Leverage Entertainment Value: The Business Side of Music with Bob Bender

Dr. Gina Gaudio Grace & Dr. Andrea Adams-Miller interview Bob Bender, The Business Side of Music

Born and raised in California, Bob Bender started his career in 1975, working as a production

runner for a local concert promoter, shuttling artists and crews to and from venues, hotels, and

airports. With that start, over the next 30+ years Bender went on to produce over 300 concerts and festivals in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Between 1983 and 1997, Bender also worked in the capacity of Tour Manager for such artists including Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band, Billy Preston, Dwight Twilley, Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam, Rick Derringer, Edgar Winter, A Flock of Seagulls, Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere & The Raiders fame), New Kids on The Block, and Gene Pitney, just to name a few. He has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Mexico. In 1997 Bob accepted the position of Manager of Artist Development for Curb Records. Bender went on to represent such label acts as Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Jo Dee Messina, and Hank

Other accomplishments include: Serving on the CMTA Board of Directors for the Gospel Music

Association from 2000 to 2004, and being a guest lecturer at Belmont University in Nashville,

along with hosting panels at MTSU, speaking on the business aspects of the music industry.

Currently, Bender is producing and hosting a podcast series called “The Business Side of

Music” recorded in Los Angeles, and Nashville, which is consistently ranked in the Top 20 of

Music Interview shows on Apple Music, has over 150,000 downloads, and is listened to in 60+

countries around the world. He’s also co-producing an upcoming webcast series in conjunction

with Dead Horse Branding Company called “Dead Horse Discussions”.