Strohm Named President Of Rounder
Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music, has appointed John Strohm as President of the venerable American roots label. Strohm will oversee management of Rounder’s day-to-day operations in Nashville, reporting to Concord Music’s Chief Label Officer, Tom Whalley. Former Rounder President John Virant will remain in a senior creative role, working closely with Strohm and the Rounder staff.
Strohm joins from Loeb & Loeb LLP, where he has served as Senior Counsel in the firm’s Music Industry practice since 2011. Strohm is a native of Bloomington, IN who attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music in the mid ’80s. After meeting fellow music obsessives Juliana Hatfield and Freda Love, Strohm formed Blake Babies, who released their 2001 album God Bless The Blake Babies for Rounder’s Zoë imprint. He went on to play drums and guitar in The Lemonheads and released a string of well-regarded solo albums. In 2004 Strohm graduated Magna Cum Laude from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL.
Strohm commented, “As a 30-year veteran of the independent music community, it’s an unbelievable opportunity to be named President of a label that has produced many of my favorite records over its distinguished nearly 50-year history. I look forward to working with Tom Whalley, John Virant and the label’s founders and staff to continue to build Rounder’s tradition of developing and promoting the works of groundbreaking roots artists.” Whalley said, “In addition to his rare experience as both a successful recording artist and a creative executive, John possesses impeccable taste and an inspired approach to championing talent. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Rounder family.”
Rounder’s artist roster includes Steve Martin, Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn, Sarah Jarosz, I’m With Her, Chris Hillman, Pokey LaFarge, George Thorogood, Sierra Hull, Raffi, Jerry Douglas, Earls of Leicester, The Time Jumpers and the late, great Gregg Allman, among others. [Photo Credit: Dan Van Cleave]
