Universal South Records co-founders Tim DuBois and Tony Brown will soon step down and be replaced by veteran producer, songwriter and label executive Mark Wright, who will hold the title of president of the company.
Both DuBois, who is leaving to attend to family matters, and Brown, who will focus on production work, will help Universal South during a transition period. Wright is under contract with Sony BMG Nashville until early next year.
Wright will report to Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Doug Morris and president/COO Zach Horowitz.
In a prepared statement Horowitz called Wright “a world class creative executive who has helped to rewrite the rules for developing talent. As a talent finder, producer, songwriter and executive, Mark can do it all.”
“I am very fortunate to be starting the next phase of my career back in the Universal family and look forward to building upon the great work already done by Tim DuBois and Tony Brown at Universal South,” Wright said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to run a record company and I feel that my whole career has been leading up to this moment.”
Wright has written numerous hit songs for artists such as Mark Chesnutt, the Oak Ridge Boys, George Strait and Vern Gosdin, among others. As a producer he has worked with Clint Black, Lee Ann Womack, Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry, Gary Allan, Brooks & Dunn and Trisha Yearwood, to name a few.
He has previously worked at RCA Nashville, Decca Records and MCA Nashville. Since 2003, he has served as Sony Nashville’s executive VP of A&R.
Universal South’s artist roster includes Joe Nichols, Rockie Lynne, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Katrina Elam, Marty Stuart, Shooter Jennings, Matthew West and Lee Roy Parnell, among others.
Meanwhile, Brown is reportedly in discussions to sign a new arrangement to continue his long relationship with UMG.
