Josh Gruss

Last updated
Josh Gruss
Josh Gruss.jpg
Josh Gruss in 2015
Born
Joshua Carl Gruss

(1974-03-14) March 14, 1974 (age 50)
New York City, United States
Education Master of Business Administration
Alma mater Columbia UniversityLondon Business SchoolTrinity College (Connecticut)Berklee College of Music
OccupationEntrepreneur • Musician • Songwriter • Music publisherRecord executive
Years active2010 - present
Organization Round Hill Music
LabelRound Hill Music
Spouse
(m. 2003;div. 2014)
Parents
  • Martin D. Gruss (father)
  • Agneta Angel (mother)
Relatives Joseph S. Gruss (grandfather)

Joshua Carl Gruss (born 14 March 1974), better known as Josh Gruss, is an entrepreneur, musician and songwriter based in New York City, United States. [1] He is a co-founder of Round Hill Music, an American music publishing company and co-owner of Quad Studios Nashville, a recording facility located on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. [2] He is also a guitarist and songwriter with the Boston-based band Rubikon. Currently, Gruss serves as the chairman and CEO at Round Hill Music. [3]

Contents

Early life

Gruss was born to Agneta Angel and Martin Gruss, in 1974, in New York City. His grandfather, Joseph S. Gruss, was a financier and a businessman. Gruss completed his high school education from Taft School in 1992 and joined Trinity College (Connecticut) where he graduated with a B.A. degree in 1996. In 2010, Gruss earned executive MBA degrees from Columbia University as well as from London Business School. He also studied music business and guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. [1]

Career

Gruss began his career at Atlantic Records, followed by work as an analyst at Bear Stearns, worked as a risk arbitrage analyst at his family's family office, Gruss & Company. He was also in the United States Coast Guard Reserve for six years, including service after the September 11 attacks. [4] [5] [6] [7]

In 2010, Gruss founded the music publishing company Round Hill Music with Richard Rowe and Neil Gillis. [8] The company was established as the first private equity group dedicated to music royalty investments, that brought capital to artists such as The Beatles and The Offspring. [9] In 2013, Gruss acquired the publishing rights to the song "Land of a Thousand Dances" by Chris Kenner which generated average royalties of $200,000 a year for the company. [10] The next year, Gruss and the songwriter Marti Frederiksen acquired and restored the Quad Studios Nashville. [2] The studio was originally opened in 1971 and located on Music Row in Nashville. [11]

In 2018, Gruss acquired the music publishing company, Carlin America and the rights to over 150,000 songs for $245 million, including the hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" written by Jim Steinman. [12] Other acquisitions included the rights to the songs recorded by The Goo Goo Dolls, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Bruno Mars, Tim McGraw, Black Sabbath, Daughtry (band), Craig David, The Cult, Kiss, Limp Bizkit, Blues Traveler, and Skid Row. [13] [14]

In May 2020, Gruss established Black Hill Records, a record label dedicated to rock music, and signed Austin-based duo Black Pistol Fire, Nashville-based blues and rock guitarist Jared James Nichols and British rock band The Cult. [15] [16] In November 2020, Gruss led Round Hill Music in collecting $291 million for a new fund dedicated to investing in music rights. The Wall Street Journal reported that it was the third and the largest music royalty fund for the company. [17]

In January 2021, Gruss was included in the Billboard's Change Agents list for raising nearly $600 million for acquisitions, including $328 million with a public listing on the London Stock Exchange. [18] [19] In May 2021, Gruss acquired the Swedish label Telegram Studios whose master recordings and catalogue included Estelle, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Throwing Muses, Ziggy Marley, and Surfer Blood. [20] Later that year, in August, he created a Round Hill Music Endowed Scholarship Fund of 1 million dollars to aid multiple students at Berklee College of Music on an annual basis with financial assistance in pursuing Music Business and Management degrees. [21] In January 2022, Gruss was also included in the Billboard Power List. [22]

Music career

Since 2015, Gruss has been an integral part of the band Rubikon as a guitarist and a songwriter. [1] He has extensively toured with the band and opened for Buckcherry, Disturbed, Black Label Society, Sevendust, Shinedown, Nonpoint, The Cult, Tesla, Pop Evil, and Candlebox. "Blood on My Hands", co-written by Gruss, peaked at #37 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in 2019. [23]

Gruss has been the Reissue Executive Producer on four of the London-based rock band Bush albums including The Science of Things , Deconstructed , Razorblade Suitcase and Sixteen Stone . [24] He was also the executive producer of the album Travelers Blues by Blues Traveler, which was nominated for the Best Traditional Blues Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in 2022. [3] [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Scruggs</span> American musician (1924–2012)

Earl Eugene Scruggs was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-finger style of playing was radically different from the traditional way the five-string banjo had previously been played. This new style of playing became popular and elevated the banjo from its previous role as a background rhythm instrument to featured solo status. He popularized the instrument across several genres of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Stevens</span> American country musician (born 1939)

Harold Ray Ragsdale, known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian, known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty", as well as novelty hits such as "Gitarzan" and "The Streak". Stevens has received gold albums for his music sales and has worked as a producer, music arranger, and television host. He is also an inductee of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Christian Music Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Black Keys</span> American rock duo

The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records, before they eventually emerged as one of the most popular garage rock artists during a second wave of the genre's revival in the 2000s. The band's raw blues rock sound draws heavily from Auerbach's blues influences, including Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rounder Records</span> American record label

Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Alison Krauss and Union Station, George Thorogood, Tony Rice, and Béla Fleck, in addition to re-releases of seminal albums by artists such as the Carter Family, Jelly Roll Morton, Lead Belly, and Woody Guthrie. "Championing and preserving the music of artists whose music falls outside of the mainstream," Rounder releases have won 54 Grammy Awards representing diverse genres, from bluegrass, folk, reggae, and gospel to pop, rock, Americana, polka and world music. Acquired by Concord in 2010, Rounder is based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2016, The Rounder Founders were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McDonald (musician)</span> American musician, singer, and keyboardist

Michael H. McDonald is an American singer, keyboardist and songwriter known for his distinctive, soulful voice and as a member of Steely Dan (1973–1974), and the Doobie Brothers. McDonald wrote and sang several hit singles with the Doobie Brothers, including "What a Fool Believes", "Minute by Minute", and "Takin' It to the Streets." McDonald has also performed as a prominent backing vocalist on numerous recordings by artists including Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, and Kenny Loggins.

Billy Norris Sherrill was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger associated with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Glenn Sutton are regarded as the defining influences of the countrypolitan sound, a smooth amalgamation of pop and country music that was popular during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Sherrill also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Stand by Your Man" and "The Most Beautiful Girl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Kear</span> Musical artist

Josh Kear is a multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady A</span> American country music group

Lady A, known until 2020 as Lady Antebellum, is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood. Scott is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis, and Kelley is the brother of pop singer Josh Kelley. The band abbreviated the name to "Lady A" in June 2020 during the George Floyd protests in an attempt to blunt the name's associations with slavery and the Antebellum South, inadvertently causing a dispute with Black blues and gospel singer Anita White, who had been using the name Lady A for more than 20 years.

Robert Arthur "Tut" Taylor Sr. was an American bluegrass musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Stapleton</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1978)

Christopher Alvin Stapleton is an American country singer-songwriter, guitarist, and the husband of Morgane Stapleton. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky. In 1996, Stapleton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to get an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pursue his career in music. Subsequently, he signed a contract with Sea Gayle Music to write and publish his music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T Bone Burnett</span> American guitarist and producer

Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III is an American recording artist, record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. Burnett has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in film music, including for O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Cold Mountain (2004), Walk the Line (2005), and Crazy Heart (2010); and won another Grammy for producing the studio album Raising Sand (2007), in which he united the contemporary bluegrass of Alison Krauss with the blues rock of Robert Plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primary Wave (company)</span> American music and entertainment company

Primary Wave is a privately held music publishing and talent management company. Primary Wave was founded in January 2006 by music executive Lawrence Mestel. Since its origin as a music publishing and administration company, Primary Wave has expanded into talent management, film and TV production, digital marketing, and branding. Primary Wave owns a significant song catalog, with major acquisitions beginning in 2016, including several hundred #1 hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hambridge</span> American drummer

Thomas Jay Hambridge is an American rock, country, and blues, producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist. Hambridge has received two Grammy Awards, an ASCAP award, seven Grammy nominations, seven Boston Music Awards, and has been inducted into the Buffalo Hall of Fame. In December 2015, Hambridge was given the key to his hometown of Buffalo, New York with Mayor Byron Brown declaring December 28 "Tom Hambridge Day." Hambridge's songs have been recorded by several notable artists and have been featured in movie productions, commercials and television programs. He has been referred to as "The White Willie Dixon" by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Buddy Guy and Susan Tedeschi's "Secret Weapon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Amanfu</span> American singer-songwriter

Ruby Amanfu is an American recording artist based in Nashville. Amanfu has released seven studio albums and multiple singles. She is known for being one half of the duo Sam & Ruby, whose album was named Associated Press Album of the Year in 2009. Amanfu is also known for her collaborations with Jack White in his all-female band, The Peacocks, and has widely appeared on his critically acclaimed solo albums, Blunderbuss and Lazaretto. In 2020 and 2022, Amanfu was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for co-writing "Hard Place" by H.E.R. and "A Beautiful Noise" by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile, and was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award.

Quad Studios Nashville was a four-studio recording facility established as Quadrafonic Sound Studio in 1971 on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, US. The studio was the location of numerous notable recording sessions, including Neil Young's Harvest, Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville", Joan Baez' "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and Dobie Gray's "Drift Away". The studio's location has been the home of Sienna Recording Studios since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low Country Sound</span>

Low Country Sound is a record label imprint of Elektra Records based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 2015 by music producer Dave Cobb who also runs it. Among the artists currently signed to Low Country Sound, some notable acts are Anderson East, Brent Cobb and Rival Sons.

Round Hill Music is an American music publishing company founded in 2010 by Josh Gruss, Richard Rowe, and Neil Gillis. The company operates a music publishing division, a sync and royalty administration, a music production library business, a record label and label services division, and also a Nashville songwriter services group with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and London.

Marcus King is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was initially known as lead singer, guitarist and founder of The Marcus King Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concord (entertainment company)</span> Music company

Concord is an American independent creative rights company that develops, manages and acquires sound recordings, music publishing rights, theatrical performance rights and narrative content. It is a private company, funded by long-term institutional capital and members of Concord's management team.

Rubikon is a band from Boston, Massachusetts.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson An EMBA journey: From Wall St to music boss "Ft.com" Financial Times Oct. 21st, 2013
  2. 1 2 Nate Rau Quad Studio owners keep Nashville's musical heritage alive "Tennessean.com" The Tennessean Nov. 19th, 2015
  3. 1 2 Ed Christman Round Hill’s Josh Gruss Talks Publishing Boom, Rock’s Steadiness & How James Brown Beats Drake "Billboard.com" Billboard Oct. 25th, 2021
  4. Spring 2011
  5. New York Times: "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Shoshanna Lonstein, Joshua Gruss" May 11, 2003
  6. Edgecliffe-Johnson, Andrew (October 20, 2013). "An EMBA journey: From Wall St to music boss". Financial Times . Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. Darren Paltrowitz,Rubikon’s Josh Gruss Talks New LP, Round Hill Music and Beracha Foundation "Jewishjournal.com" The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles Sep. 16th, 2019
  8. Ben Sisario Boutique Music Publisher Invests in Six Early Beatles Songs "Nytimes.com" The New York Times Jan. 11th, 2012
  9. David Benoit and Ethan Smith Baby, You're a Rich Man: Ex-Wall Streeter Owns the Beatles, Wants More "Wsj.com" The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14th, 2012
  10. Nic Fildes Round Hill hopes to hit the right note with London IPO "Ft.com" Financial Times Oct. 13th, 2020
  11. Nate Rau Famous Quad Studios to reopen in 2015 as Round Hill "Tennessean.com" The Tennessean Nov. 24th, 2014
  12. Ed Christman Round Hill Finalizes $245M Acquisition of Carlin America, Home to Elvis Presley & AC/DC Catalogs "Billboard.com" Billboard Jan. 11th, 2018
  13. Jem Aswad Round Hill Music Aims to Raise $375 Million for IPO Next Month "Variety.com" Variety Oct. 12th, 2020
  14. Mischa Frankl-Duval and Lucy Harley-McKeown Investors in Search of Yield Turn to Music-Royalty Funds "Wsj.com" The Wall Street Journal Sep. 22nd, 2019
  15. Jack Needham Sonya McKinley named Director, Production & Metadata at Round Hill Records "Musicbusinessworldwide.com" Music Business Worldwide Apr. 5th, 2022
  16. Murray Stassen Round Hill expands recordings division with new rock label Black Hill Records Music Business Worldwide May 7th, 2020
  17. Luis Garcia Round Hill Pulls In $291 Million for its Third Music Royalty Fund "Wsj.com" The Wall Street Journal Nov. 19th, 2020
  18. Billboard Staff Billboard Change Agents: Leaders Stepping Up In A Year of Turmoil "Billboard.com" Billboard Jan. 28th, 2021
  19. Simon Duke Hedge fund boss Josh Gruss set to bank $10m as Round Hill music fund aims for float "Thetimes.co.uk" The Times Oct. 26th, 2020
  20. MusicWeek Staff Round Hill Music acquires Telegram Studios' master recordings "Musicweek.com" Music Week May 18th, 2021
  21. Jack Needham Round Hill founder Josh Gruss establishes Berklee College scholarship fund with $1m Gift "Musicbusinessworldwide.com" Music Business Worldwide Aug. 10th, 2021
  22. Billboard Staff The 2022 Billboard Power List Revealed "Billboard.com" Billboard Jan. 26th, 2022
  23. Rubikon - Chart History "Billboard.com" Billboard Dec. 7th, 2019
  24. Kyle McGovern Bush Are Reissuing Their First Four Albums "Spin.com" Spin Sep. 16th, 2014
  25. 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Winners & Nominations List "Grammy.com" Grammy Awards Nov. 24th, 2021