Three familiar names in the Kentucky music scene have joined forces to create Black Mountain Management, a music management company based in Lexington with a focus on building a roster of Kentucky-based musicians.
David Helmers, co-producer of Railbird Music Festival in Lexington; Tiffany Finley, executive director of the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset; and John Smithwick, co-host of the Raven House in Lexington and co-owner of Hidden Ridge Camping in Monticello, are partners in the management company. Together they bring more than 20 years of Kentucky music festival, venue management, and business expertise to the venture. While each partner had individually undertaken band management roles in early 2020, the trio quickly realized combining their shared passion for music and artist development could provide greater benefits to their roster of artists.
“Tiffany, David and I share the same understanding that every artist’s aspirations and dreams are different. We want to help them achieve their unique goals — whatever those may be,” Smithwick said.
Finley credits the region’s immense talent as a reason for forming Black Mountain Management.
“This region has so many talented artists and we have formed relationships with many of them over the years in our roles producing events,” Finley said. “We believe in Representation with Roots: We want to give our artists more opportunity to have their voices heard from home. We understand the unique qualities and cultural richness of the region because it is part of our story, too – a story we want to share with the world.”
Black Mountain Management’s inaugural roster includes Lexington’s own Eric Bolander, Prestonsburg’s Nicholas Jamerson and Nashville-based DeeOhGee (formerly the Blackfoot Gypsies).
DeeOhGee (formerly the Blackfoot Gypsies)
“We have agreed to work with artists that we all truly admire and believe in,” Helmers said. “We don’t think of our artists as just clients — they are family. We get to know them as people and we want to know their unique aspirations. Then we work with them to try and make good things happen.”
Black Mountain Management host a concert featuring all three artists Oct. 10 at Laurel Cove Amphitheater at Pine Mountain State Park.