Show Dog Nashville

{{Short description|American record label}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2008}} {{Infobox record label  | name = Show Dog Nashville | parent = | founded = {{start date|2001}} (Universal South)<br />2005 (Show Dog) | founder = Tony Brown, Tim DuBois (Universal South)<br />Toby Keith (Show Dog) | distributor = Thirty Tigers<ref name=shockink>{{cite web|url=https://shockink.com/toby-keiths-american-soldier-gets-high-gloss-shine/|title=Toby Keith's "American Soldier" Gets High Gloss Shine|website=ShockInk.com|accessdate=August 21, 2020}}</ref> | genre = Country | country = U.S. | location = Nashville, Tennessee }} '''Show Dog Nashville''' is an American independent record label specializing in country music artists. It was founded in 2005 by singer Toby Keith. It was later merged with Universal South Records into '''Show Dog-Universal Music''' in December 2009 until it was re-activated in late 2015. Currently, it is distributed by Thirty Tigers.<ref name=shockink/>

== History == Universal South Records was started in 2001 under Universal Music Group by record producers Tony Brown and Tim DuBois.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2002/10/28/daily13.html|title=Universal South launches eb & flo Records|date=2002-10-29|work=Nashville Business Journal|access-date=2009-03-26}}</ref> The label specialized in country music artists, including Joe Nichols, Randy Houser, Phil Vassar and Marty Stuart, as well as alternative country acts Shooter Jennings and Cross Canadian Ragweed. In 2005 it partnered with the talent show ''Nashville Star'', offering a recording contract to Season 3 winner Erika Jo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nashville.about.com/od/nashvillestar3/a/NS3PRannounce.htm|title=Nashville Star Partners with Universal South Records|last=Duke|first=Jan|date=2005-01-06|work=About.com|access-date=2009-03-26}}</ref> George Canyon, another ''Nashville Star'' contestant, also recorded for the label.

Brown and DuBois stepped down from Universal South in 2006, with Mark Wright, also a record producer, taking their place as label president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rolandnote.com/people.php?scode=timeline&keyword=Tony+Brown&page=4|title=RolandNote.com: The Ultimate Country Music Database|website=www.rolandnote.com|access-date=16 December 2018}}</ref>

Show Dog Nashville was formed in 2005 by Toby Keith shortly after the dissolution of DreamWorks Records, the label to which he was signed at the time. DreamWorks executive Scott Borchetta was its CEO, and his own Big Machine Records label originally shared much of its staff.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1508887/toby-keith-explains-motivation-behind-new-record-label.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619130558/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1508887/toby-keith-explains-motivation-behind-new-record-label.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 19, 2010|title=Toby Keith explains motivation behind new record label|work=CMT|access-date=13 January 2010}}</ref> In March 2006, Show Dog and Big Machine split into separately staffed labels, although Keith retained his financial stake in Big Machine.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Stark|first=Phyllis|date=2006-03-11|title=The Honeymoon's Hardly Over, but Show Dog and Big Machine split|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1BQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22show+dog+nashville%22+%22big+machine&pg=PA12}}</ref> Acts releasing works for Show Dog included Carter's Chord, Trailer Choir, Mica Roberts, Lindsey Haun and Martin Johnson.

In December 2009, Show Dog Records and Universal South merged to form Show Dog-Universal Music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1628573/toby-keiths-show-dog-records-and-universal-south-records-merge/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817120636/http://www.cmt.com/news/1628573/toby-keiths-show-dog-records-and-universal-south-records-merge/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 17, 2016|title=Toby Keith's Show Dog Records and Universal South Records Merge|first=CMT com|last=Staff 12/18/2009|website=CMT News|access-date=16 December 2018}}</ref> One month later Trace Adkins left Capitol Records Nashville (which later became part of UMG's Nashville unit after UMG bought EMI in 2012) to become the first post-merger signee to the label, and the label's roster was announced.<ref>{{cite journal|date=2010-01-13|title=Trace Adkins Leaving Capitol Nashville to Join Toby Keith's Show Dog-Universal Label|website=CMT.com|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1629648/trace-adkins-leaving-capitol-nashville-to-join-toby-keiths-show-dog-universal-label.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117143500/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1629648/trace-adkins-leaving-capitol-nashville-to-join-toby-keiths-show-dog-universal-label.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 17, 2010}}</ref> Singer-songwriter Josh Thompson, previously with Sony Music Nashville, joined the roster in September 2012. By the summer of 2015, Toby Keith and his daughter Krystal Keith had become the only artists signed to the label, but more recently Clay Walker, Waterloo Revival, and Lance Carpenter joined the label.

==Acts on Show Dog Nashville== * Krystal Keith * Kimberly Kelly<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://musicrow.com/2021/05/show-dog-nashville-inks-deal-with-kimberly-kelly/|title=Show Dog Nashville Inks Deal With Kimberly Kelly|date=May 11, 2021}}</ref> * Clay Walker

==Former artists== {{div col|colwidth=18em}} * Trace Adkins * Carter's Chord * Joel Crouse * Scotty Emerick * Rose Falcon * Flynnville Train * Lindsey Haun * Toby Keith * JT Hodges * Randy Houser * Rebecca Lynn Howard * Jessie James * Sarah Johns * Joe Nichols * Mica Roberts * Rushlow Harris * Josh Thompson * Trailer Choir * Phil Vassar * Waterloo Revival {{div col end}}

==Acts formerly signed to Universal South== {{div col|colwidth=18em}} * Baylie Brown * Bering Strait * George Canyon * Kevin Costner and Modern West * Cross Canadian Ragweed * John Mellencamp * Katrina Elam * Eli Young Band * The Elms * Andy Gibson * The Lost Trailers * Regie Hamm * Jennifer Hanson * Randy Houser * Matt Jenkins * Shooter Jennings * Erika Jo * Holly Lamar * Rockie Lynne * Pat Green * McHayes * Dean Miller * Allison Moorer * Joe Nichols * The Notorious Cherry Bombs * Lee Roy Parnell * Jonathan Singleton * Sons of Sylvia * Judson Spence * Marty Stuart * Phil Vassar * Matthew West * Amanda Wilkinson * Holly Williams {{div col end}}

==Notes== {{reflist}}

Category:Record labels based in Nashville, Tennessee Category:American country music record labels Category:Record labels established in 2009 Category:American independent record labels