As the Vice President of Rock Promotion at Epic Records, Cheryl Valentine has become a force for bringing bands, such as Korn, Incubus, Mudvayne and Chevelle, into the mainstream. The dream job for any metal head in college, Valentine always knew this was what she wanted.
She started out as the metal director for radio station WWSU. “It was all part of my plan to work in the music business,” said Valentine. Interviewed by phone from her office in New York City, she vividly remembers her first trip to music-industry central.
“I went to New York for a New Music Seminar,” Valentine recalls, “and met as many record company folks as I could. Then I moved here just to make sure they knew I was serious. So when someone would ask me, ‘When can you start?’ I could say, ‘Right now!’”
Valentine’s love of rock and roll, and metal bands in particular, blossomed at home at an early age. “I guess it started with my brother, blasting out the speakers in our living room playing Black Sabbath. I remember listening to albums in the farthest room in the house, so I wouldn’t drive everyone crazy,” she says. “And I was so distracted by the music, my mom always had to call me to dinner.”
She credits her years at Wright State with much of her success today. “The biggest thing college allows you to do is make all your mistakes early,” said Valentine. “You can screw up and fall on your face, and still be okay.”
But what could Wright State possibly teach anyone about a career in the high-powered music industry? “First of all, organization. Second, people skills. If I can’t relate to a program director, how can I get them to spin a record?”
Today, Valentine arranges “meet-and-greets” for her clients, and ticket giveaways for radio stations across the country. “Touring is a big part of this business,” she said, “but the main idea is getting records spun – and then getting them spun some more.”
She loves bringing new groups to the public’s attention, but she still has time for the older metal bands. In January, she spent two weeks squiring Judas Priest’s lead singer, Rob Halford, on a six-city publicity swing before joining his band mates for their European tour. Immediately afterward, Mudvayne’s new album debuted, keeping Valentine – as always – happily distracted by the music.
