Elvie Shane recorded My Boy seven or eight times prior to finding the version that s becoming a hit at country radio. The song even went viral once, long before it started to form a silver lining around the cloud of the pandemic.
What s next, Shane admits, scares him. Or, at least, it scared him at one time. The ballad tells a stepfather s story of love and understanding in a way that s likely to bring tears to your eyes. It s specific and unique and presents a challenge when it s time to pivot to his next single. Talking to Taste of Country, Shane admits he didn t fully express his hesitation to his record label because he didn t want to stifle their enthusiasm for the song. Nine months after the release of My Boy, he s glad he stayed quiet.
Nashville, Tenn.
With country artists rolling out tour plans in anticipation of a receding pandemic, Nashville executives are beginning to make personal appearances again, too.
It s a slow trickle of two- and three-person meetings at the moment rather than a wave of large gatherings and parties, but music professionals are starting to visit with people in the flesh that they ve only seen via Zoom or in photos over the last year. Two-person staff meetings, limited client visits and the time-honored lunch appointment are making a comeback in Music City as COVID-19 vaccinations are on the rise.
It s a cautious turnaround some combination of masks, sanitizer, safe distancing and/or limited physical contact are still endemic but one that s occurring with increased frequency as executives secure their vaccinations.
Leber has been in management for nearly two decades, having co-founded Reign Deer Entertainment in 2005 with
Larry Rudolph and co-founding Maverick a decade later with a who’s-who of other big-name managers, including Rudolph,
Guy Oseary,
Clarence Spalding,
Gee Roberson and more. Along the way, he’s co-managed the likes of Britney Spears, Travis Scott, Fifth Harmony and Aerosmith, while he’s worked with Cyrus and Lil Nas X for the past several years. Meanwhile, another management client, Labrinth, won an Emmy last year for his work on HBO’s
Euphoria, for which Leber works as a music supervisor and himself received an Emmy nomination for his work.
Recently, Leber has helped steer the record-setting career of Lil Nas X, who rode the massive success of his single Old Town Road to six Grammy nominations and two wins, and whose latest single, Montero (Call Me by Your Name), soared to a No. 1 debut on the Hot 100 this week. He’s also managed Miley Cyrus whose dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, was featured on the Old Town Road remix that won the best pop duo/group performance Grammy for several years, and most recently helped her sign a new record deal with Columbia Records. And alongside his longtime client Labrinth, Leber worked on the Emmy-winning HBO series