Reed Watson

Reed Watson is a GRAMMY-winning musician and music business professional, whose tireless advocacy on behalf of artists has defined his nearly twenty year career.  He is the Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Well Kept Secret, a New Orleans-based artist management and label services company dedicated to personal service and industry disruption.

His joy and passion for the work comes from his roots as a musician, playing drums for artists like Donnie Fritts, John Paul White, Belle Adair, The Prescriptions and Cedric Burnside, who he won a GRAMMY with in 2021.  His business career began when he joined the partnership behind Single Lock Records, an acclaimed and beloved record label based in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  His work managing the company oversaw its growth from a local music cooperative into a globally distributed and critically acclaimed operation, garnering seven GRAMMY nominations along the way.

His advocacy and support for musicians has been the hallmark of his work, whether it be serving on the boards of the Association for Independent Music (A2IM) and the Recording Academy, or testifying in the state houses of Alabama and Louisiana, or his creation of the Advocacy Fund for Alabama Musicians, a Covid-19 fund that gave out more than $35,000 in no-strings-attached grants to out-of-work musicians during the pandemic.

Today, he lives in New Orleans, his spiritual and emotional home, where he’s started Well Kept Secret, a self-described “music company” that handles artist management, label services, distribution, consulting, event promotion and more for artists and labels around the world. His fight for a more ethical and empathetic music business remains at the center of his efforts.