Music News 4/22/10

>>Major Bob Music, Inc. has announced the resigning of Shane Stevens to their writer roster. In addition to co-writing Lady Antebellum’s current multi-week No. 1 “American Honey,” Stevens is also a writer Kellie Pickler’s current hit, “Making Me Fall In Love Again.” Stevens has also had cuts with Jordin Sparks, Steel Magnolia, Jo Dee Messina, Gloriana, Mallary Hope and Sara Evans, among others.

“It’s been a thrill to watch Shane develop into an amazing songwriter over the past few years,” says Jesse Frasure, Major Bob’s Director of A&R. “We are honored to continue to help build upon his success.”

(l-r) Major Bob’s Elizabeth Dunn, Jesse Frasure and Michael Doyle, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Major Bob President Bob Doyle and BMI’s Clay Bradley. Seated front: Shane Stevens

Dale Bobo

>>Chrysalis Music Group has announced the appointment of Dale Bobo to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Chrysalis Music Nashville. Bobo, a 27-year music-publishing veteran, was most recently Senior Vice President/General Manager of Warner/Chappell Nashville. He will report directly to Chrysalis Music Group President Kenny MacPherson.

“Dale Bobo is uniquely qualified to run our Nashville operations,” said MacPherson in making the announcement. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Dale on board, and at the same time to get even more deeply involved in the hugely successful and influential Nashville community.”

About his new post, Bobo commented: “I am tremendously excited to join the Chrysalis family and I am very much looking forward to working with our songwriters, our Nashville staff, and the Chrysalis offices around the world to get amazing music into the market. I am also really looking forward to working again with Kenny MacPherson, who has always had tremendous respect and enthusiasm for the Nashville music community, as well as country music in general. I can’t wait to get started on what promises to be a challenging and gratifying undertaking.”

Mindi McCormick

>>Alison Booth, Vice President, A&R Administration, for Sony Music Nashville has announced the promotion of Mindi McCormick to the position of Director, A&R Administration, for the label group. Previously Associate Director, A&R Administration, McCormick is based in Nashville and reports directly to Booth.

“Mindi’s experience and continued dedication, together with her wonderful team spirit, have made her an invaluable member of our department,” Booth says. “I’m delighted to recognize her many contributions with this very well-earned promotion.”

In her position, McCormick is responsible for the supervision of repertoire management for all four of Sony Music Nashville’s imprints, and is particularly involved with the specific details of the Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville imprints. These responsibilities include the compilation and management of label copy, lyrics, and liner credits for all products released by Sony Music Nashville, both physical and digital. Her role also encompasses working with union (AFM and AFTRA) matters and payments and proofreading printed material, including CD packages, point of purchase material, and advertising, as well as the long-term archiving of repertoire information for all audio and video recordings, whether released or not.

McCormick began her career with Arista Nashville as receptionist in 1993 and joined the A&R Administration department as an assistant in 1996.

A native of Nashville, TN, McCormick graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Recording Industry Public Relations from Middle Tennessee State University in 1993. McCormick’s father, George McCormick, played guitar for Grand Ole Opry legends including Wilma Lee Cooper and the late Grandpa Jones and Porter Wagoner.

Dann Huff, Darrell Franklin

>>BMG Rights Management has partnered with renowned producer Dann Huff and publisher Darrell Franklin to form BMG Rights Management Nashville. The full-service publishing company launches with a stable of writers including busbee, Jonathan Singleton, and Neil Thrasher.

BMG Rights Management, the international group of music publishing companies which recently purchased Huff’s Crosstown Songs is also in agreement to acquire Cherry Lane Music Publishing.

Huff, long recognized as one of Nashville’s most innovative and successful producers, was recently named Billboard’s Country Producer of the Decade and was the recipient of the 2010 Producer of the Year Award from the Academy of Country Music. Among the many artists he has produced are Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Lonestar, Jewel, Julianne Hough, and Steel Magnolia.

Franklin has worked together with Huff since 2000 in connection with Dann’s producing projects and in the operation of the music publishing companies Diver Dann Music and Crosstown Songs Nashville. He is son of renowned pedal steel guitarist Paul Franklin.

“We are excited to be associated with creative individuals of the caliber of Dann Huff and Darrell Franklin,” said BMG’s Chief Operating Officer Laurent Hubert. “We look forward to building a successful Nashville operation by acquiring significant catalogs and signing top songwriters; BMG Nashville will create a publishing environment that fosters and supports their endeavors.”

“The chance for Darrell and me to work with music publishing executives like Hartwig Masuch, Laurent Hubert, and Deirdre O’Hara is a dream come true,” said Huff. “It is an honor to be included as part of a truly international publishing company like BMG which offers our writers the opportunity to expand their success in Nashville and throughout the world.”

BMG Rights Nashville will provide full creative, administrative, marketing and synch support. It will maintain offices at 2737 Larmon Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37204. Phone: 615.385.2058

Since its founding in late 2008, BMG has established offices in New York and Los Angeles, and affiliated offices in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Benelux countries, and Scandinavia. Aside from the high profile acquisition of Crosstown Songs and the agreement to purchase Cherry Lane Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management has within the past year acquired a number of other music publishing catalogs. It has also signed agreements with artists and producers including Leona Lewis, Jim Beanz, and The Crystal Method and now represents the rights to more than 75,000 songs and recordings.

>>Longtime music publishing executive Glenn Middleworth has joined Little Champion Music as Sr. Creative Director. The two-year-old publishing house owned by Martina and John McBride/Blackbird Studios is home to songwriters Rachel Thibodeau and Jason Sever. More signings are expected in coming months.

Middleworth spent a total of ten years at EMI Music Publishing, ending as Sr. Advisor to A&R in January 2010. His publishing career started in 1984 at Jerry Bradley’s Forrest Hills Music. He joined EMI Music in 1994 as Senior Vice President of Creative, before moving to a similar role at Famous Music Nashville in 2002. In 2008 he rejoined EMI Nashville as Senior Advisor to A&R.

He has worked with and signed writers such as Raul Malo and The Mavericks, Joe Diffie, Jim Collins, Mark Alan Springer, Kelly Lovelace, Tia Sillers, Brad Paisley, Hillary Lindsey, Darrell Scott, Steve Bogard, Bob Regan, and Dallas Davidson.

Little Champion Music is located at 2801 Bransford Ave., Nashville, TN 37204. office: 615.515.6610. glenn@littlechampionmusic.com