Robert Deaton | |
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Born | |
Occupations | |
Years active | 1985–present |
Notable work | CMA Awards CMA Music Fest Billboard Music Awards |
Robert Deaton is an American film and television producer and director. Since 2007, he has been the executive producer of the Country Music Association Awards on ABC and was the executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards on NBC from 2018 to 2022. He first came to prominence producing and directing predominately country music videos as creator and founder of the production company, Deaton-Flanigen Productions (DFP). The firm's clientele included acts like Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, and numerous others. Through DFP, Deaton also worked on the opening title sequence for Monday Night Football and has directed or produced various commercials and television specials. In recent years, Deaton has worked as a producer on several albums for acts like Michael W. Smith, King Calaway, and Stone Cold Country, A 60th Anniversary Tribute to the Rolling Stones .
Robert Deaton grew up largely in Fayetteville, North Carolina. His father worked in radio and television. Growing up, Deaton learned to play various instruments, including guitar and trumpet, and he played in several garage bands as a teenager. [1]
After high school, Deaton moved to Nashville. He first earned work shooting news for the ABC affiliate WKRN and then transitioned to the marketing department shooting promos and other marketing content. In the mid-1980s, Deaton met George Flanigen, and the two founded the production company, Deaton-Flanigen Productions (DFP). [1] The duo's early work included directing and producing regional commercials [2] and music videos. [3] By 1991, the firm had begun working with country music stars, creating music videos and other promotional material for Vern Gosdin, [4] Dolly Parton, Clint Black, Willie Nelson, and others. That year, Deaton also began directing and producing commercials for various companies and organizations, including the Los Angeles Lakers, through DFP. [5]
In 1992, Deaton began directing the opening sequence of ABC's Monday Night Football (MNF). The sequence featured Hank Williams Jr. performing a reworked version of his song, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight," cut with clips of that night's competing teams. [6] Deaton won two Sports Emmy Awards in the first five years of working with MNF. [7] In 1994, the duo won its first Country Music Association (CMA) Award for directing the music video for Martina McBride's "Independence Day". [8] In 1995, Deaton was appointed to the CMA's board of directors. [9]
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Deaton continued directing music videos for acts like Diamond Rio, Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire, Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, [8] [10] [11] and Rascal Flatts. [12] The music video for Brooks & Dunn's "Believe" earned him his second CMA Award, [8] and he also earned four Grammy nominations for directing other music videos. [11] In 2003, Deaton pitched the idea of a television special to CBS that would showcase performances from the CMA Music Festival. The resultant two-hour special first aired in 2004 on CBS, [13] but would later move to ABC where it would become known as the CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock. [14] Deaton continues to serve as executive producer of the annual show. [15]
In 2005, Deaton directed the ABC television special Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun. [16] In 2006, he was named the consulting producer for the ABC broadcast of the CMA Awards. [17] In 2007, he was named producer where he worked alongside executive producer Walter C. Miller. [18] Deaton became the show's executive producer in 2008, [19] a title he continues to hold. In 2010, he became the executive producer of the CMA Country Christmas special that broadcasts annually on ABC. [15] In the ensuing years, he worked as executive producer on a variety of projects including a Rascal Flatts TV special on ABC in 2011, [20] an ABC reality singing competition series called Duets in 2012, [21] a Tim McGraw and Faith Hill residency (Soul 2 Soul) at The Venetian Las Vegas in 2012, [22] and the Michael W. Smith Christmas album, The Spirit of Christmas , in 2014. [23]
In 2015, Deaton served as executive producer for the feature film, American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry, which featured live performances and backstage interviews with artists like Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Blake Shelton. [24] The film was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Film in 2017. [11] In 2016, he produced the Fox musical television special, The Passion: New Orleans presented by Tyler Perry. [25] In 2017, he was signed by the United Talent Agency. That year, he also executive produced the Nashville segments of the Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief special [26] and was announced as the executive producer for the Billboard Music Awards ceremony on NBC. [27]
In 2018, Deaton made his feature film directorial debut (alongside George Flanigen) with Benched . [28] In 2021, Deaton extended his contract with the CMA for five years to remain the head of the association's television properties. [15] That year, he also became the executive producer of New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash, an annual New Year's Eve special on CBS. [29] [30] In 2022, he served as executive producer of the documentary film, Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon. [31] In 2023, Deaton is producing Stone Cold Country, a Rolling Stones tribute album featuring various country artists including Brooks & Dunn, Elle King, Maren Morris, Eric Church, and others. The album is due to be released in March 2023. [32]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2015 | American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry [24] | Executive producer | |
2018 | Benched [28] | Director | Co-directed with George Flanigen |
2022 | Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon [31] | Producer | Documentary |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004–present | CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock [33] | Executive producer | ABC annual TV special (known as CMA: Best of Fest in 2020 [34] and CMA Summer Jam in 2021) [35] |
2005 | Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun | Producer | ABC TV special |
2006–present | Country Music Association Awards | Consulting producer (2006) Producer (2007) Executive producer (2008–present) | ABC annual awards ceremony |
2010–present | CMA Country Christmas | Executive producer | ABC annual TV special |
2011 | Rascal Flatts: Nothing Like This | Executive producer | ABC TV special |
2012 | Duets | Executive producer | ABC reality competition series |
2014 | Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful | Executive producer | NBC TV special |
2015 | The Passion: New Orleans | Executive producer | Fox music TV special |
2017 | Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief | Executive producer (Nashville segments) [26] | Benefit concert TV special simulcast on multiple networks |
2018–2022 | Billboard Music Awards | Executive producer | NBC annual awards ceremony |
2021–present | New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash | Executive producer | CBS annual TV special |
Year | Album | Artist | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | The Spirit of Christmas | Michael W. Smith | Executive producer | US #16 [36] |
2019 | Rivers | King Calaway | Executive producer [37] | |
2023 | Stone Cold Country | Various | Executive producer | The Rolling Stones tribute album |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | "Independence Day" by Martina McBride (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Won | [8] |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | Nominated | [10] | ||
1998 | "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [10] | ||
Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | Nominated | [8] | ||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | "How Your Love Makes Me Feel" by Diamond Rio (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [10] | |
2000 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | "He Didn't Have to Be" by Brad Paisley (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [8] |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | Nominated | [10] | ||
"Single White Female" by Chely Wright (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [10] | |||
2001 | Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video | "What Do You Say" by Reba McEntire (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [11] |
2003 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [8] |
2004 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | Nominated | [10] | |
Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video | Nominated | [11] | ||
2005 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | "When I Think About Cheatin'" by Gretchen Wilson (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [8] |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" by Big & Rich (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [10] | |
2006 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | "8th of November" by Big & Rich (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [8] |
"Believe" by Brooks & Dunn (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Won | [8] | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | Nominated | [10] | ||
Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video | "God's Will" by Martina McBride (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [11] | |
2007 | Country Music Association Awards | Music Video of the Year | "Anyway" by Martina McBride (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [8] |
Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | "8th of November" by Big & Rich (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [10] | |
Grammy Awards | Best Short Form Music Video | Nominated | [11] | ||
2008 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Lost in This Moment" by Big & Rich (Robert Deaton and George Flanigen, co-directors) | Nominated | [10] |
2017 | Grammy Awards | Best Music Film | American Saturday Night: Live from the Grand Ole Opry (Robert Deaton, co-producer) | Nominated | [11] |
The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The CMA is best known for its annual CMA Fest and Country Music Association Awards broadcast live on network television each fall.
Lyric Street Records was the Disney Music Group's country music record label, founded in 1997 by Randy Goodman. The label had its first successes in 1998 with singles by Lari White and Aaron Tippin, both formerly of RCA Records. Other artists who recorded for the label included SHeDAISY and the label's most successful act, Rascal Flatts. A subsidiary label, Carolwood Records, existed between 2008 and 2009. Lyric Street Records was closed in 2010, with most of the former acts moving to other labels or exiting music entirely.
Rascal Flatts were an American country music band founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The group consisted of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto, and was previously a member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West. LeVox and DeMarcus are both natives of Columbus, Ohio.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2006.
Kenneth Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's Sinners Like Me, produced three singles on the Billboard country charts including the top 20 hits "How 'Bout You", "Two Pink Lines", and "Guys Like Me".
"A Broken Wing" is a song written by James House, Sam Hogin and Phil Barnhart, and recorded by American country music singer Martina McBride. It was released in September 1997 as the second single from McBride's album Evolution. In January 1998, "A Broken Wing" became McBride's second Number One single.
"Feels Like Today" is a song written by Wayne Hector and Steve Robson and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in June 2004 as the first single and title track from the album of the same name. The song peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 2004.
"I Melt" is a song written by Gary LeVox, Wendell Mobley, and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in July 2003 as the third single from the band’s sophomore studio album Melt (2002). The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying at that position for three weeks behind Toby Keith’s "I Love This Bar". This was the group’s seventh entry on that chart.
"Every Day" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele and Alissa Moreno and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in March 2008 as the third single from their album Still Feels Good. It became their nineteenth consecutive Top 10 hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The song earned a Grammy nomination for Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
"These Days" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele, Steve Robson, and Danny Wells and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in June 2002 as the first single from the band’s 2002 album Melt. The song became their first number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in November 2002.
"Here for the Party" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Gretchen Wilson. It was released in July 2004 as the second single and title track from her album Here for the Party. The song became Wilson's second chart entry on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Wilson wrote this song with Big Kenny and John Rich, who comprise Big & Rich.
Deaton-Flanigen Productions is an American film company based in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., headed by Robert Deaton. The company has between 10 and 50 employees.
"That Should Be Me" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, included as the tenth and final track on his first studio album, My World 2.0, released on March 19, 2010. The song was written by Bieber alongside Luke Boyd and Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger of The Messengers, the production team who produced the track. "That Should Be Me" is an orchestral ballad in which Bieber sings about losing his love, and according to Monica Herrera of Billboard, plays the "scorned ex." Most music critics positively received the song, and it debuted at number ninety-two on the Billboard Hot 100 following the release of My World 2.0.
"I Won't Let Go" is a song written by Steve Robson and Jason Sellers and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in January 2011 as the second single from the band's seventh studio album, Nothing Like This as well as their 28th single overall. The song received positive reviews from critics who praised Gary LeVox's vocal delivery. "I Won't Let Go" peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, number one on the Canadian country charts and number 31 on the Hot 100. The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over one million units in the country. It also managed to chart in Australia and Canada, peaking at numbers 39 and 68 respectively. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions and is footage of a live performance.
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Jesse Vernon Frasure, also known as DJ Telemitry, is an American music publisher, record producer, songwriter, and DJ. He has written 22 number one songs and has cuts with various artists including Chris Stapleton, Marshmello, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Leon Bridges, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, Meghan Trainor, Florida Georgia Line and more.
The 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards, commonly known as CMA 50 or the 50th CMA Awards, were held on November 2, 2016 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The ceremony recognizes some of the best country music released during the eligibility period. It is the eleventh ceremony to be held at the Arena, the seventeenth to be held in November and the ninth night to be co-hosted by country stars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. The ceremony was directed by Paul Miller.
Mark David Bright is an American country music producer, songwriter, and publishing company executive based in Nashville. His peers call Bright "one of the architects of the modern contemporary country sound". Bright's most noted success in producing records has been with the country acts BlackHawk, Rascal Flatts, and Carrie Underwood, but he has produced recordings for many artists including Reba McEntire, Sara Evans, Scotty McCreery, Lonestar, Peter Cetera, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, and Keith Urban
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