BILLBOARD MAGAZINE NAMES RYMAN AUDITORIUM GENERAL MANAGER ON OF MUSIC BUSINESS'S TOP 20 WOMEN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 23, 2006) – Pam Matthews, General Manager of Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, was named one of the “Top 20 Women in Music” by Billboard Magazine. “The women included in this list have made a powerful mark on the music business and are the architects of its future,” says Tamara Conniff, Billboard’s Executive Editor.  "Because of the achievements of these women, other female executives have found their way to the music business, so Billboard takes great pleasure in recognizing the accomplishments of these top people in business."

In addition to Matthews, Billboard’s list of this year’s “Top 20 Women in Music” included such industry heavyweights as the Presidents of MTV, Motown Records, and Atlantic Music Group, and the President/Chairman of ASCAP.  Tammy Genovese, The COO of the Country Music Association, was the only other Nashvillian to make the list.  Matthews was the only venue manager selected for the honor.

Now in its 111th year, Billboard is the world's premier music publication, offering unrivaled insight and reporting about the latest music, video and digital entertainment issues and trends.  This is only the second year that Billboard has compiled this list. The criteria used to decide the ranking included accomplishments during the past year and overall career achievements.

Matthews has enjoyed 20+ years in the music business.  Early in her career she logged many miles as a tour accountant and tour manager.  In 1986, she joined Louis Messina’s Pace Concerts team and assisted in the building, opening, and managing of Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville.  In 1988, Ms. Matthews joined The Judds’ management company.  At the time of her departure in 2000, she was Vice President and Treasurer of Wynonna, Inc. and J2K, Inc. 

During her 6-year tenure as General Manager of the historic Ryman Auditorium, Matthews has guided the 114-year-old National Historic Landmark into becoming a nationally recognized concert hall. The Ryman has been nominated as Pollstar’s “Theatre of the Year” for the past three years and won the award in both 2003 and 2004, over such impressive competition as New York’s venerable Radio City Music Hall and Hollywood’s state-of-the-art Kodak Theatre. Under Matthew’s management the Ryman has also become a must-play venue for artists.  The Ryman stages more than 220 events each year. In 2005 Van Morrison chose the Ryman as one of only five stops on his 2006 North American Tour while Neil Young and Jonathan Demme selected it as the location for their Heart of Gold concert film.  This year, Alan Jackson filmed his Precious Memories concert on the Ryman’s venerable stage and Toby Keith chose the Ryman as the location for the premiere of his film Broken Bridges.

 “To be successful in any business you must truly enjoy what you do,” says Matthews. “The music business is as vibrant and exciting as it was twenty years ago, and I still feel privileged to be a part of it.”  Incidentally, after booking over 1000 events as the Ryman’s GM, Pam Matthews has booked the venue for her March 2007 wedding.

About the Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, the Ryman Auditorium was built as a church in 1892, served as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74, and was completely renovated in 1994. The Ryman, named America's Theatre of the Year at both the 2004 and 2005 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, continues its more-than-100-year music tradition by offering the best in live entertainment. The Ryman Auditorium is owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a Nashville-based hospitality and entertainment company that owns and operates Gaylord Hotels, the Grand Ole Opry and ResortQuest International. For more information, visit www.ryman.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com.

###

Top of Page