Superstar Kelly Clarkson to Join Atlantic Records’ Julie Greenwald for ‘Music’s Leading Ladies Speak Out’ Session at Music Biz 2017

NPR Music’s Ann Powers to guide discussion on ‘Creative Partnerships’ theme

April 10, 2017 – The Music Business Association (Music Biz) has announced that GRAMMY Award-winning superstar Kelly Clarkson will join Julie Greenwald, Chairman and CEO of the Atlantic Records Group, and moderator Ann Powers, a critic and correspondent at NPR Music, for the Music’s Leading Ladies Speak Out featured presentation at the Music Biz 2017 convention. Powered by Nielsen Music, the session will be held on Tuesday, May 16, at 4 p.m. CT at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville.

During the presentation, Clarkson and Greenwald will discuss the theme of “Creative Partnerships,” with Clarkson talking about her decision to join Greenwald and her team at Atlantic Records. The two will also share stories of their experiences in the music industry and explain how they were able to achieve success on their own terms. The event will also feature a presentation from Erin Crawford, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nielsen Music.

“Kelly has had an amazing whirlwind ride through the music industry over the past 15 years, beginning with winning the first season of American Idol, and then achieving massive solo success with her first two albums Thankful and Breakaway,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “She is definitely a role model, and we look forward to hearing the career insights she has gained so far. We expect that everyone in our audience — especially aspiring young professionals — will be inspired by her experiences as a songwriter, recording artist, live performer, wife, and mother.”

Clarkson is currently in the studio working on her highly-anticipated new album, her first for Atlantic Records, which will be released later this year. The album will draw from the inspiration of Soul and R&B as the foundation to her endearing lyrics and powerhouse vocals. Clarkson also recently released her first children’s picture book, River Rose and the Magical Lullaby, which debuted at #7 on The New York Times Best Sellers List for Children’s Picture Books.

Clarkson has released six studio albums, one greatest hits album, and one holiday album; has sold more than 21 million albums worldwide; and has had 10 singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. She is the recipient of three GRAMMY Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, and one CMA Award. Clarkson’s sixth studio album, Piece by Piece, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, marking her third #1 debut on the chart. Piece by Piece garnered two 2016 GRAMMY nominations (Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance for her hit single “Heartbeat Song”).

Clarkson’s 2011 effort, Stronger, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), won the GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album, and produced the smash singles “Mr. Know It All” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” which mark her ninth and 10th Top 10 hits. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” was #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks (three weeks total), marking her third #1 on the Hot 100 chart. In 2013, she released her first holiday album, Wrapped in Red, which debuted at #3, was the biggest holiday album debut for a female artist since 2010, and is certified Platinum.

Music Biz 2017, which will return to Nashville from May 15-18, is the music industry’s premier event, giving the commerce and content sectors a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. This year’s event will feature keynotes from Atlantic Records Group Chairman and COO Julie Greenwald, Spotify’s Global Head of Creator Services Troy Carter, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Music Agents Jeff Krones and Hunter Williams, Cracker Barrel’s VP of Marketing Don Hoffman, Universal Music Group’s Exec. VP of Content Strategy and Operations Barak Moffitt, and more to be announced. A special line-up of Digital Service Workshops from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube/Google Play will mark an unprecedented first for the music industry as Music Biz will bring these companies together in one place for one day packed with information about how to leverage the tools and products that these companies offer to maximize value for artists, labels, managers, creators, and the industry at large.

The eclectic Music Biz 2017 program will also cover topics including Touring, Live Streaming, Vinyl, Messaging, International, D2F, Crowdfunding, e-Commerce, Playlisting, A&R, Social Media, Licensing, Publishing, Hi-Res, VR, Management, and Professional Development. Returning favorite sessions will include the Metadata Summit, Brand & Strategic Partnership Summit, and Entertainment & Technology Law Conference, as well as an encore for Music’s Leading Ladies Speak Out and various special interest programs and breakout sessions. Music Biz will celebrate executive and artist achievements with Music Biz awards being bestowed to UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Music Millennium’s Terry Currier, Adele, Paula Abdul, Lukas Graham, Maren Morris, and others to be announced. Registration is now open at www.musicbiz2017.com, and for a full list of currently confirmed programming, visit https://musicbiz2017.sched.org.

About the Music Business Association

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile, and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.

Music Biz Media Contact

Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications — laurie@jaybirdcom.com, 646.484.6764