28-03-2025
Nashville music exec Lesly Simon has died, aided careers from Garth Brooks to Snoop Dogg
Lesly Somerville Simon, a Nashville music executive with over 20 years of industry experience, died on March 27. She was 52 years old.
Simon died peacefully and surrounded by family after battling breast cancer for seven years.
A longtime music business professional, Simon was the General Manager of Garth Brooks' Pearl Records and Trisha Yearwood's Gwendolyn Records and spent time as the Vice President of Promotion for Arista Nashville/Sony Music Nashville.
As a member of SOURCE, the Country Music Association (CMA), the Academy of Country Music (ACM), Leadership Music Class of 2013, the Board of Directors for Country Radio Broadcasters and one of Billboard's Top 100 Country Power Players, Simon was an integral part of the Nashville music community.
She attended the University of Alabama prior to heading to Nashville.
In Music City, Simon started her music business career at the RCA Label Group. There, she worked in roles with artist management, promotion and marketing with both pop and country record labels.
Simon acted as the tour manager for country artist Mindy McCready on renowned tour runs with Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson and George Strait.
In promotion at Capitol Records, Simon also served an integral role in the airplay success of artists including Coldplay, The Beastie Boys, Kylie Minogue, Radiohead, Jane's Addiction and Snoop Dogg.
Before she joined Gwendolyn and Pearl Records, Simon worked at Arista Nashville/ Sony Music Nashville.
As the Vice President of Promotion, she oversaw radio promotion and marketing for a number of artists, including Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and Cam.
She helped to garner over 40 No. 1 singles on the Billboard and Mediabase Country charts and also guided the launch of multi-platinum songs and albums from artists including Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Underwood and more.
In 2020, Simon pivoted, leaning into her love of design and real estate.
She launched a Florida-based interior design firm, Colgan Simon, with designer Tyler Colgan. At the same time, Simon also started the residential real estate division of Corcoran Reverie, a Florida-based company that specializes in luxury properties.
Simon is survived by her husband, Robert, her step-children Max and Miller Simon, her mother Cindy Adams Somerville, her brother Taylor Somerville (Caroline); sisters Cindy Gallion (Thomas) and Amy Landers (William Hansen); mother-in-law Marcia Unger; sister-in-law Carrie Pizitz (Richard) and many other family members and friends. She is predeceased by her father, Thomas Taylor Somerville Jr.
A service in honor of Simon's life will take place on Monday, March 31 at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook, Alabama at 2:30 p.m. After, there will be visitation in Graham Hall.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society or Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge in honor of Lesly Simon.
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist with The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville music executive Lesly Simon, 52, has died
