Forever Grateful For Those About To Rock

Over the past 17 months, Ragin' Randy Entertainment has grown exponentially into what it is today. It all started with a friend's simple suggestion. Brandon Gaitor said to me, "Man, you have some of the best stories about music! You should start writing them down. I'd read that!" From there, all it took was a bit of ambition and one person to believe in my writing enough to give me a shot. That is where Grateful Music came into play.

I blindly sent out samples of articles that I had written, and without having ever heard my name before, Grateful Music saw something in my writing and gave me a shot. From there, the sky was the limit, and I was approached by Live Music Daily and asked to start writing for them as well. A couple months after that, I was being asked to manage Agori Tribe, my favorite local band. Today, I've booked shows for Agori Tribe in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, and I've traveled to Nashville, Chattanooga and Oxford to review and photograph concerts.

Ever since my first published article in November 2013, I have gradually developed a strong network of contacts and support. From asking questions about booking or photography to just telling me how much they enjoy my writing, this web connections, who I consider to be part of my family now, have been there for me in some way or another. I would like to take a moment to thank some of these people.

Sammy Martin & Kevin Long - The founders of Grateful Music, I owe pretty much all of my confidence and success in the music industry to these two guys. I was nervous when I first started writing for them, but if Sammy and Kevin hadn't have given me that first shot, I have no idea where I would be today. I never would have had the confidence to put myself in a place where I could progress without that first step. Sammy and Kevin have both written for Relix, the renowned music magazine, in the past, and their love for music runs deeper than anyone else I have ever met.

Ellis Jones - Ellis is a photographer in Memphis who takes live music photos for Grateful Music. He has followed me on many a musical exploit in town, and his amazing photos have made many of my articles stand out and shine.

Mike Geller, Chason Heins & Joe Schlee - For starters, all three of these guys have told me how much they enjoy my writing from the very beginning. They are all photographers for Grateful Music, all located in the Northeast, and they have all taken their shots at writing as well. Moreover, when I decided to buy a camera and start taking my own photographs, these guys became my resources for all things live music photography. In between working, school and staying up until all hours of the night editing photos of shows, these guys somehow have found time to help me grow and continue to support my writing and my management and booking ventures. You can follow Mike at Mike Geller Photography, Joe at Josiah Schlee Media and Chason via Grateful Music and CSM Promotions. Also, see samples of their work, as well as Ellis', below:

EOTO - Higher Ground (Burlington, VT) by Joe Schlee

Dumpstaphunk w/TAZ - Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn, NY) by Chason Heins

Dopapod - Aura Music Festival (Live Oak, FL) by Mike Geller

Widespread Panic - Orpheum Theatre (Memphis, TN) by Ellis Jones

Andrew McConnell - When Andrew requested to be my friend on Facebook over summer of 2014, I had never heard of him before, but within minutes of my acceptance he was asking me to write for Live Music Daily. Andrew has been an asset to my growth in many different ways. Aside from believing in my writing, I feel like we have grown together in a way. When I first started writing for him, Live Music Daily had just passed the 10,000 follower mark on Facebook, and Ragin' Randy was hanging around the 200 mark. Today, Live Music Daily is creeping up on 18,000 and Ragin' Randy Entertainment is above 500. Andrew and I have bounced ideas back and forth, asked each other questions, and asked each other for feedback and suggestions. Andrew has also given me lots of insight into booking shows. Follow Live Music Daily on Facebook here.

Will Nicholls, Sean Naughton, David Collins, Dave Hash & Jeffery Naylor - These guys, aka Agori Tribe, have given me the ultimate shot! I have loved every minute of working with Agori Tribe; the gigs, practices, meetings, brainstorming, and even the stress! Yes, they are a handful, but their music is rockin', and I could not ask for a better start towards my goal of working in music. These boys have welcomed me into the Agori Tribe family with open arms, and we are ready to take on the world together!

All of the people mentioned above have had a dramatic effect on my movement and growth through the music industry, and while I still have a long way to go, I am grateful to be where I am. I love these guys and consider them to be a part of my family, and I've met less than half of them in person! They continue to inspire me through our mutual love of music. It has been an honor to be able to do what I love and to have met and worked with so many amazing people along the way. Here's to many more, and for those about to rock, we salute you!