Managing Partner – This Music
Rusty has been a regular participant in Play for Publishers workshops since they began in 2002. He is a powerhouse publishers who has placed hundreds of cuts, including over 50 hits on the country charts for This Music.
He knew when he moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University that publishing was where he belonged and his track record has proven him right. He hit the ground running with his first job at SmithHaven Music where he secured artist deals for writer/artists Jeff Bates and Will Hoge. From there he was hired by top producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Jodee Messina) to run his publishing company, Song Garden, which thrived under Rusty’s guidance. His next venture was This Music, a partnership with songwriting superstars Tim Nichols and Connie Harrington.
As managing partner, he has built the company into one of the most successful publishing houses on Music Row. Along with Nichols and Harrington their writer roster includes Grammy-nominated writer Jesse Alexander (“The Climb”) and two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year Ben Hayslip.