The Parnelli Board of Advisors announced that Kevin Lyman, founder of the Vans Warped Tour and currently an Associate Professor at USC, has accepted the invitation to join the Parnelli Board of Advisors.
“Kevin has been a vital force in the music business for decades, and now is giving back as a professor teaching music business in addition to keeping busy with other industry-related projects,” Parnelli Awards Executive Producer Terry Lowe says. “He’s hosted and presented at the Parnelli Awards over the years and has always been generous with his support. Most recently he’s had a couple of us in his classroom speaking to future live event leaders and has offered up some of these talented young people to help work on our show. His wisdom and experience will be a welcomed addition to Board of Advisor’s work and mission.”
“Being asked to be on the advisory board of Parnelli’s is a great honor since my heart has always been in production,” Lyman says. “And now being part of something that recognizes and celebrates the unsung heroes of the business is pretty awesome.”
In addition to being founder and producer for Vans Warped Tour for 24 cross-country runs, he has been an industry professional for 37 years, having worked his way up from throwing backyard concerts to producing festivals like Rockstar Mayhem, Country Throwdown, Sprite Liquid Mix, and It’s Not Dead, among others. He is co-owner of SideOneDummy Records, and has managed acts like Less Than Jake, H20, and the Ataris.
His philanthropic work has included founding the Unite the United Foundation, a charitable organization that has raised over $1 million for various non-profits. In 2014, the Vans Warped Tour attempted to set a Guinness World Record for Largest Food Drive in 24-Hour period at a single location. In 2018, Lyman focused on the opioid education initiative, FEND (Full, Energy, No, Drugs). For his philanthropic efforts, Lyman was recognized in 2009 as the Billboard Touring Awards Humanitarian of the Year. He was an honoree in 2011 at the Grammy/MusiCares MAP Fund gala and was inducted in 2012 into the Top Dog Touring Hall of Fame at the Tour Link Conference. In 2016, he was given the Humanitarian of the Year award by the T.J. Martell Foundation at their annual Family Day. In addition to his teaching, he also Owner/CEO of the Kevin Lyman Group, and hosts the “My Warped Life” Podcast.
This year the Parnelli Awards gala returns to its usual slot and will be held on Jan. 26, 2024 on the third floor of the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information on the Parnelli Awards, go to www.parnelliawards.com.
