Louis Messina
Louis Messina | |
|---|---|
_(54213302451).jpg) Messina in 2024 | |
| Occupation | Promoter |
| Organization | Messina Group |
| Known for | Promotion of Taylor Swift George Strait |
Louis Messina is an American concert promoter who is best known for promoting Taylor Swift and George Strait.
Early life
[edit]Louis Messina's father was “Leapin’ Lou” Messina, a New Orleans Boxing promoter. Living across the street from New Orleans’ Municipal Auditorium, his father took him to an Elvis Presley concert when he was 7 years old leading to his interest in music.[1]
Music career
[edit]In 1975 Messina co-founded PACE Concerts.[2] Messina founded the annual summer rock concert series Texxas World Music Festival (1978–1988), also known as Texxas Jam. In Dallas, it was held at the Cotton Bowl, and in Houston, at either the Astrodome or Rice Stadium on the campus of Rice University. He also conceived of OzzFest with Sharon Osborne.[3][4] Messina also promoted concerts in outdoor amphitheaters which indirectly reshaped the concert business.[5] In 1997, Pace Concerts was bought by SFX.[6] After SFX was sold to Clear Channel in 2000,[7] Messina went out on his own to promote George Strait.[8][9] His promotion of George Strait led him to work with other artists, including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Phoebe Bridgers, and Zac Brown Band.[10] [11][12] Through 2022, Messina had promoted shows grossing over $4.5 billion.[13] Messina received the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award.[14][15] Messina also received the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award.[16] On June 15, 2024 George Strait's concert in Texas with 110,905 fans in attendance is believed to be the largest single ticketed concert in U.S. History.[17] In 2025, Messina was inducted into the Pollstar Live Hall of Fame.[18]
In September 2026, Ed Sheeran said that Messina Touring Group, the promoter of his Loop tour, decided to remove Macklemore from the tour amid pressure from pro-Israel interest groups as well as Robert Kraft and other venue owners after Macklemore made onstage "free Palestine" statements and spoke out against the Gaza genocide during his act.[19][20]
References
[edit]- ↑ Fishes, Mobile Loaves & (2020-03-09). "Louis Messina: Just a Kid From the Streets of New Orleans". Mobile Loaves & Fishes. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ A Conversation With Louis Messina, CEO of Messina Touring Group - EAMC Virtual 2021, 10 June 2021, retrieved 2022-11-07
- ↑ "Lou-minary: Louis Messina's Midas Touch - Pollstar News". 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "Louis Messina 50th Anniversary Special: The Pollstar Interview - Pollstar News". 2022-11-07. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ↑ Waddell, Ray (2015-10-11). "From the Desk Of…Louis Messina, CEO/Founder of Messina Touring Group". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ Sandler, Adam (1997-12-28). "SFX picks up promoter Pace". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "Clear Channel buying SFX in $4.4B deal - Feb. 29, 2000". money.cnn.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2002. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "Promoter 101 # 60 - Messina Touring Group's Louis Messina and Shaw Ent's Simon Shaw". #promoter101. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ Louis Messina on InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse, 20 June 2011, retrieved 2022-11-26
- ↑ "2022 Impact 50: Louis Messina - Pollstar News". 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ Lind, J. R. (2025-04-17). "Phoebe Bridgers Joins Messina Touring Group Roster (Exclusive) - Pollstar News". Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- ↑ Areliz, Oscar (2026-08-04). "Zac Brown Band Gifts Cruise Vacations To Fans At Sold-Out Fenway Park Show - Pollstar News". Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- ↑ "The Louis Messina Tapes: 'A Street Kid from New Orleans' on 50 Years of Live Highs and Lows - Pollstar News". 2022-11-07. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "The Stars Align For T.J. Martell 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala". MusicRow.com. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "T.J. Martell Foundation 9th annual Nashville Honors Gala". www.tennessean.com. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ Willman, Chris (2018-12-07). "Promoter Louis Messina Set for Lifetime Achievement Honor at CMA Touring Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ "George Strait Plays To 110,905 Ticketed Fans In College Station, Texas, In Record-Breaking Concert". Pollstar News. 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ↑ "2025 Pollstar Live Hall Of Fame Inductee: Louis Messina - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ↑ "More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- ↑ Grow, Kory (2026-09-15). "Ed Sheeran Breaks Silence on Macklemore Leaving Tour: Venue, Promoter Made 'Final' Decisions". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
Boxing record for Louis Messina from BoxRec (registration required)
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