MUSIC INDUSTRY RALLIES IN MEMORY OF GEORGE FLOYD • THIS WEEK’S “NONCOMM THURSDAY” FEATURES STEVE EARLE

George Floyd

Led by some of the biggest companies in the music industry, today (Tuesday (6/2) are participating in Black Out Tuesday, a quiet protest in reaction to the killing of George Floyd last week.

 According to a report on All Access Media [link], Black Out Tuesday, calls for a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with the community. 

The organizers are using the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused as a virtual rallying point.

Artists and employees of Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, Bertelsmann Music Group, and over a dozen more companies,will be spending the day talking with associates about the conditions that led to the death of Floyd and the rampage that followed.

In a press release, organizers urged music radio folks to spend today “…taking responsibility as ‘gatekeepers of the culture.’”

George Floyd  mixing during a recording session

George Floyd was also a musician. 

In a story that first appeared on the blog of 89.3 The Current [link], when Floyd lived in Houston, he was involved in the local rap scene. 

He worked as a performer and DJ using the name Big Floyd and was associated with legendary Houston rapper DJ Screw. You can hear tracks recorded by Floyd on DJ Screw’s YouTube page [link].

Floyd moved to Minneapolis in the mid 1990s.

STEVE EARLE WILL PLAY THIS WEEK ON NONCOMM THURSDAY THIS

Steve Earle 

Singer/storyteller Steve Earle will be appearing on the next Noncomm Thursday Zoomcast this Thursday (June 4th) at 6:00pm ET. 

Earle is a favorite of listeners, station programmers and people in the music biz. 

His mix of social activism, “speak truth to power” messages and stunning performances has made him a welcome presence at past NONCOMMventions.

The Zoomcast will also host a discussion about how the pandemic is impacting music and programming decisions. 

WXPN’s Dan Reed will lead the discussion.. The panel includes Amy Miller from KXT in Dallas, Willobee Carlan from Indie 102.3 in Denver and Jesse Scott from WMOT in Nashville.

The panel will also talk about how to conduct virtual music meetings, connections with promotion execs and publicists, and how the pandemic has impacted programming.

For more information, and to register for the Noncomm Thursday Zoomcast, go to this page [link] on Paul Marszelek’s blog The Top 22.