PLA Media has signed Emmy Award-winning singer/songwriter and music producer Claude Carmichael to its artist roster, with the new partnership launching alongside Carmichael’s debut collection of original songs, Tennessee Hill.
Who Is Claude Carmichael
Claude Carmichael is an award-winning musician, music director, and producer whose career spans decades of work in session recording, documentary film scoring, and television music. He earned an Emmy Award for music direction, two Genesis Awards, and a Native American Music Award over the course of a career that took him from Virginia to New York City and eventually to Franklin, Tennessee.
Carmichael’s Career in Music and Film
After growing up on rock and folk music in Virginia, Carmichael became a New York session singer and producer, working with Billy Joel on The Stranger. He later shifted toward environmental and documentary music, producing soundtrack compilation albums for IMAX films through his company, Big Screen Music, featuring artists including Lyle Lovett, Paul McCartney, and the Grateful Dead. He also produced music alongside Johnny Clegg, Lyle Lovett, Kenny Loggins, and others for television programs and music videos, and directed music for IMAX documentaries featuring Jane Goodall.
His soundtrack work earned a Genesis Award for “Bearly Hangin’ On” from the Bears soundtrack, a Native American Music Award for the Wolves soundtrack, Best Music Video honors from the International Film and TV Festival of New York, and recognition from the Environmental Media Awards, the Houston International Film Festival, and the Blue Sky Awards.
About the Album Tennessee Hill
Tennessee Hill is Carmichael’s debut collection of original songs, co-produced with Grammy-winning engineer Casey Wasner at Purple House Studio in Franklin. The album takes its name from its title track, written about the night Carmichael was driving a dark country road outside Franklin and watched a crescent moon settle onto a hillside — the moment he realized, for the first time since leaving New York City, that he was home.
The record mixes humor and heartbreak, from the wry “The Bottom of a Well” to the honky-tonk “Full-Time Heartache” and tender tracks like “Precious One.” The album’s throughline is arrival — putting down roots after a lot of living.
Why Carmichael Chose Middle Tennessee
Family brought Carmichael to Franklin, where he formed a friendship and sometimes-songwriting partnership with Pete Wasner, whose nephew Casey Wasner eventually co-produced Tennessee Hill. For Carmichael, Middle Tennessee combines the southern charm of his Virginia upbringing with a region that functions as a major center of music creativity.
PLA Media’s Role in the Partnership
PLA Media, led by Pam Lewis, will handle publicity and media strategy for Carmichael, working to introduce his story and music to press, radio, and fans nationwide. Lewis, who is known for her work with Garth Brooks, said she has long admired Carmichael’s creative range.
“Claude and I have been in each other’s orbits for years,” Lewis said. “He’s one of those right brain, left brain integrated guys that I’ve admired. He’s super smart, thoughtful, and funny. So, when he asked me to listen to a project and help him, I was all in.”
Carmichael responded: “I’ve known Pam Lewis for years and I’m hoping she can do for me what she did for Garth Brooks!”
More information on Claude Carmichael’s career, awards, and film and television work is available at claudecarmichael.com and bigscreenmusic.com.
Source: PLA Media
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