Two Owensboro natives helped create a music video for artist Morgan Wade’s song Wilder Days. The video was nominated for “Breakthrough Female Video of the Year” at the 2023 Country Music Television (CMT) Music Awards, which airs this Sunday.
The nomination in this year’s category. related by marriage, were nominated for the category for the song “Wilder Days” by artist
Amy-Beth Mason produced the video, and her brother-in-law John Mason was the director and editor.
The two first met at Goldie’s Best Little Opryhouse in Kentucky, where Amy-Beth was known as the “Opryhouse Sweetheart,” she said. John’s mother, Janie Jett-Mason, was the show’s ventriquolist, and the performers grew up as part of Goldie’s family. Beginning at the age of 4, Amy-Beth began performing, but she said she always knew that the spotlight was not her calling.
“I loved the energy of the music industry and knew that I would always want to be a part of it … I was just drawn more to the ‘behind the scenes,’” she said.
She also worked backstage at several Theatre Workshop of Owensboro productions and IBMA Awards shows growing up.
After graduating from Daviess County High School in 1995, she went to Belmont University in Nashville, where she majored in music business. She spent time in Dallas and Atlanta but moved back to Nashville in 2015.
John’s family left Owensboro after he attended Thruston Elementary and Highland Elementary, and he graduated from Mason County High School in Maysville. His parents moved back to Owensboro, but John moved to California to work in post-production as well as writing and directing. In 2016, he moved to Nashville and began working with Amy-Beth.
In 2020, the two formed a production company, Backwards J, named because of a childhood memory.
“When we were kids and she was performing at Goldie’s Opryhouse, she signed several autographs to me on her pictures and 45 records, but in being a small child, she had trouble with her Js and signed the J of my name backwards,” John said. “So, we named our company Backwards J.”
Amy-Beth said they also work in the music and film industry outside of Backwards J.
“We primarily work on music videos for artists in the country genre, but also produce films and provide film editing services,” Amy-Beth said. “In fact, we have a short film included in an Owensboro-based project from a few years back, 13 Slays Til Christmas with PJ Starks.”
In addition to their company, John also is in charge of all video production for comicbook.com and popculture.com, which are owned by Paramount.
“Comicbook and Popculture have popular websites, are on YouTube, social media and we make content for Paramount+,” John said.
The CMT nomination is a first for both Masons, but they have worked for many years in the entertainment industry with many artists, both in the music and film industry.
“In the 40 years – I’m not very old, I just started young – that I have been in the music and film industry in some capacity, the list [of people] has become pretty extensive. The same goes for John,” Amy-Beth said. “We are both immersed in that world daily.”
Both are excited for the nomination, and John said it has been exciting to watch people discover Morgan Wade’s music.
“Wilder Days is fantastic song that is so very catchy, and it is a great feeling to have a personal tie to a song that I love so much,” he said. “The video we made currently has 4.1 million views on YouTube.”
The video was shot at the house of their makeup artist in East Nashville and features the restaurant and bar named Rosemary and Beauty Queen, along with the “iconic” karaoke bar, Santa’s Pub.
The CMT Music Awards will air April 2 on CBS.
