About Me
The CEO of CMG ,Steven B Riley, is a multi -talented industry professional experienced in recording, video production, television and live performance. His concentration on being in the forefront of the independent music scene in America is proving that his experience and dedication to the music industry is creating a buzz in the developing music centers in the United States. Along with the record company background, Steve is a well known promoter over the years of events and shows that happen to include his historic Music City event MUSIC FEST that let the City of Nashville know that INDEPENDENTS were here, getting stronger and putting the City on notice that the music business was changing. The successful well attended four day event was held in the Municipal Auditorium in the center of Nashville during "CMA's FAN FAIR". Building CMG slowly, Steve has seen the word 'independent' Music company in Nashville take on an all new exciting meaning in the twenty first Century. Steve, like so many music industry 'survivors' has seen first hand the changes in the music industry, the demise of the twenty five active major labels or the affiliates of the majors dwindle to five and the smaller labels emerge as the 'exciting' future of the business. Steve has seen it all. His musical career began at an early age as a musician, song writer and entertainer. In 1976 he was signed as an artist to a major Independent label and achieved substantial success as a recording artist. Several of his songs gained regional hit status and this allowed him to tour the Midwest and South playing a variety of venues with such musical greats as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. Steve had traveled throughout America performing and he found himself drawn to the new excitement of video work in music City. He began as a camera operator for a local Nashville TV station then as director and producer of several independent shows and artist music videos. After developing his own video production company in 1996, he continued to hire out his services for a variety of video productions. Several of his music videos received acceptance and airplay on both the CMT network and GAC network. In 2004 he was Nominated for the Christian Country Music Association’s "Video of the Year as seen on GAC (Great American Country) for his production of the music video “Can the World See Jesus In You” performed by the group Young Harmony. In a recent interview for the Canadian Country Music News in Ottawa, Steve was recalled the major impact that the MusicFest had on his life. He stated "The most trying, difficult, but still the meaningful time I have experienced in Nashville has to be the time when a group of associates and I, created the first and only Independent MusicFest event in Nashville TN.