The Loretta Lynn estate has a new manager — Sandbox Succession, a division of Sandbox Entertainment, the Jason Owen-led Nashville company that oversees the careers of such living stars as Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay and Kelsea Ballerini.
“Loretta Lynn is the original queen of country music, and it is a true privilege that herfamily has entrusted Sandbox Succession to preserve her precious legacy,” Owen, Sandbox Entertainment’s CEO, said in a statement.
Although Sandbox Succession has not been as highly publicized as its parent company since it was founded two years ago, the division has come to represent the estates of Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, the Carter Family and racing legend Richard Petty, prior to taking on Lynn’s legacy. It will represent the late Country Music Hall of Famer’s estate in music, film, TV, theater, merchandising and licensing.
“With Sandbox Succession, we strive to place our clients at the intersection of historical importance and cultural relevance,” says the division’s president, Josh Matas. “We are thrilled to apply our proven strategies to bring Loretta Lynn to new audiences and celebrate her further with existing fans.”
Lynn died Oct. 4, 2022. Later that month, Owen’s Sandbox Productions was a producer of a memorial concert, “Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn,” along with CMT, which aired the tribute live.
Although Lynn’s life got the big-screen treatment more than four decades ago with the award-winning film “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” her saga may be ripe for adaptation into other media. A Broadway musical based on her life has long been rumored, and Lynn and Zooey Deschanel even jointly announced in 2012 that Deschanel would portray the legend in a Broadway production, though that project did not come to fruition.
Upcoming projects Sandbox Succession has in the works with other estates includes an 85-city tour called “Johnny Cash — The Official Concert Experience,” adocumentary about June Carter Cash and a dramatic TV series about Richard Petty.
“We arehappy to partner with Sandbox Succession to not only represent but also perpetuate the amazinglegacy of our mother’s career,” the Lynn family said in a statement.
Besides Sandbox Entertainment’s management services — which also extend to Kate Hudson, Little Big Town and Faith Hill — Sandbox has been heavily involved in TV production out of Nashville, with projects completed or in development in tandem with ABC, NBC, Fox, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Amazon and Showtime. Owen is also a producer on the currently running Broadway musical “Shucked.”
