Janice Woods

Longtime independent radio promotions veteran Jan Woods who has worked with dozens and dozens of artists globally some of which include Billy Ray Cyrus, Dolly Parton, The Bellamy Brothers, Joe Nichols, George Jones, and the list goes on and on died on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at her home in Hermitage, Tennessee.

Woods started her radio promotions career in 1994 launching Jan Woods Promotions with a focus on making ‘friends’ within the radio business. Call after call, CRS after CRS, and single after single, Woods would combine laughter and her love of God to communicate and create lifelong relationships with radio program directors.  Woods focused her business on the Music Row and Billboard Indicator charts knowing that most independent artists would have their best radio shot starting with those ‘starter’ charts that once were known as The Gavin Report.

Some people call radio promoters salespeople.  Jan called herself a friend of radio. Whether getting a yes or a no on a weekly basis, her standard line was ‘well baby, I will call you next week and I hope God is good to you until then’.  With the love of her job and her childlike passion for music, the people that would become clients, promotions colleagues, or radio executives would always look to Woods to bring a smile to their faces even when the record business news was not all that glorious.

Woods office was adorned with gold and platinum records representing the millions of albums sold, the walls reflecting a rich and eventful history in shaping what was known as 90s Country.

Now as she crossed the pearly gates, she undoubtedly will be looking for a phone line to start calling on those looking to play the last great song she just heard.

Woods is survived by her daughter Christina (Jeff) Bear and son Chris (Cathy) O’Guin, grandchildren Brittany Bear, Hope Bear, Faith Bear, Christopher O’Guin, and Carly O’Guin, great-grandchildren Cooper Cancel and Scarlett O’Guin.