FREEMAN WIZER

Memphis-born yet raised in the heart of Razorback country – Fayetteville, Arkansas - Freeman Wizer decided his future would consist of working in the music business after obtaining backstage passes for a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at the age of fourteen. After mastering piano at age six, he then tackled guitar in junior high and high school. 

After a recommendation from family friend and producer Mark Wright, Wizer moved to Nashville in 1998 to attend Belmont University’s Music Business program. He interned throughout his undergraduate career, including stints MCA Records, Almo-Irving Publishing, and BMI. In 2001, he interned at Universal Music Publishing Group and as Executive VP Pat Higdon remarked, “Wouldn’t go away.” Upon graduating with his BBA in 2002, Wizer continued to work with UMPG by contracting directly with UMPG and former UMPG writers for catalog transfers. 

In August 2004, Wizer was hired on full time as catalog manager for UMPG, and began graduate work at Belmont University. He secured his first major album cut with Shawn Camp’s “Baby’s Gone Home To Mama” on Josh Turner’s 2005 release Your Man. Quickly promoted to Creative Manager in December 2005, his primary responsibility was plugging the catalogs of Radney Foster, Monty Powell, and Kostas.

 Since his promotion, Wizer graduated with an MBA from Belmont University’s Massey School of Business (2006) and secured a number of additional major album cuts including Jack Ingram’s 2007 single “Measure of a Man,” written by Radney Foster.

Today, Wizer continues to serve Universal as the principle creative manager for Radney Foster and Monty Powell, while continuing to song-cast the additional 100,000 songs in the UMPG catalog. According to co-worker Cyndi Forman “I think a major strength of Freeman’s is his desire to succeed in the music business. I’ve only been around for 10 years, but I’ve learned that this is what separates the men from the boys…desire and passion.”