Scott Siman, country music executive, recalls childhood in Springfield – News-Leader
In preparation for an upcoming visit to Springfield, Scott Siman is reflecting on his “idyllic childhood” in the Ozarks.
A country music business executive, Siman has been the manager of actor and musician Tim McGraw for 20 years, but his involvement in the music industry began decades before. Siman is the son of Si Siman, co-founder of the Ozark Jubilee radio and television shows, a early pioneer of the country music industry.
“I was born in it and didn’t know how to get out of it,” Siman said about the music industry, with a laugh.
Siman is visiting Springfield to discuss his upbringing in the Ozarks, two decades of law practice in the entertainment industry and experiences as a country music business executive during the Music Monday of the Ozarks on Monday, Aug. 7. The talk will be held at the Elks Lodge at 2223 E. Bennett St., starting at 6:30 p.m.
Music Monday of the Ozarks is a nonprofit dedicated to recognizing, preserving and promoting the Ozarks’ musical heritage, Kitty Ledbetter, Music Monday of the Ozarks publicity coordinator, said. Music Monday of the Ozarks hosts free events every first Monday of the month at the Elks Lodge behind The Kraft Heinz Company. Elks membership is not required.
‘He trained me for this gig’
Siman’s father Si, who passed away on Dec. 16, 1994, co-founded the Ozark Jubilee in the 1950s. By the time Siman was growing up, his father was more focused on music publishing.
It wasn’t abnormal for famous musicians to stop by the Siman household, including Roy Landman, or Snooky Lanson, known for starring on NBC’s “Your Hit Parade.”
“I remember meeting him and he asked if I wanted his autograph and as a young kid I said, ‘Well, what’s an autograph?’ He said, ‘That’s where I write my name for you.’ And I’m like, ‘I can do that! I can write my name for you,’ and I just walked off,” Siman said, laughing.
Getting his start doing “odd jobs” in his father’s office at the former KWTO building on Glenstone Avenue, Siman would later begin promoting concerts at the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque for musicians like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty and Porter Wagoner.
Siman said his father often received offers to move out to Memphis or Nashville to be closer to the center of the growing country music industry, but he decided to stay in Springfield to raise his family.
“I had a really idyllic childhood in Springfield, such a great place to grow up — great place to hunt, fish, play golf, great friends, working around the music industry with my dad,” Siman said. “I really feel like in a lot of ways, he trained me for this gig for a long time.”
A decade-plus of entertainment law
“My dad was very involved with the St. Louis Cardinals organization,” Siman said. “When he was a young kid he was actually a driver for the chief scout of the St. Louis Cardinals. As a kid, I did grow up dreaming of being the shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, but I don’t think I was tall enough or strong enough or fast enough or a good enough hitter.”
Rather than going the pro-baseball route, Siman pursued law school, encouraged by his father. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville and the University of Missouri School of Law before passing a multi-state bar exam to practice in both Missouri and Tennessee.
For 12-13 years, Siman practiced law in Nashville, working with artists like Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and Charlie Daniels, along with record producers and music publishing companies. In his time practicing law, Siman also won two lawsuits at the Tennessee Supreme Court.
“I just spent a lot of time, when I wasn’t practicing, hanging out at clubs and trying to identify young talent … just trying to build up a roster that one day would matter,” Siman said.
One of Siman’s clients was record producer Paul Worley, who invited Siman to run Sony Music Entertainment with him in Nashville. Siman decided to take the leap and at age 36 he was leading the international music company.
“I think my parents were probably shocked I was going to give up my law practice and go work with a record company, but I just felt like it was the right next career step for me,” Siman said.
Meeting Tim McGraw
As senior vice president at Sony, Siman worked with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Loveless, Joe Diffie and The Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks).
During his time at Sony, Siman also served as the president of the Academy of Country Music Awards and a board member of the Country Music Foundation.
“I was getting ready to leave the label, thinking I was going to maybe go run another record label and I got an opportunity to have a sit down with Tim McGraw, who was looking for a new manager,” Siman said. “It was not my career plan to be a manager, but we hit it off pretty well, and I thought it would be a blast to focus on one person instead of 50 careers at a record label and 100 clients.”
Since 1997 with the release of McGraw’s album “Everywhere,” Siman has managed the country musician and actor.
“I think one of the great things about Tim is he has this vision and desire to do more then just put out records and do tours, although that’s obviously really important to what we do,” Siman said. “He really wanted to grow and he’s been able to do film and television and books and fitness and a lot of other things. It really was a fantastic opportunity because not many artists have the talent or desire to do those kinds of things.”
Siman said some of his favorite memories with McGraw include attending the Oscar’s and performing in Rome.
Looking forward to release of book about father’s career achievements
In recent years, Siman has revisited his father’s career for a new book he has co-authored with Ledbetter. “Broadcasting the Ozarks: Si Siman and Country Music at the Crossroads,” to be released later this year, is a part of the University of Arkansas Press’ “Chronicles of the Ozarks” book series.
Ledbetter said she began working on the book in 2020, conducting research in the Country Music Association Hall of Fame and Museum’s Si Siman Collection and Ralph Foster Museum. Siman also contributed countless resources about his father, dating back to age 10.
Ledbetter will give her first talk about Si to promote the release of the book at the Springfield-Greene County Library Center on Thursday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m.
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