Music News 9/15/11

BMG Rights Management has entered into an agreement to acquire Bug Music.

Last week, reports pegged the sale to be valued at about $300 million. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close by October.

Bug’s Nashville office is headed by VP John Allen, and Roger Murrah exited his post as Sr. VP earlier this summer.

Darrell Franklin serves as Executive VP of BMG Chrysalis’s Nashville operations.

BMG has been gobbling up other publishers in recent years, including Cherry Lane, Crosstown, S1 Songs, Stage Three, and EverGreen Copyrights, as well as a merger with Chrysalis Music.

Bug Music is a leading independent music publisher. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Bug Music currently owns and/or manages copyrights, including classics and contemporary hits such as “Fever,” “What a Wonderful World,” “I Walk the Line,” “Summer in the City,” “The Real Slim Shady,” “Who Are You?,” “Under the Boardwalk,” and “The Passenger.”

Bug Music’s clients include the estates of musical legends Johnny Cash, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie, Del Shannon and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as contemporary icons such as Iggy Pop, Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Wilco and The National. Bug Music also supports songwriters and artists through its Arthouse Entertainment joint venture with Kara DioGuardi, 2007 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year and former American Idol judge.

“With the acquisition of Bug Music and its vast collection of evergreen and contemporary compositions, BMG further establishes itself as a leading music rights management company,” said Hartwig Masuch, CEO of BMG Rights Management. “We look forward to working with Bug Music’s exceptional roster of artists and songwriters.”

• • • •

Don Williams

ASCAP will honor country music star Don Williams with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award during its 49th Annual Country Music Awards, taking place on Sun., Nov. 6, 2011 at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland. The invitation-only event will also honor the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country songs from April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011, and present awards for Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year.

ASCAP’s Golden Note Award is bestowed upon songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Past recipients include Garth Brooks, Lindsey Buckingham, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Alan Jackson, Quincy Jones, Reba McEntire, JD Souther, Stevie Wonder, André Previn and Tom Petty.

Commenting on the award to Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said, “Don is one of country music’s most successful performers of the past four decades. His knack for finding songs that speak directly to people’s hearts has earned him millions of fans worldwide. He is a true international country music star, and we are very proud to honor him with ASCAP’s Golden Note Award in recognition of his extraordinary career.”

Texas-born recording artist and songwriter Don Williams has enjoyed 45 Top Ten hits and 17 No. 1 singles. Williams’ career stared as a member of the mid-1960’s folk-pop trio, the Pozo-Seco Singers. His self-penned hits include “The Shelter of Your Eyes,” “Lay Down Beside Me,” “Love Me Over Again,” and his collaboration with Wayland Holyfield, “Till the Rivers All Run Dry.” Williams is closely associated with songwriters Bob McDill (“Amanda,” “It Must Be Love”), Holyfield (“You’re My Best Friend,” “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”) and Danny Flowers (“Tulsa Time”), recording hit versions of their songs. Despite a well-known aversion to the spotlight, Williams has risen to international fame. His enduring place in music was recognized in 2010 with his election to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

• • • •

Kent Earls, Senior VP of Creative at Universal Music Publishing Group, and hit songwriter Joe Doyle will lead a Songwriters Law Seminar on Oct. 1 at the Listening Room. Running 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., the event will cover copyright and collaboration, publishing contracts, and singer-songwriter recording agreements. Registration here or contact Brian Mencher for more information at brian@bmlawgroup.com, or (718) 390-3503.

• • • •

City National Bank and The Recording Academy® will present NSAI’s World’s Largest No. 1 Party on Mon., Sept. 19. The event runs 4 – 5:30 p.m. and honors the past year’s top songwriters in Nashville. Join them under the big tent in the NSAI parking lot (1710 Roy Acuff Place, the former Music Mill).