Featured Speaker John J. Thompson
Creative Director, EMI CMG Publishing
John J. Thompson has been beating a living out of the music industry for more than twenty years. He founded True Tunes Etc in 1989 (at the age of 18), and quickly built a community that helped to introduce artists like Sixpence None The Richer, Switchfoot, P.O.D., and many others to an international audience.
Though he's a native of the Chicago area, Nashville finally got John in 2007. He currently serves as the Director of Creative and Copyright Development at EMI CMG Publishing, where he oversees everything from film and television pitching and A&R to physical and digital print-music production. He is also the founder and president of Gyroscope Arts, Inc.
But besides and beyond all that, John is a songwriter and artist. His band, The Wayside, has performed in smoky bars and church sanctuaries and at festivals, college campuses and homeless shelters. While never a full-time endeavor, the Wayside has released several albums John describes as “critically tolerated.”
John is an avid fan of music, a collector of music, a critic of music and a producer of music.
“Music was never an optional accessory for me,” he says with a completely straight face. “It was essential from a very young age. My passion is to find amazing music wherever it may be hiding, and to introduce it to an audience. I’m thrilled that my career has been all about that. My ongoing commitment is to re-invest the unique experiences, perspectives and ideas I have collected over the years into the creative community. After all, this is not about me, it’s about The Tune. All I’m trying to do is sing along.”
The winner of our summer series of Songwriter Showcases will spend an hour one-on-one with John. Interested? You can register here.