ArtistDirect News
Frank Rogers Takes the Helm of Spirit Music Nashville, Continuing a Three-Decade Legacy in Country Music Production and Publishing
On July 22, 2026, Nashville’s music scene welcomed a new leader: Frank Mandeville Rogers V was installed as chief executive officer of Spirit Music Nashville. Rogers will steer the company’s Nashville office, guiding both creative and operational strategies, while keeping his signature hands‑on role behind the mixing board.
Rogers’s roots trace back to Sumter, South Carolina, where he picked up a guitar at 12 and later performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center before enrolling at Belmont University in Nashville. While studying, he worked as a staff engineer at Belmont Studios and later as a production assistant for Jimmy Gilmer at EMI Music Publishing.
He turned down a full‑time EMI offer in 2004 to finish his degree, but the company hired him after graduation. At EMI, Rogers signed and produced for Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Trace Adkins and Darryl Worley, and began writing hits such as Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” and Darius Rucker’s “Alright.” In 1999, he co‑founded Sea Gayle Music with Paisley and Chris DuBois; the independent publisher earned ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year in 2010 and 2011, the first independent firm to win the honor in over twenty years.
After more than fifteen years at Sea Gayle, Rogers launched Fluid Music Revolution, a joint venture with Spirit Music Group. The partnership grew in 2016, giving Rogers control of Spirit’s Nashville office and, later, its global creative roster. He was promoted to CEO of Spirit Music Nashville in 2018.
Rogers’s production résumé boasts 46 No. 1 singles and over 80 Top 20 hits for artists including Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Scotty McCreery, Trace Adkins and Chris Stapleton. He has earned multiple CMA, ACM and Grammy honors, was Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Country Producer for five straight years (2006‑2010), and ranks as the publication’s No. 2 Hot Country Producer of the 21st Century.
While leading the company, Rogers remains active in the studio. He is writing and producing new material with Darius Rucker and Scotty McCreery, and has announced a forthcoming collaboration with singer‑songwriter Emily Ann Roberts.
Rogers received South Carolina’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Palmetto, on April 30, presented by Governor Henry McMaster. The honor recognized his contributions to the state’s cultural heritage and his national representation of South Carolina.
Throughout his career, Rogers has cited mentors such as Jimmy Gilmer, Celia Froehlig, Mark Wright and Kyle Lehning. He stresses the value of balancing creative output with executive duties, noting that his blend of songwriting, production and business leadership distinguishes him in the industry.
Under the Fluid Music Revolution partnership, Spirit Music Nashville now represents artists like Cale Dodds, Brent Anderson and Justin Adams. Rogers’s leadership is expected to broaden the company’s reach in contemporary country while preserving its solid publishing foundation.
Rogers’s appointment as CEO signals a new chapter for Spirit Music Nashville, reinforcing its role as a pivotal force in country music production, publishing and artist development.
Rogers’s roots trace back to Sumter, South Carolina, where he picked up a guitar at 12 and later performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center before enrolling at Belmont University in Nashville. While studying, he worked as a staff engineer at Belmont Studios and later as a production assistant for Jimmy Gilmer at EMI Music Publishing.
He turned down a full‑time EMI offer in 2004 to finish his degree, but the company hired him after graduation. At EMI, Rogers signed and produced for Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Trace Adkins and Darryl Worley, and began writing hits such as Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” and Darius Rucker’s “Alright.” In 1999, he co‑founded Sea Gayle Music with Paisley and Chris DuBois; the independent publisher earned ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year in 2010 and 2011, the first independent firm to win the honor in over twenty years.
After more than fifteen years at Sea Gayle, Rogers launched Fluid Music Revolution, a joint venture with Spirit Music Group. The partnership grew in 2016, giving Rogers control of Spirit’s Nashville office and, later, its global creative roster. He was promoted to CEO of Spirit Music Nashville in 2018.
Rogers’s production résumé boasts 46 No. 1 singles and over 80 Top 20 hits for artists including Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Scotty McCreery, Trace Adkins and Chris Stapleton. He has earned multiple CMA, ACM and Grammy honors, was Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Country Producer for five straight years (2006‑2010), and ranks as the publication’s No. 2 Hot Country Producer of the 21st Century.
While leading the company, Rogers remains active in the studio. He is writing and producing new material with Darius Rucker and Scotty McCreery, and has announced a forthcoming collaboration with singer‑songwriter Emily Ann Roberts.
Rogers received South Carolina’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Palmetto, on April 30, presented by Governor Henry McMaster. The honor recognized his contributions to the state’s cultural heritage and his national representation of South Carolina.
Throughout his career, Rogers has cited mentors such as Jimmy Gilmer, Celia Froehlig, Mark Wright and Kyle Lehning. He stresses the value of balancing creative output with executive duties, noting that his blend of songwriting, production and business leadership distinguishes him in the industry.
Under the Fluid Music Revolution partnership, Spirit Music Nashville now represents artists like Cale Dodds, Brent Anderson and Justin Adams. Rogers’s leadership is expected to broaden the company’s reach in contemporary country while preserving its solid publishing foundation.
Rogers’s appointment as CEO signals a new chapter for Spirit Music Nashville, reinforcing its role as a pivotal force in country music production, publishing and artist development.