Our very own Phil Guerini is currently featured on Music Row's weekly column, "My Music Row Story." The column features notable members of the Nashville music industry and lets them share their incredible story.
Read an excerpt below.
Phil Guerini is CEO of Jonas Group Entertainment. Having amassed over 25 years of experience, across three divisions and 5 businesses at the Walt Disney Company, multiple big market radio stations and major record labels, Guerini has been named a Billboard Power Player multiple times.
While at Disney, he was responsible for overseeing the music strategy of Disney Channels Worldwide networks and all aspects of programming, strategic direction, talent, label relationships, branding as General Manager for Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country businesses.
In 2013, Guerini created and launched the Radio Disney Music Awards – Music’s Biggest Event for Families and reimagined Radio Disney’s highly acclaimed NBT artist development program while supporting the career launches of Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Camila Cabello, Jonas Brothers, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Shawn Mendes, Gabby Barrett, Demi Lovato, Tori Kelly, BTS, Zendaya, Becky G and Kelsea Ballerini, among many others.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I was born in San Diego and grew up in south Florida in small town within Fort Lauderdale.
What led to your next career move?
I spent a number of years in the record business, bouncing around to various labels as as many do. Because I was based in Atlanta, oftentimes my region would include Florida. As part of a radio promo person’s responsibility, bringing my artists through marketplaces would often include Orlando. At that time, Disney’s new Mickey Mouse Club show was being taped there, so we would bring our younger developing acts through Disney for things like that. I established a number of relationships through that, and when I was between labels, I was chatting with some friends who suggested [trying to work at Disney]. At that point, I probably had been in the business 10 years. I was under contract with Atlantic Records and my family still lived in south Florida, so I decided to go for a job at Disney.
At Disney, I was put into some various capacities that were both challenging and exciting, as well as being given opportunities that really aligned with my past experience in booking artists and doing music things. Lo and behold, what I thought was going to be a just a temporary diversion ended up being where I called home for 28 plus years.
Read the full interview at musicrow.com.