nashville
Since “Espo,” as he’s known in the business, took over Warner Music Nashville in 2009, the division’s market share for country albums plus track equivalent albums has quadrupled to almost 7.6 percent. In the first seven months of 2017, WMN artists have topped the Country Airplay chart four times, and RaeLynn, a former contestant on season two of The Voice, had her first album for Warner Bros. Nashville, Wildhorse, debut at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge and Cole Swindell have put points on the board as well.
Espo’s Credo
Although Esposito says he wants “everybody on the label to be at the level of Blake,” whose 2016 album, If I’m Honest, has earned 973,000 equivalent album units and spawned his 24th Country Airplay No. 1 with “Every Time I Hear That Song,” he adds that he measures progress by two key words: “change” and “challenge.” Hence his creation of a radio/streaming marketing team led by Kristen Williams in September. “We have to get our artists exposed every way that we can,” he says.
Betting On Brett
“He was the very first artist I signed after arriving here. There was no question that his voice was special,” says Esposito of Eldredge, who has sold 4.6 million digital songs and landed five No. 1 singles on Country Airplay since 2013. (His latest, “Somethin’ I’m Good At,” reached No. 21.) “The first two singles didn’t work, but you have to be tenacious,” adds Esposito. “When you know, you have to let everyone else know.”
Knows His Way Around A Hook
“Music men and the sea” is what Eldredge calls his annual fishing outing with Esposito to catch bluefin tuna. “On our first trip ever, Espo’s family and I got out on the water, smiles a-blazing, toasted with a beverage, and all was right in the world,” says Eldredge. “But it was about a two-hour boat ride, and the waves got the best of him. Espo’s classic smile began to fade, and he slowly turned to a green, Shrek-like color. He spent the next couple of hours lying in the cabin, but when a giant fish hit the line, Espo the green, friendly, sea-legged giant made his way to the back of the boat to hoist a 200-pound-plus fish with his closest pals. It’s a memory we’ll never forget.”
This article originally appeared in the August 5 issue of Billboard.