Former WME Nashville Partner Rob Beckham to Launch The AMG Management Firm With Bill Simmons
Rob Beckham has officially resurfaced after leaving WME Nashville in October, revealing Monday he's partnering with music manager Bill Simmons to launch The AMG, short for Artist Management Group.
Rob Beckham has officially resurfaced after leaving WME Nashville in October, revealing Monday (May 6) he’s partnering with music manager Bill Simmons to launch The AMG, short for Artist Management Group.
The announcement came shortly after news broke that Nashville management firm Fitzgerald Hartley was closing its doors after 42 years. Simmons was a partner in Fitzgerald Hartley, while Beckham was a partner and co-head at WME Nashville until October 2018, when agency reps confirmed that Beckham had left the company.
No explanation was given at the time and the sudden resignation was shrouded in mystery, with many Music City professionals wondering why he left one of country music’s powerful agencies, where Beckham’s clients included Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire and Chris Young.
Simmons managed the careers of Paisley and Young, and the two top country artists have joined The AMG as the firm’s first clients. It’s unclear if The AMG will pick up other clients from Fitzgerald Hartley, which announced Monday it was closing its offices in Nashville, and Ventura, California. Co-founder Larry Fitzgerald plans to solely focus on longtime client Vince Gill, while Mark Hartley will continue in artist management and the development of film and television projects.
“Mark and I forged a collaboration that has been successful, both personally and professionally, beyond our wildest dreams,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “Now I want to concentrate my efforts toward Vince. Though his accomplishments thus far have been enormous, I believe our partnership has been a cornerstone of my career, and I know we have many mountains yet to climb.”