Mayor Karl Dean (l) and Dee Bowers (r) with 2014 and past Source Awards honorees (photo by Randi Radcliff).
The 2014 Source Awards took place Sept. 23 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at the Historic Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. The annual celebration once again paid tribute to influential women in Nashville’s music industry.
This year’s event honorees included: Areeda Schneider-Stampley (CBS Records), Audrey Winters (Music City News), Betty Clark (Talent & Model Land Agency), Dometra ‘Dee’ Bowers (SAG-AFTRA), Katie Gillon (Wrinkled Records), Kitty Moon Emery (The Global Action Platform), Mary Ann McCready (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy), and a posthumous award to Patsi Bale Cox (New York Times bestselling author and journalist).
Dometra ‘Dee’ Bowers began her career in the music industry in 1974 as an administrative assistant to Jimmy Bowen at MCA Records. She moved to MCA Music as an administrative office assistant for Jerry Crutchfield until 1980. David Maddox, then executive director of the Nashville AFTRA ‘local,’ recognized Dometra’s potential and brought her into the AFTRA family. Since 1986, she has continued under Randall Himes, local executive director for SAG-AFTRA and assistant national executive director of Sound Recordings.
As a 34-year employee, Dometra has worked in almost every capacity in the office. From finding recording sessions, broadcast and commercial work for SAG-AFTRA members, collecting overdue compensation, administration of AFTRA’s extensive health and retirement benefits to issues of SAG-AFTRA membership, Dometra has just about done it all. She has served as a liaison to SAG-AFTRA Nashville performers, including hundreds of royalty artists and session singers, working on administration of SAG-AFTRA contracts. Currently she is office manager, membership services, contract administration for established SAG-AFTRA members and potential new members.
“Every day on my job is a new adventure,” she said. “I am motivated when at the end of my work day, I can look back and see that I have had a direct and positive effect on someone’s life.”
Along with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, legendary Nashville music industry figures were on hand to help make the sold-out event a massive success. Jo Walker-Meador, the namesake of the Lifetime Achievement Award, was also in attendance. George Strait, Garth Brooks, The Oak Ridge Boys, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and more attended in spirit via congratulatory video clips that were played during the awards for the honorees.
Major sponsors for the 2014 Source Awards presented on September 23 by Wrinkled Records include Imagine All Music; Live Nation; City National Bank; Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy Inc.; Huskins Harris Business Management; Martin, Allbee & Associates; Starstruck Entertainment; Harry Fox Agency; Sony Music Nashville; Sony ATV Music Publishing; and Loeb & Loeb.
Founded in 1991, Source is a nonprofit organization supporting women executives and professionals who work in all facets of the Nashville music industry. In 2003, the annual Source Awards were established to pay respect to and honor the women who helped develop and build upon the foundation of the music industry in Nashville. Source also pays tribute to women who presently make major contributions with their work in the industry.
