Richard James Burgess is Director of Marketing and Sales for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and Smithsonian Global Sound and Director of Resource Development for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. He also runs his own artist management company, Burgess Worldco. Prior to coming to Smithsonian Folkways, Burgess managed major label artists with top ten chart hits and international touring schedules, including Spandau Ballet, King, Colonel Abrams, Five Star, Living In A Box, Shriekback, and New Edition.