Page 62 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2016

BarBara

NewmaN:

Taking Lead of the

Barbara Newman became the Blues Foundation’s President and CEO in late 2015 Blues Foundation
Photo by Holly Whitfield

By Tim Parsons
Through a window in her new office, Barbara Newman can businesses.” One of those businesses was the Power Station, a
look across a hallway and see an art exhibit. recording studio partly owned by Tony Bon Jovi, the cousin of the
“I am staring at Charlie Musselwhite’s face,” she said. rock musician Jon Bon Jovi. Here, she learned the financial side
“Charlie and I have a thing going on right now. He doesn’t of running a recording studio, plus, she also got to meet artists
realize this, but we’ve got a thing happening. His eyes are like David Bowie.
closed but mine are open. We’re simpatico here.” In 1986, she married Bruce Newman, an entertainment
The lifecast of Musselwhite is one of 40 pieces on temporary attorney who had a list of clients that included jazz guitarist
display upstairs at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, TN, – the Stanley Jordan and doo-wap singer Earl “Speedoo” Carroll of
headquarters for the Blues Foundation and Blues Hall of Fame, Speedoo and the Cadillacs. After the Newmans had a child,
which opened in 2015. Newman became the organization’s they moved to Memphis in 1989, where there were plenty of
president and CEO on October 1 that same year, replacing Jay music business opportunities for Bruce. The couple collaborated
Sieleman, who held the job for nearly 13 years after he saved to present musical programs as fundraising events: the first, a
the not-for-profit organization from financial ruin. Woody Guthrie retrospective at Theatre Memphis starring artists
“The transition’s been really great, and I have to give a big such as Richie Havens, Odetta and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot.
shout out to Jay,” Newman said. “It’s an absolute gift to be able “We’ve done large events and small events,” she said. “We
to walk into an organization that has a solid base because it went through the folklore and that opened me up to the blues
allows me to be very creative. It opened doors for me to be more.”
creative about ways to grow, engage and build upon what’s Barbara Newman worked with various not-for-profit
here, rather than having to narrow my focus to keeping the doors organizations, including eight years as the executive director of
open.” a synagogue.
Years ago, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the first blues artist to “Any not-for-profit, whether it’s faith-based or a general
strike a chord for Newman. “She opened the doors for me to all not-for-profit, has the same structure, dealing with budgets and
of that acoustic, older blues music, and the door got wider and strategic plans and facility management,” she said. “You are
wider,” she said. “It’s a huge door and it’s been a really fun one dealing with meeting the needs of lots of members, while also
to walk through.” trying to fulfill the mission of the organization at the same time.”
The job is a perfect match for Newman, an Ivy League- One of the first projects under Newman’s direction with the
educated financial expert and a fourth-generation Memphis Blues Foundation was to rewrite the mission statement to four
resident. She’s been around music her whole life; her uncle Eddie concise goals: “To preserve blues heritage. To celebrate blues
Freudberg was a session violin player at Stax Records. Newman recording and performance. To expand worldwide awareness
studied economics and political science at Brown University, of the blues. To ensure the future of this uniquely American art
and upon graduation, went to work at the New York National form.”
Westminster Bank. The Blues Foundation is a multimillion dollar operation that
“I read lots of financial statements and learned how to presents two major events, the International Blues Challenge
analyze them and ended up a middle market lender,” she (IBC) in late January and the Blues Music Awards (BMA) in early
said. “I managed a $40 million loan portfolio and was an May. Newman had a full month to meet people and learn about
account executive that worked with mostly West Side Manhattan the Blues Foundation, and then she spent another two weeks in

60 Blues Festival Guide 2016