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KATHY
BEST
After earning a degree in Journalism from the University
of Georgia in 1989, Best began a career in television sales and
advertising, creating national, regional and local marketing plans,
ad spots and special promotions. She spent a few years developing
her skills at local television stations in Macon, Georgia and later
at an NBC affiliate in Savannah. It was while in Savannah, Best
was able to combine her love of country music with work. Some of
her accounts included a few local country clubs and the country
radio station. Best’s “in” to the music business
provided free tickets to her favorite shows and in some cases an
insight in to concert promotions and marketing.
Best knew only two people in Nashville – a sister at Belmont
and a producer at The Crook & Chase Show but that was enough.
After a few trips of networking, she moved to Nashville--and landed
a job at Aristomedia. “I wasn’t even sure what a music
publicist did, I just knew that I loved country music, and I loved
talking about it,” she laughs. She found out quickly that
it was the career she was born for. It wasn’t long before
she was overseeing all aspects of publicity for numerous artists,
as well as special events.
In 1995, Best was hired as Senior Manager, Publicity/Artist Development
at Trifecta Entertainment and helped promote the careers of John
Berry, Little Texas, Mark Collie, Naomi Judd and Tanya Tucker, as
well as developing publicity for corporate accounts. When Naomi
Judd needed an in-house publicist to deal with the demands of her
changing career, Best took the job, and began the challenge of
helping her make the transition from one-half of the Judds to new
careers as author/actress/restaurant owner/motivational speaker
and television and radio show host. With the added experience of
working with national television shows, book publishing, movies,
national speaking tours and everything in between, Best soon
had other artists requesting her services and formed FrontPage Publicity
in 1997.
“ The best thing about having my own company is the freedom
to work with the projects that I truly believe in,” she says.
In fact, she was so sold on the Dixie Chicks after hearing their
demo for Sony that she jumped at the chance to represent them in
the early days of their major label career--and she spent the next
year telling the world about them. Today, the superstars continue
to credit Best for her help in their meteoric rise.
Best inspires that kind of loyalty because of her total commitment
to her clients (including Naomi Judd and The Judds, the Dixie Chicks,
Martina McBride, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Jessica Andrews
and others) and her relentless desire to tell the world about them.
For all her high-profile clients, Best remains a true fan, and
hasn’t forgotten the thrill of discovering new music and new
faces – she just knows a little more about spreading the word. |
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