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Backstage Pass
Heath Gilchriest
Sales Manager &
Sponsorship Inquiries
Heath.Gilchriest@yahoo.com
409-454-0571
Brandon Morrell
Founder & Host
Music & Sports Entertainment
Industry Broadcast Veteran
Brandon.Morrell40@gmail.com
Kirstie Kraus
Partner, Host, Award-Winning
Singer/Songwriter and
On-Air Personality
Elyse Saunders
Co-Host
Singer/Songwriter
elysesaunders.com
elyse@elysesaunders.com
Recently named as iHeartRadio’s Future Star & Rogers Radio’s One To Watch for her brand new top 40 charting single “Never Have I Ever”, Elyse Saunders is an award-winning singer/songwriter that’s carved her path in Country music as a powerhouse vocalist, dynamic stage performer and impressive songwriter.
Brandon Morrell
was born in Beaumont, Texas. He grew up on music and sports and knew early on that he wanted to be in broadcasting and somehow combine his two passions. He has been in radio broadcasting for decades holding jobs in radio from programming, production, sales, and marketing, to hosting his own sports shows spanning numerous radio markets. He founded The Sports Guys Podcast in 2019 and rebranded the show in 2021 as The Backstage Pass Powered by The Sports Guys Podcast when the music sector became equally as popular with listeners. Morrell has interviewed many of the biggest names in the entertainment business, both in music and sports throughout his career and since the creation of his podcast four years ago. He looks forward continuing to increase his viewership and growing his operation based on his solid reputation for providing conistent and quality entertainment to his followers.
What Others Are Saying
Music/sports industry broadcast veteran Brandon Morrell is excited to celebrate the 4-year anniversary of his first podcast, The Sports Guys Podcast. In four short years, a lot has changed. The show, which he founded and hosts, has seen tremendous growth in the music sector, The Backstage Pass, and has taken on a life of its own growing in leaps and bounds. So much so, that he rebranded as The Backstage Pass Powered by The Sports Guys Podcast back in 2021. It is evident that people are taking notice and like what they are hearing and seeing upon the recent announcement that Morrell is nominated for a 2023 Josie Music Award in the category of Media Company of the Year.
Morrell reflects, “This has been a wild ride and loads of fun. I think that anything you do in life requires hard work and dedication. Music and sports are so interrelated in that a musician must work on their craft every day just as an athlete does on the field in their respective sport and I love having the opportunity to bring these two worlds together for everyone to enjoy! My long-term vision is to expand on what we have worked so hard to build so far and to eventually go into syndication and television.”
Although Morrell hosts The Sports Guys Podcast shows solo, he co-hosts The Backstage Pass with Nashville-based, Wisconsin native, singer/songwriter, and business partner, Kirstie Kraus. “Kirstie is warm and genuine,” adds Morrell, “The people love her. She adds charisma and a different perspective to each interview as both an artist and a female, and I could not think of a better business partner and “side-kick” to have to ride shotgun with me on this journey!”
During The Backstage Pass show, the dynamic duo, Morrell and Kraus take listeners behind the scenes and interview a mix of rising to established and iconic artists from around the world crossing all genres of music. The Backstage Pass provides an in-depth look into the musicians’ lives – their rise in music as they talk about their careers and share some of their most personal stories about their music, everyday life, life on the road, and life in general. They also broadcast live from events including Country Radio Seminar, CMA Fest, industry events, artist showcases, fairs, and festivals, and they plan to do a lot more of that in the future. Some of the artists that have joined Morrell and Kraus include Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), B.J. Thomas, Bonnie Tyler, Brett Kissel, Brooke Burke (TV/Fitness Personality, Author, and Actress), Charlene Tilton (Dallas), Collin Raye, Crystal Gayle, Dean Roland (Collective Soul), Darryl Worley, David Frizzell, Dean Sams (Lonestar), Deborah Allen, Don McLean, Doug Stone, Exile, Frank Ray, Irlene Mandrell, Janelle Arthur, Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister), Jimmy Bowen (Jimmy Bowen & Friends), Joe Nichols, John Michael Montgomery, John Oates (Hall & Oates), John Ford Coley (England Dan & John Ford Coley), John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard), Johnny Lee, Kylie Morgan, Lainey Wilson, Lawrence Gowan (Styx), Lee Brice, Lee Greenwood, Lee Roy Parnell, Linda Davis, Lindsay Ell, Lorrie Morgan, Matt Stell, McBride & the Ride, Mickey Gilley, Neal McCoy, Pam Tillis, Parker McCollum, Randall King, Randy & Mary Travis, Rhonda Vincent, Richard Sterban (The Oak Ridge Boys), Sara Evans, Shenandoah, T. Graham Brown, The Swon Brothers, T.G. Sheppard, Terri Clark, Tracy Lawrence, Walker Hayes, Walker Montgomery, and William Lee Golden (The Oak Ridge Boys & Willam Lee Golden and The Goldens).
The Sports Guys Podcast covers sports on state, regional, and national levels with many of the biggest names in the sports industry. Guests have included Bill Brown (Houston Astros Hall of Fame Announcer), Brad Sham (Dallas Cowboys Play-By-Play Announcer), Casey Stern (Veteran Broadcaster/Host, Unfiltered podcast, formerly MLB Network Radio), CJ Nitkowski (MLB Analyst Texas Rangers TV/MLB Network Radio/Loud Outs Podcast), Freddie Coleman (ESPN Radio), Greg Lucas (former Houston Astros and Texas Rangers Broadcaster), Kyle Turley (former American Football Offensive Tackle who played nine seasons in the National Football League), Marc Vandermeer (Houston Texans Play-By-Play Announcer), Mike Hoss (Voice of the Saints, WWL Radio), Mike Stanton (Houston Astros Broadcaster/MLB Network Radio), Robert Flores (Host, MLB Network/NHL Network, and formerly with ESPN TV), Sarah Spain (Reporter, ESPN and SportsCenter), Sean Salisbury (Host, The Sean Salisbury Show on KBME, Sportstalk 790, iHeart Radio/Houston, Texas), and Taylor McGregor (Field Reporter, Chicago Cubs, and ESPN).
Morrell’s podcast can be found on the internet station www.hightidecountry.net reaching 21k viewers per month and over 250k viewers per year. To learn more about The Backstage Pass Powered by The Sports Guys Podcast, visit their Website, Facebook, Instagram, Linktree, Spotify, and YouTube. You can also find “The Sports Guys” on iHeart Radio & Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Brandon and the Backstage Pass Team is also syndicated in Taos, New Mexico on KKTC True Country 99.9 from 6:30 pm-7 pm Monday through Friday.
Brantley Gilbert
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PR CONTACT:
Cheri Cranford
cheri@splashpublicity.com
615-473-6837