Lucas Keller

Lucas Keller is an American talent manager. He is the president and founder of Milk & Honey Management which represents a number of prominent songwriters, producers, and artists.[1] He was included in the 2018 Billboard 40 Under 40, an annual list of the top young executives in music,[2] and was named one of seven fast-rising executives on the Billboard Power 100 list that same year.[3]

Lucas Keller
Born
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
OccupationTalent manager
Years active2002—present

Biography

Keller was born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin,[4] the son of an architect and interior designer.[5] He began as a guitarist in a local band and worked as a promoter for Phenomenon Concerts.[6] He attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh for four years before dropping out in 2006 to pursue a career in entertainment.[7]

Keller moved to Chicago and managed bands for Uppercut Management.[8] In 2008, he moved to Los Angeles and worked for management firm The Collective[7][6][9] where he became the youngest manager in a department that managed top talent.[8] Among his clients during this time was Scott Weiland; Keller helped negotiate his separation in 2013 from Stone Temple Pilots in court.[7] He also signed reggae artist Jimmy Cliff.[10] Keller left The Collective shortly afterward.[6]

Keller founded Milk & Honey Management in 2014.[7]

Keller has been vocal about improving Spotify royalty rates for songwriters and ensuring the future value of writers' catalogs.[4] In April 2019, after Spotify and other streaming companies appealed a U.S. Copyright Royalty Board decision to raise songwriter royalty rates, Keller organized an open letter signed by over 100 participants in Spotify's "Secret Genius" initiative for producers and songwriters, including Louis Bell, Greg Wells, Teddy Geiger, Ian Kirkpatrick, Frank Dukes, Mike Elizondo, T-Minus, Scott Harris, Ross Golan, and Shane McAnally.[11] In part the letter reads "Now, we can see the real reason for your songwriter outreach. You have used us and tried to divide us but we stand together...Do the right thing and drop your appeal."[11] Keller has been vocal in his opposition to the rising number of copyright infringement cases in the music industry, calling them unfair for songwriters and the songwriting community.[12]

A gay man,[13] Keller has also been active on behalf of LGBTQ individuals in the industry; in 2018, he co-hosted with James "JHart" Abrahart and Brett "Leland" McLaughlin the inaugural "Out to Brunch" luncheon, a gathering of LGBTQ artists, songwriters, and other creatives in the music industry intended to foster collaboration and community. Notable attendees at the event included Troye Sivan, Justin Tranter, Ilsey Juber, Ferras Alqaisi, and Adam Lambert.[14] He co-hosted the second annual Out to Brunch event in 2019, with notable attendees including Jesse Saint John, Vincint, Carlie Hanson, and Dorian Electra.[15] Keller has been named to Billboard's inaugural Pride List in 2019 as one of the leading LGBT executives in the music business;[16] to Billboard's 2020 list of 100 Change Agents, honoring individuals changing the music business through advocacy;[17] to the Variety list of Hollywood's New Leaders of 2021;[18] and to Out Magazine's Out100 list of LGBTQ+ Names at the Forefront of Beauty and Business.[13]

References
  1. "Great Things Could Come From This". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  2. Staff (Oct 18, 2018). "40 Under 40: Billboard Reveals Music's Top Young Power Players of 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  3. Staff (Jan 25, 2018). "Power 100 Heat Seekers: 7 Fast-Rising Execs in 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. Gail Mitchell (May 10, 2019). "Milk & Honey Founder Lucas Keller on Keeping Spotify in Check, Shunning Contracts and Why Indie Is Best". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  5. "Lucas Keller Is the Massive Music Industry Name You Need to Know". Out Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. "Power Player: Lucas Keller" (interview). All Access Music Group. Mediabase. April 24, 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  7. Hauer, Sarah (Nov 2, 2017). "Two guys from Wisconsin are behind hits from the likes of Demi Lovato and Carrie Underwood". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  8. Tim Ingham (Nov 8, 2018). "'Lots of people told me that managing songwriters and producers wasn't a real business.'". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  9. "Lucas Keller Is the Massive Music Industry Name You Need to Know". www.out.com. 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  10. "VitalSigns: The Industry BeatAgency, Management, Label, Tour Promoting Company & Public Relation Firm Signings". CelebrityAccess Encore. May 5, 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  11. Danny Ross (Apr 12, 2019). "Musicians Hit Back Against Spotify's Attempt To Lower Pay". Forbes. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  12. "Copyright Chaos?". Billboard. August 8, 2019.
  13. "Out100: 9 LGBTQ+ Names at the Forefront of Beauty and Business". Out Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  14. James Patrick Herman (May 21, 2018). "Adam Lambert, Troye Sivan, Gay Hitmakers Talk Homophobia in the Industry". Variety. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  15. "Top Music Industry LGBTQ Executives, Creators Debate Bias in the Biz, Hail Lil Nas X". Variety. August 12, 2019.
  16. "The Pride List 2019". Billboard. August 8, 2019.
  17. "Billboard Change Agents". billboard.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  18. "Hollywood's New Leaders of 2021". Variety Magazine. 10 November 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
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