Neal To Retire: William Morris Endeavor (WME)/Nashville partner Kevin Neal announced plans to retire from the music industry during the IEBA's annual Honors & Awards Ceremony Oct. 7 in Nashville, where he was among the honorees. During the event, Neal made an additional $20k donation to his existing endowed scholarship at Middle Tennessee State University. He was also among those presenting two $50k endowments to Belmont University to honor late music executives Buddy Lee and Erv Woolsey. Formerly with Buddy Lee Attractions from 1988-2014, Neal joined WME in 2014 (CAT 5/13/14). He got his start with his father Bob Neal at the Neal Agency in 1981.

Chronicle: "All of us owe Erv Woolsey an enormous debt of gratitude for leading with his convictions and always supporting artists and new talent," says Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young. As reported earlier today via Breaking News, veteran artist manager Woolsey, CEO/Founder of the Nashville-based Erv Woolsey Company, died today (3/20) in Clearwater, FL at the age of 80 due to complications from surgery. He managed the career of George Strait for 45 years, also managing Lee Ann Womack and Ian Munsick, among many others. Before launching his company, Woolsey worked in the promotion department at Decca Records, and later headed that department in the country division of ABC Records, followed by a run at MCA in the early '80s before launching his company in 1984. He also found success as a songwriter, publisher and bar owner. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Veteran Hampton Roads air personality Dan Reese died March 19 at the age of 68 following a brief cancer battle. He is best know for his time on the air at then Country WKEZ/Yorktown, VA, where he worked from 1983-1988, and AC WWDE/Norfolk, where he worked from 1992-2013. An obituary from WKEZ (now sports WVSP) owner Max Media says, "Dan's impact on his community and listeners will be remembered fondly. His dedication to his craft and his unwavering spirit touched the hearts of many. Details of a memorial service to honor Dan's life will be announced at a later date. In his memory, may we carry forward his legacy of love and compassion."

Veteran artist manager Erv Woolsey, CEO/Founder of the Nashville-based Erv Woolsey Company, died today (3/20) in Clearwater, FL at the age of 80 due to complications from surgery. Best know for his nearly four decades of handling the career of George Strait, Woolsey also co-managed Lee Ann Womack and Ian Munsick. Other current clients included Tyler Halverson, Kylie Frey, Stone Senate and The Davisson Brothers. He founded his management company with Strait in the early 1980s, adding the digital-focused label Rollin' The Dice Records in 2020 (CAT 7/16/20).

Also a songwriter, Woolsey received a BMI "Million-Air Award" last year for one million broadcast perfformances of Strait's platinum-certified hit "I Can Still Make Cheyenne," which he co-wrote. The BMI celebration took place at Losers Bar & Grill in Nashville, one of several bars Woolsey co-owned in Nashville and Las Vegas. Woolsey and Strait sold their publishing company, Muy Bueno Music, in 2015 (CAT 11/13/15).

Said Strait, Woolsey's client and friend of 45 years, "He was a very tough man, and fought hard, but sadly it was just too much. We will miss him so very much and will never forget all the time we had together. Won’t ever be the same without him.” Details on funeral arrangements will be shared at a later date.

Crowd Source: Industry vets Margie Hunt (Waylon Jennings/Jessi Colter, AWMG Ent., CBS Records, Sony, Hunt Music Services), Aleene Jackson (Monument, Showbud Guitars, CMHoF, Conway Twitty Enterprises, Tree International, Cowboy Jack Clement Productions), Suzanne Lee (ASCAP), Dottie Oelhfaen (Erv Woolsey Company), Norma Jean Owen (CBS Records, Columbia, Capitol, The Entertainment Group), Betty Sanders (The Pride Music Group, Blake Mevis, The Hyland Company, Chuck Flood & Associates/Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.) and Ima Withers (Chips Moman & Don Crews American Recording Studios, Warner, RCA, Merit Music, BMI) will be honored at the in-person Source Hall of Fame Awards Aug. 23 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

Pair O' Dice: Erv Woolsey Company/Rollin’ The Dice Records' Artist Mgr. Allen Mitchell has risen to VP/New Artist Management & Operations. The company’s current roster includes George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Kylie Frey and Ian Munsick. “Allen has great ideas and a strong work ethic," says CEO/Founder Erv Woolsey. Mitchell joined in 2014 (CAT 7/28/14) after stops at Audium/Koch, Universal South, Mercury and Bigger Picture Music Group. Country Aircheck Weekly caught up with Woolsey about moving into a new business venture while staying true to his areas of expertise here.

Field Stay: You’ve heard of movers and shakers, but what do you know of movers and stakers? As in, these folks have staked out a position and are staying there. KIYK & KCIN/St. George, UT’s Chris Cruise, Warner/WAR’s Michael Chase and Stoney Creek’s Adrian Michaels share how they’ve started new jobs while staying put, CRB’s RJ Curtis discusses moving the Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner in the midst of a stay-at-home order, and Rollin’ The Dice Records’ Erv Woolsey talks about moving into a new business venture while staying true to his areas of expertise in last night’s (7/20) Country Aircheck Weekly.

Dice, Dice, Baby: Erv Woolsey Company CEO/Founder Erv Woolsey has entered a distribution deal with Copperline Music Group for the formation of Rollin’ The Dice Records. The flagship artist is Stone Senate (CAT 7/10). “We aren’t by any means trying to play the mainstream record label game,” says Woolsey. “But with modern technology and so many creative outlets at our disposal in this day and age, it allows us the opportunity to give our newer artists or select passion projects a stronger start and higher profile early in the development of their career.” The digital-focused label will focus primarily on EWC-managed artists. More here.

Re-Source: The 2020 Source Hall of Fame Awards slated for August 25 have been cancelled. A date for next year's ceremony will be announced in January 2021. This year's class of inductees – industry vets Margie Hunt and Aleene Jackson, ASCAP's Suzanne Lee, Erv Woolsey Company's Dottie Oelhafen, Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy's Betty Sanders and industry vets Norma Jean Owen and Ima Withers (CAT 2/12/20) – will be honored at the 2021 Awards. Additionally, the following will be honored posthumously at Source's May 2021 luncheon: Mary Reeves Davis, Dale Franklin and Ann Tant. Details here.

Sourcery: The 2020 Source Hall of Fame Awards inductees are industry vets Margie Hunt and Aleene Jackson, ASCAP's Suzanne Lee, Erv Woolsey Company's Dottie Oelhafen, Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy's Betty Sanders and industry vets Norma Jean Owen and Ima Withers. The 18th Source Hall of Fame Awards takes place Aug. 25 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.