1990
SCOTT BORCHETTA
Scott’s career ran parallel with mine for years at MCA. He is now one of music’s biggest power players, not only in Nashville but in the entire industry. I joined MCA Nashville in March 1984 as vice president of artist and repertoire under the leadership of Jimmy Bowen. Scott was hired to head up the radio promotion department. Only a few years later in 1988, he became vice president and head of the promotion department. He would go on to lead MCA to be Billboard’s number one label in Nashville for ten years straight. His license plate said “Dominator,” and rightly so.
The combination of my A&R department making great records and Scott’s ability to get the music to radio created a force like no other label had in Nashville. MCA became Label of the Decade in the years 1990–2000!
Scott and I were kind of like Don Henley and Glenn Frey of the Eagles. We had our disagreements, but at the end of the day we were both trying to make our statement. I always knew Scott was a game changer. He went on to open his own label, Big Machine Label Group, which is now one of the biggest independent labels of all time. Taylor Swift, his first signing, would become one of the biggest acts to ever come out of Nashville. Period.
“Working with Tony brought out the aggressor in me—my mission was to dominate and we did.”
Scott Borchetta
Scott Borchetta, Bill Carter, Reba McEntire, me, and Narvel Blackstock at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
I’M NOT SURPRISED BY SCOTT’S SUCCESS. HE HAS ACHIEVED SO MUCH AND HE’S A MASSIVE PART OF COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY.
