Meet Dawn E Webb | Licensed AFM Booking Agent & Artist Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dawn E Webb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dawn E, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The process behind starting my business was after being laid off from my corporate role as a Director of Human Resources, I became disenchanted with working for corporate America and started First Impressions Events & Services, LLC with the encouragement of one of my well respected colleagues. I was seeking freedom and independence.
 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I added the entertainment component of my business First Impressions Events & Entertainment, LLC in 2016 to assist a variety of artists with the business of music so they could focus on their creative side. I’d like to think what sets me apart from other booking agents is my genuine love of music, to help them and the fact that I am not in this business for the money. Yes, I want to get paid for what I do but I will never, ever take from an artist. PERIOD!!

I got to where I am today because of my hard work, tenacity and my refusal to quit. It was definitely not easy and it still is not an easy ride, especially being a black female in a predominantly male dominated field. In order to be in this business, one must not take offense when being told no. Having thick skin is a must have if you want to be successful in the music business.

I have overcome by keeping God in the forefront of my life and my business, a supportive and encouraging partner and a few close friends who keep me going when I want to quit. There are many that have paved the way for me in the music business and I stand on their shoulders.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way are that I am much stronger than I give myself credit for and the word no only adds for fuel to my fire.

I want people to know that I am trustworthy, I go hard for my artists and first impressions are lasting impressions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wow. There are so many great places to take them.

Live music:
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, Cliff Bells, Bert’s in the Eastern Market for their jam session on Thursday, The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe in Grosse Pointe, Blue Llama in Ann Arbor, Motor City Wine, Cadieux Café

Food/Cocktails:
Mexican Village, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Joe Muer, Andiamos, District 78, Honest John’s, Empire Kitchen, Central Kitchen, Parc, Oak and Reel, Prime and Proper, Cash Only, The Godfrey Hotel. San Marino, Willow

Definitely the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Museum, The Charles H. Wright Museum, the Belle Isle Aquarium. For dancing & house music Spotlite Detroit, The Dossin Museum on Belle Isle, the Princess boat, Diamond Jack boat tour

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are many but there are two people in particular that I must acknowledge and give credit to my success in being a part of the music scene in Detroit. First is drummer Gayelynn McKinney, last drummer with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Back when I started my event planning business, I was working a client of one of the areas hospital systems on an event. At the end of the event, Gayelynn approached me and asked if I would ever consider managing musicians and my answer was a resounding NO. She asked me to reconsider as she was in search of someone to assist her with bookings, contracts, etc. We exchanged business cards, met for lunch the following week and the rest was herstory.

The other person I must acknowledge is Detroit’s own bass pimp Ralphe Armstrong who also played with Aretha Franklin for 3 decades and a multitude of others. After meeting Ralphe at a Gayelynn performance at the historic Bakers’ Keyboard Lounge, he mentioned that he too was looking for an assistant. He and I started working together where Ralphe took me under his wing to educate me on the many facets of the music business and introduced me to the Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local 5. From this introduction, it was recommended that I join the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) out of New York where I became a licensed booking agent. Upon a successful vote in May of 2024, I will be installed at the Secretary of the Musicians Fund with the DMF, working in tandem with Ralphe.

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