10 Questions
Lionel Ridenour (This Revisit first appeared 1/25/22)
Currently: gamma. EVP/Promotions/Top 40, Urban, Rhythm, and R&B
Born: Cincinnati, Ohio
email anchorpromollc@gmail.com
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I majored in Communications at San Francisco State University.
1987
Co-founded Mainframe Records and Promotions, a street promotion and recording company, working in Los Angeles. Capitol Records brought us in-house and we became the first in-house street team to ever be hired by a major label.
1992
Capitol Records Urban West Coast Regional Rep.
93-2003
Arista Records
I was fortunate enough to climb the ranks: Senior National Dir./ Urban Promotions, VP, and eventually EVP
20003-2007
Virgin EVP/Black music
2010
Malaco Records
Dir of Urban Music
2013 – Present
I started Anchor Promotions LLC
1) How did you get into the music industry?
A friend needed his record promoted in the LA club scene, so myself and two other friends decided to take on the project. Which ultimately turned into what would be called street promotions.
2) What you’re doing with music marketing and promotion is unique, isn’t it?
Anchor is a label service company, something that Top40 and other formats have used for years. The concept is not unique but the application in the Urban space is new. Anchor is one of the only Black-owned fully staffed urban radio and marketing company in the business. It’s been overdue for Hip-Hop and R&B artists to have access to ‘major label’ Urban radio promotional services.
3) Who have been some of your influencers and mentors?
Step Johnson, Jonathan Clark, Clive Davis, Clarence Avant, Sean Combs, L.A. Reid, and I’ve also tried to pick up knowledge from others in my field.
4) Last year how successful were your company’s efforts? (2021)
I think that 2021 really showed Anchor at its best. As the primary promotion team our records garnered a 12.2 share for the year with, five #1’s, eight Top 10’s, twenty-one charted records (Mediabase Certified). And we’re starting out the new Mediabase calendar year with a #1 with BLXST’s “Chosen” and a #1 with Wale’s “Poke It Out”. The first record we’re impacting this year is the amazing Muni Long’s “Hrs and Hrs”.
5) Any advice for those wanting to get started in the music industry?
Keep your passion for the music first and foremost.
6) What are you most proud of? (It does not have to be music industry related)
Personal: My Wife, Daughters and Granddaughter. Professionally: Breaking new artists and helping other Black executive’s get paid what they’re worth. And of course, my Anchor team, without them there wouldn’t be any successes to talk about.
7) You worked for Clive Davis, what was it like, would you share some stories?
Working for Clive is the equivalent of getting a PhD in the record business. He is the best executive mind that I’ve ever been around. I wouldn’t be half the executive I am without that decade of learning under him. Stories? You’ll have to wait for the book, ha ha.
8) What’s your forecast for the music industry this year?
Follow the youth, they set the bar.
9) Fill in the blank: I can’t make it through the day without _______?
Giving Thanks.
10) What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
From Clarence Avant “It all comes down to numbers kid” and Clive Davis “It’s all about the song”.