(Nashville, Tenn. – April 26, 2021) Widely respected talent agents Steve Lassiter, Matt McGuire, and Heath Baumhor have announced the launch of the full-service entertainment company Reliant Talent Agency. Comprised of a growing team of veteran and contemporary agents with decades of experience spanning major talent agencies, the company brings vast knowledge and expertise in booking and live events across many different genres.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Reliant’s foundation is built on artist booking and representation, guiding strategic, long-term growth for artists. Providing clients with refined and meticulous attention, Reliant is a boutique agency with an abundance of skill, strong work ethic, and integrity, combined with the leverage and access of any major talent agency. Working closely with artists and their teams, Reliant aligns and implements compelling and diverse touring ideas and strategies focused on advancing and enriching artists’ fan bases.
Steve Lassiter spoke about the company’s launch, saying “We are beyond thrilled to introduce Reliant Talent Agency. The team of partners and staff are all industry veterans with years of experience and forward-thinking. We are invested and motivated to unify with artists and help them continue to reach new audiences and opportunities in other areas of representation. 2020 sparked many unforeseen changes in our industry and the touring sector, especially. As we enter the next phase for live music, there is a real opportunity for our agents to take the current challenges and pivot into finding new ways and possibilities in representing our clients. We hope to play a leading role in this sector of our industry and hope to be an asset to our artists for building the foundation of success.”
Since its inception, Reliant has onboarded other top agents and expanded its diverse artist roster to include talent representing Americana, Comedy, Country, Rock, Jazz, and more. Reliant’s roster currently includes Travis Tritt, Kenny Loggins, Everclear, Rodney Carrington, Phil Vassar, Yacht Rock Revue, Take 6, Average White Band, Sister Hazel, and more (here). Additional artists continue to be added to the roster, and more will be announced in the coming weeks.
Reliant artist, Travis Tritt commented, “Steve Lassiter has been in my corner for many years as a loyal agent and friend. I look forward to what’s on the horizon for Steve and the entire team at Reliant Talent Agency.”
In addition to its fundamental base of booking and live event services, Reliant continues to expand into a full-service agency, offering representation in TV/Film, commercials, voiceovers, and endorsements. They have formed strategic alliances with other global branding agencies to maximize opportunities and deals for the clients they represent.
Additional agents at the company include Chris Burke, Chris Gaulke, Fred Hanson, Jeff Howard, Chris Looney, and Frank Wing.
Chris Burke heads the company’s corporate division. Burke has a four-decade track record working at major talent agencies, including WMA, WME, and Paradigm.
Fred Hansen is a veteran NYC-based agent with over 30 years of passionately advocating for Jazz, Soul, and R&B clients. Among the artists Hansen brings to Reliant’s roster are Average White Band, Take 6, Peter White, Norman Brown, and Jonathan Butler.
Reliant continues to add partners, agents, and staff, who will be announced in the coming months.
Agency Partner Heath Baumhor states, “The agency business is going through a renaissance, from years of consolidation to much-needed expansion with the recent launch of so many great boutique agencies. I am excited to help lead Reliant into the future. We bring together an experienced and respected team whose character is as equally matched as our hustle.”
Agency Partner Matt McGuire, adds “In the short time since Steve, Heath, and I came together to form Reliant Talent, the company has expanded to house a full staff and diverse artist roster representing several formats across the musical spectrum. I am proud to be a part of this venture and look forward to our continued growth. This is just the beginning for Reliant, and you can expect to see more announcements in the coming weeks and months.”
Reliant Talent Agency can be reached at info@relianttalent.com and P.O. Box 60778, Nashville, Tenn. 37206. For more information about Reliant Talent Agency, visit www.ReliantTalent.com.
About Steve Lassiter: A Nashville native, Steve Lassiter got his start in the music business as a production assistant at Sound Seventy Productions in 1977 at the age of 19 while finishing a Recording Industry Management degree at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). After graduation, he pursued the agency business and held positions with ICS, Variety Artists Group (in Minneapolis), and Headline International before settling in at William Morris Agency, where he earned his VP stripes and became a stockholder. Lassiter left William Morris in 1997 and started at APA Nashville in July of 1998. While at APA, he became Partner / Sr VP and then Co-Head of Worldwide Music, representing artists Travis Tritt, The Charlie Daniels Band, Crystal Gayle, Lee Greenwood, Little Texas, Kansas, Jackyl, The Gatlin Brothers, and many others. After 36 years in the corporate agency world, Lassiter pivoted to launching Reliant Talent Agency with former APA associates in January 2021. He serves on the boards of National Association of Talent Directors (NATD) and Academy of Country Music (ACM), and formerly served on the IEBA and TJ Martell Foundation Boards. He also served as an adjunct professor at MTSU and Entertainment Director for the Tennessee State Harley Owners Group. He is a current member of the ACM, CMA, IEBA, Recording Academy, and the IAFE. He was awarded Talent Director of the Year from NATD in 2005, was named to the MTSU Wall of Fame in 2005, was the recipient of the NATD Honors Award in 2015 along with being named to Billboard‘s Nashville Power 100 and Variety’s Power Players lists in 2017.
About Heath Baumhor: Heath Baumhor graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2005, where he earned his degree in music business. After graduating and relocating to Nashville, Baumhor experienced a few different areas of the music industry before landing at APA (Agency for the Performing Arts), where he spent the last 15 years and was part of their contemporary music department. With a diverse client roster that includes Yacht Rock Revue, Sister Hazel, Everclear, Here Come the Mummies, Gaelic Storm, Brass Against, Saliva, and others, he is driven to continue to deliver high-quality opportunities to artists in this new role as Partner at Reliant. Baumhor has been nominated for Agent of the Year (Pollstar) and Emerging Talent Agent of the Year (IEBA). He has committed to developing young music industry professionals through the executive board and vice president positions in SOLID (Society of Leadership In Development) and volunteer work with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Project Music initiative. Baumhor has also prioritized community involvement through his long-time mentorship as a Big Brother in the Big Brother/Big Sister of Middle TN organization.
About Matt McGuire: Matt McGuire graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Record Industry Management degree. He began his career in the Nashville music industry in 2009 as an assistant at Buddy Lee Attractions. Not long after, in 2010, Matt rose to agent at the company handling the Southeast territory. In 2013, Matt joined APA in their Nashville office to help form their club and small theatre department and rose to line Agent just a few years after joining the company. McGuire represents artists David Nail, Frank Foster, Love and Theft, Crawford & Power, Kyle Daniel, Colton Chapman, and House Whiskey.
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