About Us

From Rural Ohio to the Heart of Nashville

Joe’s career began at DPI Records, in 1990 where he had the rare privilege of working under industry maven Mae Boren Axton (co-writer of “Heartbreak Hotel”) and legendary music executive Jim Foglesong (Country Music Hall of Fame inductee). It was here that Joe developed his deep respect for the traditions of country music and learned firsthand how to build careers from the ground up.

In 1992, Joe joined CDX Nashville, a start-up company then revolutionizing the way new country singles were delivered to radio. Over the next seven years, he became a cornerstone of CDX’s national radio distribution model.

In 1999, Joe was named Southeast Regional Director of Promotion for Intersound Country and Platinum Entertainment, overseeing a seven-state territory with 62 major-market radio stations, including Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte, and Nashville.

In 2001, he was appointed Vice President at Blue Diamond Records, where he managed A&R, marketing, promotion, publicity, and sales—gaining a reputation as a multifaceted label executive.

In 2004, Joe co-founded Aspirion Records Group, serving as VP of National Promotion. At Aspirion, he helped launch singles and develop airplay for notable artists including:

– John Corbett
– Joe Nichols
– Collin Raye
– T. Graham Brown

He was deeply involved in everything from national radio campaigns to artist branding and press development—building careers at both mainstream and independent levels.

As the industry evolved, Joe saw a gap in airplay tracking for independent and secondary market radio stations. In response, he created Traction—a custom-built radio monitoring application that tracks spins across non-monitored stations, giving independent artists, labels, and managers actionable airplay data in real time.

To complement Traction, Joe launched CDXCharts.com—a national platform that publishes weekly airplay charts in multiple formats, including:

– Mainstream Country & True Indie Country
– Americana
– Positive Country/Southern Gospel
– Texas Red Dirt
– AAA

This ecosystem of tools and data has become an essential resource for independent artists and programmers alike, helping level the playing field across the country music landscape.

In 2011, Joe returned to CDX Nashville as Director of Marketing and Label Relations, eventually rising to President of CDX Nashville and launching CDX Records, where he now oversees a full-service record label and distribution division powered by Sony Orchard.

Under his leadership, CDX Records combines the power of national radio promotion, digital distribution, data analytics, and strategic artist development—serving both emerging talent and legacy acts.

Joe’s reputation is built on authenticity, strategy, and heart—and his lifelong mission remains clear: empowering artists with tools, relationships, and insight to succeed in today’s music industry.

Email: joe@cdxnashville.com

Contact Me

Great Music
Deserves a Real Plan. |

We believe an artist’s best opportunities come when the music, brand, audience, live show, radio story, and industry perception are all working together. Our philosophy is simple: artists deserve a team that helps them create momentum, credibility, and opportunity

CDX Records believes in honest artist development, practical strategy, professional execution, and helping artists become more desirable to fans, radio programmers, venues, talent buyers, media, and industry partners.

What Makes Us Different