As Executive Producer of Drumline, Dallas Austin brings a wealth of personal experience and credibility. Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, Austin began his musical career at the age of seven and quickly became proficient at a bevy of instruments including guitar, keyboards, bass, harmonica and drums. And so, with his love of his craft and memories of his early music experience behind him, Austin approached Fox 2000 with the idea of creating a movie based on his experience as a drummer in his high school marching band's Drumline.



The studio was immediately interested in this idea and within a few months Austin developed a story line for the movie with scriptwriter Tina Chism and Director, Charles Stone. The experience has culminated into feature film, which captures the significance of urban America's Marching Band culture and the impact it has on African American teens across the United States.



As well as serving as Executive Producer for Drumline, Austin has also taken on the roll of Executive Music Producer for the film. As one of the music industry's most acclaimed and successful producers, Dallas will now bring that side of his expertise to Drumline involving himself in all creative aspects of the film's music including writing and producing songs for the film and for the soundtrack.



The saying "talent attracts talent" was written for Dallas Austin. In the past year, he has produced the Grammy nominated #1 hit for Blu Cantrell entitled "Hit Em Up Style (Oops!)"and has also produced two singles from Pink's current album M!zundastood. "Don't Let Me Get Me" earned Pink a Top 10 hit and tremendous international success and "Just Like A Pill" followed suit. Austin has also produced the upcoming TLC album set for release later this year.



Dallas Austin's musical success began with Boys II Men, and his talent and innovative style lead him to the all female group TLC and the production of a groundbreaking album (Ooh on the TLC Tip) that sold over three million copies with two Top 10 pop singles. That album set the precedence for Crazy, Sexy, Cool, the second TLC album that sold over nine million copies in the US alone and won Austin his first Grammy award for Producer/ Songwriter. TLC's third album Fanmail sold over two million copies within the first month of release and once again, Austin had produced the album and garnered tremendous accolades.



At the age of twenty-eight, Dallas Austin's list of credits encompass a list of legends, he has of worked with R&B's "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, the P Funk man himself George Clinton, the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, and one artist that is not afraid of herself, Madonna. He has also worked with After 7, Erick Sermon, Johnny Gill, Bjork, Brand New Heavies, Fishbone, Grace Jones, Tricky, Usher and Gwen Stefani to name a few.



Dallas Austin is currently producing a new film project for Warner Brothers Studios called Jellybeans, another music driven story that takes place in a roller skating rink in Atlanta. Like Drumline, the movie is based on African American youth and their story of growing up in America's Southland. These projects, whether in music, film or both, again confirm Dallas Austin's role as an innovator, creator and developer of what we know as today's Pop and R&B music and culture.