An international music industry veteran, John W. Payne is the President of WIDEawake Entertainment Group Inc. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, John’s impressive music career spans over three decades, during which he has worked in all genres of music in the live recording field, in roles such as producer, engineer, technician, consultant and philanthropist. In his current role as President of WIDEawake Liberty Studios, John’s chief responsibilities include overseeing operations of the studio, acting as the key client liaison and managing administrative and marketing initiatives.
John began his career in 1979 as an engineer and producer with Filmways / Wally Heider Recording Studios. During his days at Wally Heider he did technical support for The Grammy Awards, The Academy Awards, The Kennedy Center Honors and many other live shows. He also worked at the world famous Heider, remote recording tracks and recording live concert performances across the United States. In the Wally Heider scoring studios John worked on many film scoring sessions, as well as recording and mixing for Syvlerspoon Productions, the production company of producer Leon Sylvers.
During the early eighties, John became the chief engineer for S.O.L.A.R. Records, home to such artists as Babyface, Shalamar, Lakeside, The Whispers, Midnight Star, and many others. At S.O.L.A.R., John had the opportunity to work as an engineer/ mixer with several L.A. Reid and Babyface produced artists, including hit makers Bobby Brown, Paula Abdul, Pebbles, After 7 and Johnny Gill. During this time, he was also responsible for supervising and maintaining the Galaxy Studios for the label.
In 1991, John co-founded the largest hip-hop label in history, Death Row Records, which launched the careers of legendary artists 2Pac, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. John managed day-to-day operations of the label and studio, liaised directly with the artists, and consulted on overall business ventures.
From the early nineties until present, John has been a consultant for several artists and labels including Soulife Records, home to recording artists Anthony Hamilton and Sunshine Anderson. He has also provided technical and tour consulting for numerous artists and businesses including Ozcam, Stevenson International, Infinite Records and others on a global scale. From 2007 - 2009, John was retained by the lawyers and trustees as a technical consultant that lead to the sale of Death Row Records. Most recently, John has been active in assisting and promoting artists in Australia (Australian Urban Syndicate) and in 2009, WIDEawake Entertainment Group purchased Death Row Records.
In addition to his work with the WIDEawake group, John owns and maintains his own production company, Payne Productions and Engineering LLC, a management and consulting company, END Management and Consulting LLC, and his publishing company, GJTM Publishing.
John not only brings a wealth of knowledge and a wide range of experience to his new role with WIDEawake Entertainment Group, but he continues to use his extensive knowledge of various entertainment fields to make lasting impressions in the music industry.
Sasha Stoltz
Sasha Stoltz Publicity and Management
P. 416.579.4804
Twitter: @sashastoltz
sashastoltz@bellnet.ca
ReelWorld Film Festival April 11-15, 2012
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