WALKER BEGINS DREAMWORKS RUN

Johnnie Walker will now have a new place to hear all those tired old jokes about whiskey.

The widely respected industry exec has been appointed head of Urban Promotion for DreamWorks Records by Sr. Exec. Johnny Barbis.

Walker was most recently Sr. VP R&B Promotion at the Island Def Jam Music Group.

Commented Barbis: “I am thrilled to work again with Johnnie after our stint at Island. As I’ve seen first-hand, her reputation for excellence is truly deserved. We believe her dedication, extensive experience and close relationships to PDs across the country will have a profound impact on DreamWorks’ Urban operations. I feel Johnnie will serve as an inspiration to the company overall. Anyone for cocktails?”

Added DreamWorks’ Michael Ostin “City Limits”: “Johnnie Walker’s success with some of the biggest stars in hip-hop and R&B has made her one of the top players in the field. She has the energy to match her skills, and we are all very pleased to usher in the Johnnie Walker era at DreamWorks Records. Which means scotch and soda will be served at the weekly marketing meeting from now on.”

Remarked Walker: “DreamWorks has already had a terrific year with the Isley Brothers and Floetry. I look forward to working with the DreamWorks team to continue building on that momentum and launching superb upcoming records from Dave Hollister, Ron Isley & Burt Bacharach and Jon B. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and dig in! Now can I get my Shrek DVD?”

Walker began her career as an on-air personality at a Country station in her hometown of Grenada, MS, in 1978. She quickly moved to PD at Memphis R&B station KRNB, then joined Def Jam in 1990 as Regional Promotion Manager, rising to Sr. VP R&B Promotion in 1999. While there, she helped break artists like Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Ludacris, DMX, LL Cool J, Musiq, Method Man and Redman, among others. She founded and heads the four-year-old National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment (NABFEME).