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BMG signs Jacob Whitesides

By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 29 May 2015

The BeeMGees have only gone and signed up “hotly-tipped digital media sensation” Jacob Whitesides, off of the Vines and the YouTubes, in a deal that will see the seventeen year old singer-songwriter from Tennessee head up his own label called Double U Records.

Under the arrangement, Whitesides will be CEO of the Double U venture, supported by his manager and BMG ally Billy Mann (via his Manncom Cree-8-iV Management firm) and backed up globally by the BMG label services business. Double U will release Whitesides’ own musical endeavours and will also seek to work with other talent.

All of this follows Whitesides’ self-released EP ‘A Piece Of Me’ which charted in multiple countries, mainly on the back of his significant social media presence, plus support from Vevo, MTV and VH1. Oh, and there was a sell out European tour. Which is a pretty good start I suppose.

Whitesides, by the way, is honoured by the new deal, not thrilled. So well done him. But first here’s Jon Cohen, EVP of Recorded Music at BMG Chrysalis US, with some words: “Jacob’s songwriting and performing is far beyond his years, but one of the main differentiators for us is what a superb entrepreneur he is”.

Meanwhile the honoured Whitesides says: “It’s such an honour to be partnering with BMG to help me stay true to myself. The only reason I have the option to choose the people I get to do this with is my fans and I couldn’t be more excited about this next chapter”.

Still honoured, we are assured, he continued: “As CEO of my own label my biggest promise is that I will continue to keep as little as possible standing between my fans and me. Everything I do, I do for them, and BMG has given me the freedom to be myself and still give me the muscle and infrastructure I need”.