Carol Phillips

Pro Sound, Combine Music Corp., Creative Workshop, Merit Music, Hori Pro Entertainment Group

A Nashville native, Carol Nokes Phillips graduated from Cohn High School in 1952 and began working at Genesco. She left in 1958 to start a family and was a stay-at-home mom to children Greg and Jennifer for the next eleven years. She began her career in the music industry when she joined Pro Sound in 1969. The company closed later that year, and she obtained an interview with Combine Music. Because Bob Beckham, who headed the publishing company, was on the golf course, fellow Source Award recipient, Carolyn Sells interviewed and hired her. She worked at Combine for 18 years, with such stellar songwriters as Larry Gatlin, Lee Clayton, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Swan, Tony Joe White, Bob Morrison, Johnny MacRae and others, until the company was sold in 1988. She joined Buzz Cason at Creative Workshop for a year, and after a short break, worked at Merit Music with Norro Wilson and Ima Withers. Bob Beckham hired her in 1990 for a new publishing venture he was heading, HoriPro Entertainment Group.

She has spent 35 years working with Beckham. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, David and Beth Cox, and Jacob, Hannah and Abby Wiser.