Barry Poss was well on his way to a career in academia-to elbow-patched sermonizing in a sociology department, to tenure and to published research-when he choked.
The then-Duke graduate student and James B. Duke fellow, on the cusp of graduation in 1978, decided not to teach. Instead, he went home to his 804 Green St. apartment and, without second thoughts, started a record label.
"When you're young and idealistic and sort of stupid, actually, you think you can do anything," the mustachioed Canadian said with a laugh. "I had teaching offers in hand. But, you know, there was this thing called passion-you're just acting on what you believe in at the time."
Twenty-eight years, 12 Grammys and a sterling reputation in the alt-country and bluegrass world later, Poss' Sugar Hill Records is itself forgoing the safe route, doffing its title as Durham's best-known record label in favor of a move to Nashville, Tenn. The label announced the move Jan. 10.
When Poss started out, putting Durham on the map in the music world wasn't easy. "I always felt pressure to move to one of the music cities," he said. Now, chairman emeritus Poss jokes about being at music industry conferences in southern France or Australia, where he says people only know Durham, N.C., for being the home to Sugar Hill.
"It was sort of a badge of honor to be here," Poss said. "Over the years, I think that Sugar Hill became one of Durham's identity pegs."
Poss oversaw the growth of the label into a boutique favorite for true-to-rural-roots mountain groups and country legends alike, its sound first influenced by its location just east of the Smoky Mountains. The company derives its name from a regional folk tune Poss heard in the western part of the state.
But despite its comparatively remote locale, talent flocked to Sugar Hill. Superstars like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss have worked with the label in recording and producing capacities. Pop bluegrass group Nickel Creek earned several Grammy nominations with the label, including a Best Contemporary Folk Album award for its 2002 effort This Side.
This year, Sugar Hill has four Grammy nominations in two categories.
Yet with Nickel Creek on indefinite hiatus and the label's Nashville satellite office absorbing more of its grunt work, company heads decided to shut down its Durham headquarters in hopes of cutting costs and being closer to fresh talent.
"The majority of our artists live and record here and we've always had a presence in the town," Molly Nagel, director of artist and media relations for Sugar Hill, wrote in an e-mail. "We look forward to growing here and taking a more active role in the community."
As the company sets up shop in the epicenter of mainstream country music, Poss-who no longer actively works as Sugar Hill's head-hopes the label's sound will stay true to its roots.
"There's no question that there's a risk [of becoming more mainstream]-it's up to the people that are running it," he said. "In this music environment, it would be smart not to let this happen-you'd be just like everyone else, but smaller... it's good to have a stong identity."
Poss added that while he is involved in other things that fill the time he used to spend at Sugar Hill, he is sentimental about the company's departure.
"Sugar Hill was my baby, and this is hugely emotional," he said. "It makes sense on a lot of different levels to go [to Nashville], but that doesn't mean that it's not sad."
Nagel said Sugar Hill plans not to betray its tradition-steeped legacy in its journey westward, but rather to try to incorporate different variations on its established theme.
"We will not change our roster or waver from the mission statement of making only the best of Americana and roots music," she said. "The entire staff... is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the label and vigilant about protecting it. We will definitely not be going mainstream country."
"Maybe we would prefer that mainstream country be influenced by our sound," she added.
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