We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shirley Kennedy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shirley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

As a booking agent, I am paid a percentage of the shows that my artist plays. If he plays for a door, the end result can be disappointing, and I refuse to take my percentage. Booking agents never waive their fees, no matter what. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that because you’ve done the work, and you deserve to be paid for that work. With me, I become a part of the team with my artist. I feel that we should profit together, and when it happens, we should lose together. My ultimate goal with my artist is to help him become more well known. Once he reaches a certain level, we both realize success, so I look at working with him as an investment. When you invest, you don’t always receive a return. It can be up and down, and that’s the way I look at my business. Now, you can’t do this with everyone. Some artists aren’t trustworthy and will stab you in the back before you can turn around, so you have to choose wisely to operate this way. Otherwise, you will simply lose money and never grow your business. For me, it’s similar to paying it forward. When you do good deeds, they always come back to you, and even though it is very much a business, I like to operate with a view toward future successes.

Shirley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I used to write for an e-zine called the National Ledger. I wrote exclusively about American Idol during the 2005 season. I was a huge fan of Elliott Yamin, and he and I got to be friends (and still are). My name was included in the liner notes of his debut CD, which was a huge honor for me, but it also made me want to work in the industry.

I started out doing publicity for artists and literally hung out my proverbial shingle and learned as I went along. Independent artists who aren’t well known can’t get publicity until they’re on tour, so my sister started booking for me. Eventually, I began booking myself. I briefly worked with Jesse Kramer, who was a finalist on The Four: Battle for Stardom, but we weren’t a good fit. When my sister booked him in Louisville, the venue wanted a local artist, and Jesse’s bass player compiled a list for me. The first name on that list was Dusty Bo, who, I found out later, was looking for an agent. Long story short, I knew my relationship with Jesse would be short-lived, and I signed Dusty.

With Dusty, I do both booking and press when he’s on tour. It’s hard to accomplish that while working two other jobs, but I somehow manage to get it done. That’s one of the things that I’m most proud of. It’s a lot of work, but when we put together a good tour and have press along the way, it’s a great sense of accomplishment.

Most of my problem solving has to do with ensuring that Dusty gets paid. I had to do that recently when a venue gave him a bad check. I will go to the point of harassing if necessary. Because I work in legal during the day, I know that I have several options for collecting his pay, and I will do what I have to do. Another thing I do is having to cancel or change shows at the last minute. When they’re on the road, any number of things can happen that will make them arrive late, and I will get with the talent buyer and ensure they are kept advised. It’s an almost 24/7 job, and part of that job is to make sure that things run smoothly for both my artist and the venue.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Believe it or not, the best source of new clients is doing a great job for my current client. I am being bombarded with emails from my website, asking for booking services. They see Dusty’s calendar, and they want to do the same thing. I also get requests from people I know who are familiar with what I do. I really don’t have to do anything to find clients, though that may change down the road. As I move out of my day job, I would love to take on two or three more clients, and I sometimes go and watch bands or artists perform. If I like them, I talk to them after the show. There is never a shortage of booking clients. Many booking agents left the business during the pandemic, and many bands need help. I hope to be able to build a nice roster of very talented artists in the future.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Doing good work and always going the extra mile. Honesty is very rare in this business, and I strive to always be honest with my clients. I’m not going to paint a rosy picture for them when I know how hard this work is, both for them and me. No one wants to play an empty room, so even after I get them booked, we all have to work our tails off trying to attract an audience. That’s where social media comes into play. We promote, promote, promote, and we create events and buy ads that help those events travel far and wide. You learn how to narrow to the people you think are into the style of the artist, hobbies, and locations. We have been very successful with that, which also helps to build my reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sjkpublicrelations.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opus_booking/ and https://www.instagram.com/shirlzk58/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opusbookingagency and https://www.facebook.com/sjkpublicrelations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleykennedy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIDB-qZmQc7C1eRaunjz1hg
• Other: Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shirlzkennedy

Image Credits
Luis Contreras (Vinyl)