Strong Management founder/co-owner Vaughn Lewis and co-owner Kenny Gabor have joined forces with David Entertainment Group founder Steve David to form the new joint company UNCHAINED MANAGEMENT, MUSIC & MEDIA.

Based out of NYC, the company’s roster will combine their current clientele which includes (in alphabetical order): Big Chocolate, Brothers Born, Cannibal Corpse, Children Of Bodom, CKY, The Contortionist, Disfiguring The Goddess, Entheos, Esmé Patterson, Havok, Killswitch Engage, Light The Torch, Lorna Shore, Loss Becomes, Memphis May Fire, Ministry, Monster Magnet, Oxymorrons, Queensryche, Revocation, Serpentine Dominion, Temple Of the Black Moon, The Agonist, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, Times Of Grace, Whitechapel and William Elliot Whitmore.

“Having had the pleasure of being surrounded by both talented artists and executives for many, many years I could not be more thrilled to be moving forward in my career with Vaughn and Kenny,” shares Davis. “I have known them both as friends, colleagues and confidants for over a decade. We share a love of music, a love for those who create it, and a friendship that I cherish. Our common goals, passions, trust amongst us, shared moral compasses and a combined wealth of experience make this collaboration one I am extremely excited and proud of.”

Davis has spent the past 35-plus years of his life dedicated to making music part of his career after joining the concert committee at his alma matter, Hofstra University. He worked his way up the ladder and was a talent agent for 10 years at Associated Booking Corporation, Premier Talent and the William Morris Agency where he oversaw negotiations for concerts and helped book national tours for many artists including B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Dr. John, The Replacements, The Ramones, The Clash, Talking Heads, The Who, Bon Jovi, David Byrne and Big Audio Dynamite, just to name a few. After leaving the agency world, Davis spent nine years as the Senior Vice President of Artist Development at Atlantic Records launching and helping grow the careers of an incredibly talented and varied roster of artists. For the past 17 years, Steve has owned and operated the full-service management company, Davis Entertainment Group.

“Steve Davis has been a friend and trusted confidant for many years and I am excited to move forward in this new venture with him,” says Lewis. “He is one of the smartest, genuine, honest and forward thinking people I know and his vision moving forward in this business and the common goal we share of putting artists first will make for an amazing team.”

Lewis founded Strong Management in 1996 after leaving his career in investment banking to go on tour with his friends in NYC punk rock band H2O. Making the most of his experience, Lewis quickly graduated from merch seller to tour manager and eventually to manager over the course of just three months on the road and continued to spend a full year on tour with the band spanning North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

“We’ve been talking with Steve about teaming up for quite some time, and it seems there’s no better time than now,” shares Gabor. “He’s a visionary with a ton of experience and success under his belt, and he’s also a great friend. When it comes to our artists, we all speak the same language, and I couldn’t be more thrilled of what’s to come.”

Queens, NY natives Gabor and Lewis met while attending Stuyvesant High School and would subsequently attend college together at SUNY Binghamton. Gabor would spend his spare time helping Lewis review contracts and advance shows during his final year at Brooklyn Law School and after graduating and passing the bar, Gabor spent a year of legal practice before partnering with Lewis at Strong Management in 1997.

Strong Management has achieved national and international success over its 25 years of existence with a diverse roster of acts including Killswitch Engage, William Elliott Whitmore, H2O, As I Lay Dying, Oxymorrons and D Generation to name a few.  They have also helped foster the careers of highly accomplished producers such as Rob Caggiano and Adam Dutkiewicz and esteemed Chef Brian Tsao. With the addition of Chicago-based manager Jason Rudolph in 2011, Strong’s roster has expanded to include acts such as Memphis May Fire, CKY, The Contortionist, Esme Patterson & Lorna Shore. Strong Management’s acts have been recognized for their achievements including multiple Grammy nominations, prime time television performances, and song placements on highly successful TV shows, motion pictures and video games. They have performed on some of the biggest festivals and stages in the world and have sold millions of records worldwide. All the while, their proudest achievement remains the strong bonds they have been able to build with their artists throughout the years.

Unchained Management, Music & Media will continue to nurture and develop those bonds with the strength and passion put forth by Lewis, Gabor, Davis and Rudolph in this new venture. While continuing to grow the careers of current clients, and eventually adding to their management roster, Unchained also look forward to expanding their activities beyond management within the entertainment sphere.

(Pictured at top: Unchained Management, Music & Media Team [l-r] Kenny Gabor, Steve Davis, Vaughn Lewis)