Steve Robertson Named GM/Senior VP of Pop-Rock A&R for Atlantic Records Nashville
By Variety Staff
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Steve “Stevo” Robertson has been promoted to the newly created position of General Manager/Senior Vice President of A&R, Pop/Rock, Atlantic Records Nashville, the company announced today.
Robertson, who relocated from Florida to Nashville three years ago, joined Atlantic in 1997 and has been SVP of A&R since 2010. According to the announcement, the appointment recognizes the continued expansion of Atlantic’s pop/rock A&R team in Nashville, and the label’s deep-seated commitment to the city’s diverse music community. Robertson’s current A&R roster includes Paramore, Shinedown, A Day to Remember, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Josie Dunn, and others. He reports to Atlantic President of A&R Pete Ganbarg.
“The promotion of Stevo to our first-ever GM of pop/rock A&R in Nashville recognizes his fantastic accomplishments as an ace A&R exec, as well as the vitality and importance of the city as a diverse, genre-spanning repertoire center,” said Pete Ganbarg. “Since joining the company two decades ago, Stevo has signed and developed a string of topflight artists, while building tremendous relationships in the Southern music industry and beyond.”
“Since moving to Nashville three years ago, I’ve been constantly energized by all the brilliant talent that has embraced this city as a source of inspiration and creativity,” said Robertson. “The rich musical life of this community isn’t defined by any one sound or style, but by an incredible range of artists contributing to a fantastic musical tapestry. I’m looking forward to bringing more exciting new music into the Atlantic family. I want to thank Pete, Craig Kallman, and Julie Greenwald for their amazing support, and John Esposito and the great Warner Music Nashville team for being such warm and welcoming colleagues.”
Before coming on board at Atlantic 21 years ago, Steve Robertson spent four years as Assistant Program Director/Music Director at Orlando, Florida radio station WJRR, the state’s first commercial Alternative station. While there, he brought several unsigned artists to Atlantic’s attention that were inked by the label, including Collective Soul, Seven Mary Three, and a band called Tabitha’s Secret that became known as Matchbox Twenty.
Robertson’s first post at the label was Director of A&R. He was named Senior Director in 2000 and upped to Vice President in 2007. Robertson was promoted to Senior Vice President of A&R in 2010, and in 2015, he relocated from Orlando, Florida to Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in the mid-‘80s working at Rock station WZTA (ZETA 4) in Miami and at community Alternative station WKPX in Ft. Lauderdale.
