Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in the Artist Relations department? Endorsements, discovering new talent, artists collaborations, brand promotion... Never a dull moment and hands down one of the coolest jobs in the music business!
I wanted to give guitarguitar customers a little insider’s view into the role of an AR and as a PRS player myself I reached out to Beverly Fowler who is the Director of Artist Relations at PRS guitars to chat about her position.
Beverly is a well known figure in the music industry, liaising with not only some of the most influential guitar heroes of our times (Santana, Tremonti, Mayer) but also championing networking opportunities for female artists (Orianthi, Rhonda Smith). Beverly’s dedication and achievements granted her She Rocks Award back in 2017.
Bev was kind enough to answer a bunch of questions that I thought may be interesting for any guitarists out there as well as all the PRS aficionados. Beverly - thank you for your time and to our readers - enjoy the interview!
Beverly Fowler Interview
guitarguitar: Hi Beverly! Let's start with a short introduction: please tell us about yourself and your role at PRS Guitars.
Beverly Fowler: I am celebrating 22 years at PRS and have spent most of my tenure as the Director of Artist Relations.
gg: How did you come into the Artist Relations career path?
BF: Well, this career path was certainly not planned. I had full intentions of becoming a Physical Therapist but while I was finishing up my college degree, I took a part-time job with an independent rep firm in the Pro Audio industry. It was not long before I decided to forego my dream of being a therapist and spent my next twelve years working at the rep firm which gave me great exposure to the music industry. In 2002, I decided it was time for a change and began my career at PRS Guitars. I started out as an Executive Assistant to the President and six years later, I found myself deep in the weeds of Artist Relations and have never looked back.
gg: What does a day in the life of a PRS AR look like?
BF: No day is the same which is one of the many reasons I love my job. As Director of Artist Relations, I spend most of my days trying to make sure PRS is represented across the globe in the hands of musicians on and off the stage, in studios, on television, and the media.
gg: Who are the main artists you’re currently working along with?
BF: As a team, we work with too many artists to name. Personally, I work a lot with Carlos Santana, John Mayer, Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy, Mark Lettieri, David Grissom and many more.
gg: Could you tell us what inspired you to start the popular PRS Pulse Artist program?
BF: There is so much undiscovered talent in the world of music, and we wanted to develop a program that helps to support influential regional players while helping music lovers and musicians discover each other. The Pulse Program is four years strong now and has proven to produce these types of connections. We hope this community of artists continues to connect and grow.
gg: How far into a career should an artist be before thinking of looking for endorsement?
BF: I don’t think there’s a magic number; ultimately, it boils down to having the skills, talent, and influence to be able to help support and promote a brand. Artist endorsements should be treated like a marriage. It’s a commitment that involves loyalty and dedication. It’s a two-way street and should be mutually beneficial to both parties.
gg: What would you say are the different 'needs' of different artists? i.e. do A-list Artists come to you with any requests as to what guitars they need for tours etc? Have the requirements of long-time endorsees (Tremonti/Santana//Orianthi etc) changed over the years?
BF: On occasion, an artist will request something a bit out of the “norm” from what they usually play. That usually happens for a special event or new material that calls for something their current guitar doesn’t cover. One example would be the Super Eagle model that we built for John Mayer. This guitar was designed with specific features to help John get the traditional tones of Jerry Garcia. Had he not been tapped to play with Dead & Company, that guitar may never have existed.
gg: What does the decision-making process look like when it comes to building/releasing a run of Artist Signature guitars?
BF: These are not easy decisions. We are pretty limited on the number of signature models that we release and the influence of the artist plays a big part in this decision. PRS is not a company that is going to slap an artist name on a guitar just to make it a signature model. We work closely with the artist to design the perfect instrument whether it be a guitar, amplifier, or pedal… something for their specific needs. It is important that the specs and features are unique to the current PRS offerings.
gg: Tell us one favourite moment from your career so far.
BF: That’s a tough one because there are many. If I had to pick one, I would have to say it is working with John Mayer on the development of the Silver Sky model. This was an intense but fun process. It was months and months of collaboration, creative brainstorming, and execution of the design and marketing initiatives that were and continue to be fun and rewarding.
gg: Have you got any interesting projects you’re currently working on / planning on for the near future?
BF: Always but none that I can talk about :)
I’d like to thank Beverly for taking the time to answer my questions, and to Jez Ayscough and Sarah Jane at PRS Guitars Europe for putting us in touch. Thanks!
And to yourself, dear readers, thank you for checking out this interveiw! If you enjoyed this one, please click through to the guitarguitar interviews page, where you’ll find nearly 200 more interviews!
