Adam Anders (born October 10, 1975)[1][2] is a Swedish film, television and music producer who has sold more than 100 million albums and in recent years has become one of the most in-demand Executive Producers for music-driven film and television. Anders is the CEO of Anders Media, and its record label Deep Well Records, a sub-label of Capitol Music Group.[3][4] In 2023, Anders made his directorial debut with the film, Journey to Bethlehem, a musical retelling of The Nativity Story, co-written by Peter Barsocchini and Anders, starring Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim, and Antonio Banderas.[5]

Adam Anders
Background information
Birth nameAdam Anders
Born (1975-10-10) October 10, 1975 (age 49)
Stockholm, Sweden
GenresPop, rock, dance
Occupation(s)Record, Film and TV Producer, CEO of Anders Media and Deep Well Records
LabelsDeep Well Records / Capitol Music Group
Websiteandersmedia.com

In 2013, Adam was named No. 15 in Hollywood Reporter's Top 35 Hitmakers.[6] Anders' work has earned him four Grammy Award nominations,[7][8] and two People's Choice Awards.[9] As the Executive Music Producer for Glee, Anders' musical productions have helped put Glee on the iTunes Top Songs chart,[10] including original songs that he wrote, such as "Loser like Me" (landing at number one) and "Get It Right" (at number two).[11]

Glee had at one time seven of the top ten tracks on the iTunes Top Song chart including the above two original songs at one and two respectively, the cast's versions of Pink's "Raise Your Glass" at number three, The Beatles' "Blackbird" at number five, Maroon 5's "Misery" at number six, and another original song, "Hell to the No", at number eight.[12] In May 2011, Glee had one of its biggest sales weeks to date with 986,000 downloads of tracks produced by Anders.[12]

Anders has a track record of writing and producing music for both established artists and up-and-comers including the Jonas Brothers,[3] Miley Cyrus,[13] Selena Gomez,[12] Backstreet Boys,[14] Clay Aiken[12] and many others. His music can also be heard on many major motion pictures and television shows including Disney's High School Musical 3,[15] Hannah Montana,[15] Evan Almighty[16] and The Wedding Planner,[12] as well as the 2012 film Rock of Ages.[17]

Adam Anders launched Los Angeles–based record label, Deep Well Records in 2011.[2][18] The first artist signed to his label was singer/songwriter/actor Shane Harper, whose self-titled debut album was released on February 14, 2012,[18] and included the Anders-produced first single entitled, "One Step Closer".[3]

In addition, he runs Anders Media, Inc., a production company that specializes in developing original music-driven content for major film studios and TV networks. Anders recently moved his label Deep Well Records to the Capitol Music Group, and is a consultant for Virgin Records. In October 2015, Anders co-produced "Hollow" by Tori Kelly, which was the featured single on her deluxe edition album, Unbreakable Smile. The song was co-written by several songwriters signed to the Anders-owned publishing company of the same brand, Deep Well Music Publishing. In 2016, Anders added film and TV producing credits as an executive producer for the US version of The Passion.[19] It aired on Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016 on FOX. Anders will also executive produce the soundtrack and act as producer for ABC's remake of Dirty Dancing.[20]

Early life

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Adam Anders was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Both his parents were professional musicians, traveling and playing all over the world; often bringing their children with them wherever they went. This exposed Adam to a variety of musical and cultural differences at a very early age. Despite being classically trained Gospel performers, both his mother and father encouraged him to listen and take influences from all musical styles, from Rock 'n' Roll to Soul.

Anders formed his first band at the age of 10, together with his brother and sister and toured Europe with him playing bass. The family later moved to the US, moving around the West Coast. Due to all the traveling, Adam was homeschooled after 5th grade. Due to music being the core of his whole life, Anders became such a prominent bass player that the University of South Florida accepted him to the Jazz program at the early age of 13. They declared him a prodigy and he was allowed full credit for taking the college music classes.

After graduating at the age of 16, Anders decided to live with his brother in Nashville, Tennessee. He worked night shifts and played music during the day. After six months, he got a position as a bass player for the Christian singer-songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, allowing him to solely focus on music as a career. After remaining on several major tours, making money to buy more studio equipment, Anders felt that songwriting and producing gave greater satisfaction and decided to transition to studio work.

Career

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Early years

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Adam Anders began his professional career primarily writing and producing songs for both established artists and up-and-comers. Anders co-wrote the Backstreet Boys hit "More Than That"[21] and Steven Curtis Chapman's "Nobody Ever." Anders then worked closely with Disney producing music for major motion pictures and television shows including Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2, Hannah Montana[22] and Sonny With a Chance. During this time, he collaborated with pop-singers Jesse McCartney, Clay Aiken, Nick Lachey, Ashley Tisdale, and the Jonas Brothers.[3] In 2007 and 2008, Anders' music could be heard in Disney's High School Musical 3 and Universal's Evan Almighty.[23]

Journey to Bethlehem and directorial debut

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In 2023, Anders makes his directorial debut with the holiday pop musical, Journey to Bethlehem, starring Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim, and Antonio Banderas as King Herod.[5] "This live-action Christmas musical celebration for the entire family, weaves classic Christmas melodies into new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the timeless story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus."[24] Anders co-wrote the script with Peter Barsocchini, who is best known for writing the High School Musical series. The film released on November 10, 2023, and features music written and produced by Adam Anders, Peer Astrom, and Nikki Anders.[24]

Glee and other projects

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Glee

In 2009, Anders began producing music for FOX's hit television show Glee.[25] Producing the popular Glee anthem "Don't Stop Believin" was the first of many contributions to the show. One year later, Anders was made Executive Music Producer for the musical comedy television show. The producer penned Glee's first two original songs, "Loser Like Me" and "Get It Right". Throughout his time on the show, he wrote a total of seven original songs and produced all sixteen of the Glee albums. Glee had at one time seven of the top ten tracks on the iTunes Top Song chart including the above two original songs at one and two respectively, the cast's versions of Pink's "Raise Your Glass" at number three, The Beatles' "Blackbird" at number five, Maroon 5's "Misery" at number six, and another original song, "Hell to the No", at number eight. In May 2011, Glee hit a sales week high with 986,000 downloads of tracks produced by Anders.

Other projects

During his time on Glee, Anders also launched his Los Angeles–based record label, Deep Well Records.[26] The first artist signed to his label was singer/songwriter/actor Shane Harper, whose self-titled debut album was released on February 14, 2012 and included the Anders-produced first single entitled, "One Step Closer". In 2012, Anders produced music for motion pictures including New Year's Eve and Rock of Ages,[27] as well as producing CeeLo Green's album CeeLo's Magic Moment, writing "All I Need is Love".[28]

Since 2014

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Following his time on Glee, Anders moved onto working with FX's horror television series American Horror Story.[29] In 2015, he was a music producer for the Disney movie, Descendants.[30] The album went #1 on iTunes and included an original song by Anders and his team.

In addition, he runs Anders Media, Inc., a production company that specializes in developing original music-driven content for major film studios and TV networks. Anders recently moved his label Deep Well Records to the Capitol Music Group, and is a consultant for Virgin Records.

In October 2015, Anders co-produced "Hollow" by Tori Kelly, which was the featured single on her deluxe edition album, Unbreakable Smile. The song was co-written by several songwriters signed to the Anders-owned publishing company of the same brand, Deep Well Music Publishing.

Film and television production

In 2016, Anders executive produced and arranged music for The Passion on FOX, which aired on Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016.[31] In 2017, Anders produced ABC's anticipated remake of Dirty Dancing starring Abigail Breslin, in addition to executive producing its soundtrack.[32]

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Anders worked as the Executive Song Producer and Soundtrack album Producer for DreamWorks' Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie based on the series of children's novels of the same name by Dav Pilkey.[33] Anders, with longtime collaborator Peer Astrom, produced the eleven-song album. The soundtrack included artists such as Adam Lambert, Lil Yachty, Andy Grammer, Weird Al Yankovic on the film's theme song and original score by Theodore Shapiro (Ghostbusters, The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me).

MundoNick's Kally's Mashup

In 2017, Anders Media aired its inaugural international program Kally's Mashup on Nickelodeon (Latin America).[34] Anders serves as Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Executive Soundtrack Producer alongside Nikki Anders and Peer Astrom. In May 2018, Kally's Mashup was renewed for a second season, following the wide success of the first season.[35]

Monarch In 2021, Anders joined the Fox country music drama series Monarch as the show's music supervisor and wrote and produced several songs for the first season, which premiered on September 11, 2022.[36]

Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2011 Glee: The Music, Volume 1 Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Nominated
2012 Glee: The Music, Volume 4 Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Nominated
2013 Rock of Ages (2012 film) Soundtrack Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Nominated
2014 Cee Lo's Magic Moment (with Cee Lo Green) Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Nominated

Golden Globe Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 Glee Best Musical or Comedy Won
2011 Glee Best Musical or Comedy Won

ARIA Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 Wrapped Up Good (with The McClymonts) Best Country Album Won

People's Choice Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 Glee Favorite New TV Comedy Won
2011 Glee Favorite TV Comedy Won

Filmography

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Television

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Title Credit Year
The Passion Executive Producer 2016
Dirty Dancing Producer 2016
Kally's MashUp Creator/Executive Producer 2017

Film

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2023 Journey to Bethlehem Yes Yes Yes Also Music

Discography

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Feature films

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Title Producer / Writer / Performer Year
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie Executive Song Producer 2017
Rock of Ages Producer 2012
New Year's Eve (New Line Cinema) "Auld Lang Syne" Producer 2012
Hannah Montana: The Movie (Disney) "Hoedown Throwdown" Writer/Producer 2012
The Young Victoria "Only You" Writer 2009
High School Musical 3 (Disney) "Can I Have This Dance" Writer/Producer 2008
Evan Almighty (Universal) "Be The Miracle" Producer 2007
The Wedding Planner (Columbia) "Adore You" Producer/Writer 2001
Rugrats in Paris (Paramount) "When You Love" Producer/Writer 2000

Movies for television

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Title Producer / Writer / Performer Year
The Cheetah Girls: One World (Disney) "No Place Like Us" Producer/Writer 2008
Camp Rock (Disney) "2 Stars" Producer/Writer 2008
Princess (ABC Family) "Roots Before Branches" Producer/Writer 2008
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam "Wouldn't Change a Thing" Producer/Writer 2010
Starstruck (Disney) "Hero" Producer/Writer 2010
Son of God (History) Producer/Writer 2014
Descendants (Disney) "If Only" Producer/Writer 2015
Dirty Dancing (ABC) Producer 2017

Television

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Title Producer / Writer / Performer Year
Dawson's Creek "Any Lucky Penny" Producer 2004
Fashion House "Theme Song" Producer / Writer 2006
K-Ville "Theme Song" Producer / Writer 2007
Wedding Bells "Theme Song" Producer / Writer 2007
Back To You "Theme Song" Producer / Writer 2007
"Don't Stop Believin'" (Glee song) Producer[37] 2009
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 Producer[8] 2009
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 Producer[38] 2009
Disney's Friends for Change "Send It On (song)" Producer / Writer 2009
Hannah Montana Forever Producer / Writer 2010
Jonas Brothers Jonas (Disney) "Fall" Producer / Writer 2010
Jonas Brothers Jonas (Disney) "Invisible" Producer / Writer 2010
Demi Lovato "Sonny With a Chance Theme" Writer 2010
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna Producer[37] 2010
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers 2010
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals 2010
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show 2010
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album 2010
Glee: The Music, Volume 4 2010
"Get It Right" (Glee song) Producer / Writer 2011
"Loser like Me" (Glee song) 2011
Glee: The Music, Volume 5 Producer 2011
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers 2011
"As Long As You're There" (Glee song) Producer / Writer 2011
"Pretending" (Glee song) 2011
"Light Up the World" (Glee song) 2011
Glee: The Music, Volume 6 Producer 2011
Extraordinary Merry Christmas (Glee song) Producer / Writer 2011
"Christmas Eve with You" (Glee song) 2011
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Producer 2011
Glee: The Music, Volume 7 2011
Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album 2012
Glee (TV Series) 2009 - 2012
Glee Sings the Beatles 2013
The Quarterback (Music From the TV Series) 2013
Glee (TV Series) Executive Music Producer 2010 - 2014
American Horror Story "Edward Mordrake: Part 1" Producer 2014
American Horror Story "Edward Mordrake: Part 2" 2014
American Horror Story "Pink Cupcakes" 2014
American Horror Story "Bullseye" 2014
American Horror Story "Blood Bath" 2014
American Horror Story "Tupperware Party Massacre" 2014
American Horror Story "Curtain Call" 2015
The Passion Executive Producer 2016
Kally's Mashup, La Música Vol.1 Executive Producer / Executive Music Producer 2017-2018
Kally's Mashup, La Música Vol.2 2018
Monarch Music supervisor 2022–present

Albums/songs

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Artist Title Album Producer / Writer Year
Porcelain Black "Rock Angels" Mannequin Factory Writer[39] 2012
CeeLo Green "All I Need Is Love (feat. The Muppets)" CeeLo's Magic Moment Writer 2012
CeeLo Green - CeeLo's Magic Moment Album Producer[40] 2012
The McClymonts "If You're Going to Love Me" Wrapped Up Good Producer / Writer[41] 2011
Ashley Tisdale "Blame It on the Beat" - Producer / Writer 2009
Backstreet Boys "Unmistakable" Unbreakable Producer/Writer 2007
Ashley Tisdale "Don't Touch" Headstrong Producer / Writer 2007
Shannon Noll "Crashing Down" Turn It Up Writer 2007
"Is You"
The McClymonts "My Life Again" Chaos and Bright Lights Album Producer 2007
"Favorite Boyfriend of the Year"
"Til' You Love Me"
"Save Yourself"
Kimberley Locke "Any Which Way'" Based on a True Story Producer / Writer 2007
Nick Lachey "Don't Shut Me Out" What's Left of Me Producer / Writer[42] 2006
"Did I Ever Tell You"
Clay Aiken "Here You Come Again" A Thousand Different Ways Producer[42] 2006
"Everytime You Go Away"
CeCe Winans "Purified'" Pray Producer / Remixer[42] 2005
Jesse McCartney "Without You" Beautiful Soul Writer[42] 2004
Billy Crawford "Trackin'" Ride Writer 2002
Ace of Base "Unspeakable'" Da Capo Writer 2002
CeCe Winans "CeCe Winans'" For Love Alone Producer / Writer[42] 2001
Backstreet Boys "More Than That" Black & Blue Writer[43] 2000
The Hits, Chapter 1
Steven Curtis Chapman "Nobody Ever" Jesus (Soundtrack) Producer 2000
Steven Curtis Chapman "Next Five Minutes'" Speechless Producer / Writer[43] 1999

References

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  1. ^ Anders, Adam (October 10, 2011). "Twitter / @AdamAnders: Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! Now #happybirthdaytome". Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Martin, Dan (May 9, 2011). "Glee producer to launch record label". Guardian.Co.Uk. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d Sciaretto, Amy (May 5, 2011). "Glee Producer Launches Record Label With Singer/Songwriter Shane Harper". Artistdirect. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  4. ^ "ADAM ANDERS AND DEEP WELL RECORDS ENTER EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE AGREEMENT WITH CAPITOL MUSIC GROUP AND VIRGIN RECORDS". Universal Music Group. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Anders, Adam (2023-11-10), Journey to Bethlehem (Musical), Antonio Banderas, Milo Manheim, Geno Segers, Affirm Films, Anders Media, Monarch Media, retrieved 2023-08-02
  6. ^ Wilson, Stacey. "THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  7. ^ "55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees". The Recording Academy. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  8. ^ a b Halperin, Shirley (February 11, 2011). "'Glee:' Behind the Music". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  9. ^ Belcher, Walt (April 7, 2010). "Former Tampa man makes music on 'Glee'". TampaBayOnline.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  10. ^ Thompson, Elizabeth (April 13, 2010). "Glee's Music Man Adam Anders on Dominating the Charts and Hideous Mash-Ups". PaperMag.com. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  11. ^ "Original Glee Songs Take Over iTunes!". UndergroundMusicNews.com. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d e Sultana (May 9, 2011). "Exec Music Producer of Glee Launches Record Label". TheSultansofSwag.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  13. ^ Johnson Jr., Billy (April 20, 2010). "'Glee' Music Producer Adam Anders on Madonna Episode And Landing The Gig". YahooNews.com. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  14. ^ Kawashima, Dale. "Writer/Producer Adam Anders Tells How He Co-Wrote The Hit "More Than That" For The Backstreet Boys". SongwriterUniverse.com. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Writes, Arjan (May 22, 2011). "Cherrytree Pop Chop: Arjan Chats with Glee Musical Director Adam Anders". ArjanWrites.com. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  16. ^ Aleff, Gloria (July 20, 2007). "Waverly native finds her voice on 'Evan Almighty' soundtrack". WCFCourier.com. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  17. ^ Kit, Borys (April 4, 2011). "Rock of Ages' Casts Lead: Mexican Singer-Actor Diego Boneta". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  18. ^ a b Schillaci, Sophie A. (January 27, 2012). "'Glee,' 'Rock of Ages' Executive Music Producer Launches Record Label". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  19. ^ "FOX | Watch Live Shows and Stream Full Episodes Online".
  20. ^ Friedlander, Whitney (December 8, 2015). "Abigail Breslin to Star in 'Dirty Dancing' TV Movie at ABC". Variety. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  21. ^ Kawashima, Dale (4 December 2013). "Writer/Producer Adam Anders Tells How He Co-Wrote The Backstreet Boys' Hit "More Than That"". SongwriterUniverse.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  22. ^ Gallant, Michael. "Glee's music man runs one of the world's biggest hit-making machines". M Music & Musicians Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  23. ^ Aleff, Gloria (20 July 2007). "Waverly native finds her voice on 'Evan Almighty' soundtrack". The Courier. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Journey To Bethlehem - Coming To Theaters This Christmas Season!". Journey To Bethlehem. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  25. ^ Gallo, Phil. "'Glee' Producer Adam Anders Launches Record Label". Billboard. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  26. ^ Schillaci, Sophie (27 January 2012). "'Glee,' 'Rock of Ages' Executive Music Producer Launches Record Label". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  27. ^ Kit, Borys (4 April 2011). "'Rock of Ages' Casts Lead: Mexican Singer-Actor Diego Boneta". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  28. ^ Music Group, Universal. "ADAM ANDERS AND DEEP WELL RECORDS ENTER EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE AGREEMENT WITH CAPITOL MUSIC GROUP AND VIRGIN RECORDS". Universal Music. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  29. ^ "RippleTunes". rippletunes.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
  30. ^ Disney. "If Only". Disney Song Lyrics. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  31. ^ FOX. "ACCLAIMED ACTOR AND FILMMAKER TYLER PERRY TO HOST AND NARRATE "THE PASSION"". FOX. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  32. ^ Friedlander, Whitney (8 December 2015). "Abigail Breslin to Star in 'Dirty Dancing' TV Movie at ABC". Variety. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  33. ^ "'Captain Underpants' Movie Scores Epic Soundtrack with 'Weird Al', Lil Yachty & More". Billboard.
  34. ^ "Nickelodeon Latin America, Telefe Team on Music Series with 'Glee's' Adam Anders (EXCLUSIVE)". 17 May 2017.
  35. ^ "Kally's Mashup tendrá una segunda temporada | Billboard". Archived from the original on 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  36. ^ "LISTEN: 'Monarch,' New Country Music Drama, Drops New Song, 'American Cowgirl'". 3 August 2022.
  37. ^ a b Jersild, Sarah (September 21, 2010). "Glee's Music Man: Executive Music Producer Adam Anders talks Britney, Madonna and "Don't Stop Believing"". ChicagoTribune.com. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  38. ^ "Adam Anders Chats About GLEE's Upcoming Original Music". BroadwayWorld.com. February 23, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  39. ^ Weintraub, Steve "Frosty". "Director Adam Shankman Talks Turning Tom Cruise into Stacee Jaxx, Choosing Songs, and Much More on the Set of ROCK OF AGES". Collider. TopLingo. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  40. ^ Sincavage, Mark. "CeeLo Green To Celebrate The Season With "CeeLo's Magic Moment"". Concert Blogger. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  41. ^ "THE MCCLYMONTS: THE MCCLYMONTS HEATING UP THE SUMMER WITH CMT VIDEO PREMIERE, CONCERT DATES & TV APPEARANCES". Webster & Associates, LLC. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  42. ^ a b c d e "ADAM ANDERS: Glee's music man runs one of the world's biggest hit-making machines By Michael Gallant". M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  43. ^ a b Kawashima, Dale. "Writer/Producer Adam Anders Tells How He Co-Wrote The Hit "More Than That" For The Backstreet Boys". SongwriterUniverse.com. Retrieved 9 February 2013.