WOODY BOMAR, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL
MANAGER
CREATIVE SERVICES, SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING;
PRESIDENT,
GREEN HILLS PUBLISHING
Woody Bomar grew up in a tiny southern town 60
miles from Nashville, writing
songs, playing in local bands, and dreaming of
one day being like Elvis Presley. "I
grew up listening to music and loving music.
After school I'd stop by Hatfield's Drug
Store and put money in the jukebox and listen
to brand new records." While attend-
ing Middle Tennessee State University near
Nashville, he got the chance to play some
of his songs for music publishers. He was
drafted right after college and served a year
stateside, and another year in Vietnam. During
that time he produced a television
and touring show for the Army's Entertainment
Division and continued to write
songs and submit them by mail, and eventually
one was recorded. After he was dis-
charged, Bomar returned to pursue his career in
songwriting, but quickly became dis-
couraged. When an opportunity to write ad copy
at a Nashville advertising agency
presented itself, he took the job.
Ten years later, when Bomar was executive vice
president and only wrote songs as
a hobby, Loretta Lynn cut one of his tunes. The
cut gave him the confidence to return
to his dream of working in the music business.
In 1979, he resigned from the all-
consuming world of advertising "to become a
full-time out-of-work songwriter."
"I thought that I would find a job in the music
business pretty quickly because I
was a pretty sharp young man. I didn't realize
when people say `Don't quit your day
job' it's because it's going to take you a year
or two to find a job. I didn't believe that. I
CASE STUDY:
THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS
JOB:
"When somebody has a problem, I tend to be the
guy they go to."
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
"Being involved in music and being involved in
songs. It's about the
songs and the people--that's the joy of doing
this kind of business at a
company like this (Sony/ATV Music). It's
hearing these great songs.
We have a song currently rocketing up the
charts, recorded by Martina
McBride. It's called "Love's the Only House."
It is written by Tom
Douglas and Buzz Cason. Tom writes for us. I
remember the day in
one of our 9 a.m. sessions, we were listening
to the new songs and that
song came on and it just knocked me out. It was
just a stand out. Of
all the others, that one just stood out that
day as being greatness."
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