Prior to his move to Nashville from Toronto in 2002, James Rea was an international performer, for 29 years. James is a singer/dancer/actor/writer and a multi-instrumentalist (piano, drums, Latin percussionist, guitar, and banjo).

Upon his arrival in Nashville, James started Songpluggers.com, an independent songplugging company and represented numerous songwriters for 4 years, until he got a couple of major cuts, which in 2006 propelled him into the beginning of what would eventually become Artist/Management. James currently manages artist Lizzie Paul & producer, Randy ‘Rockit’. That same year, James created a live talk show called The Producer’s Chair.

Now in its 12th year, The Producer’s Chair is Nashville’s longest running live talk show.

In 2008 Rea was asked to write a new column for MUSIC NEWS NASHVILLE called PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT. In 2012 James moved his column over to Music Row Magazine/ROWFAX and changed the name of his column to THE PRODUCER’S CHAIR, in which he features in-depth interviews with his up-coming guests. In 2013 The Producer’s Chair column was picked up by SONGLINK International in the UK and in early 2016 it was also picked up by USA Star News.

In 2010 The Tennessee Songwriters Association presented James with the HALLMAN Award for the most outstanding contribution to the Songwriting Community.

In 2016 The Producer’s Chair was honored to receive a ‘Producer’s Chair Day’ Proclamation from Nashville Mayor, Megan Barry.


SPIKE TV calls The Producer’s Chair…
“The best show in Nashville if you want to know how to get a record deal.”


James spent two years as a board member with The Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society, from 2011–2013 and he currently holds two board positions with the SAE Advisory Board (Sound Audio & Engineering Institute) and is Board Secretary and Entertainment Director for, the Friends of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Tennessee’s ‘Crown Jewel’ Music & History park, located in downtown Nashville, at the foot of the Capitol.

Today, James is highly regarded as an articulate insider, a sought after Speaker, A&R Rep, Artist Management Consultant, and Columnist.

Rea’s passions are music, writing, movies/TV, horses, dogs, golf, fishing, fashion, comedy, art deco, seafood and above all, ‘GREAT SONGS’.

Harold Bradley, President of the Nashville Musician’s Union once said to James; “You don’t have to know everyone in Nashville, you just have to know one guy who knows everybody in Nashville. James may have become one of those guys.