Music News (3/7/13)

Top Row (L-R): Amanda Merki, Executive Assistant to Kent Earls, UMPG Nashville; Ron Stuve, VP of A&R/Special Projects, UMPG Nashville; Whitney Williams, Creative Director, UMPG Nashville; Missy Wilson, Senior Creative Director, UMPG; Tammy Helm, Manager of Administration, UMPG Nashville; Travis Gordon, Creative Manager, UMPG Nashville; Freeman Wizer, Creative Director, UMPG Nashville. 
Bottom row (L-R): Kendall Connell, Receptionist, UMPG Nashville; Cyndi Forman, Vice President, Creative, UMPG Nashville; Troy Verges; Kent Earls, Executive Vice President/General Manager, UMPG Nashville; John Mark Capers, Catalog and Studio Manager, UMPG Nashville

Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville has renewed their exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Troy Verges. Verges has been with UMPG since 1999 with writing credits on “Wanted,” by Hunter Hayes and “Beer Money,” recorded by Kip Moore. In 2011, he garnered Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for his original composition “Coming Home,” which was featured prominently in the film Country Strong. His songs have been recorded by Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion and Il Divo, among others.

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Pictured (L-R): Songwriter Josh Kear, Tenn. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, co-chair of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus, songwriter Dan Wilson and ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams

ASCAP presented a performance and Q&A session with Josh Kear and Dan Wilson on Tuesday (Feb. 26) in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., in an event to entertain and inform members of Congress and their staffs about the creative process of songwriting and the challenges facing songwriters in the digital world. The event was hosted by ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams, while Rep. Marsha Blackburn, co-chair of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus, welcomed the songwriters to the Hill.

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Pictured (L-R): Clay Bradley, BMI; Clay Myers, GM/ Big Tractor Music; Wade Kirby and Scott Hendricks, President /Owner Big Tractor Music

Big Tractor Music has re-signed Wade Kirby, according to an announcement from the publishing company’s general manager Clay Myers. Kirby’s songwriting credits includes cuts and singles by George Strait, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Faith Hill, Darius Rucker, Craig Morgan, Tate Stevens, Joe Nichols, Billy Currington, Gretchen Wilson and many others. He also co-wrote the current Easton Corbin single, “All Over The Road.”

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HoriPro Entertainment Group has acquired Full Circle Music Publishing. The deal was completed in mid-February. HoriPro acquired Full Circle Music Group’s catalog and assumed all writers’ contracts, including writers Bob Regan, Will Nance, Brandon Ray and Tommy Cecil.

Full Circle Music Group’s catalog includes “When I Get Where I’m Going,” “Old Alabama,” “All My Friends Say” and “Boys of Fall,” among many others.

HoriPro Entertainment Group also owns catalog material from KISS, REO Speedwagon, Marilyn Manson and more. “We are pretty close to 25,000 copyrights in the company,” says Baker. Their roster includes hit songwriters such as Dean Dillon, Phil O’Donnell and Phil Barton.

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ASCAP announced on March 4, it distributed over $827 million in royalties to its members in the calendar year ending 2012, a slight increase over 2011. 2012 became the fifth year in a row that ASCAP has distributed in excess of $800 million to its members. Annual revenues were $941 million, the 3rd highest ever, but down 4.5 percent from 2011.

According to the report, growth in cable revenues (up 20 percent) and continued strength in foreign revenues were the primary factors in mitigating the impact of the radio and background music revenue declines.

ASCAP continued to upgrade its business systems in 2012 through IT innovations and ongoing, cost-saving operational improvements that resulted in an 11.3 percent operating expense ratio as compared with 12 percent last year.

ASCAP expanded its suite of online tools in 2012 including programs ASCAP OnStage, ASCAP Play Music and an enhanced mobile app, which allows access to ASCAP’s tools on any mobile device.

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Laura Wright

Big Yellow Dog Music has added Laura Wright as Creative Director. “I know I speak for all the writers as well as our staff that we are extremely excited to have Laura on our team. She’s a relentless advocate for writers and their songs,” says Big Yellow Dog Music’s Creative VP Brad Kennard. Wright was previously with EMI Music and Writers Den Music.

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Pictured (L-R): Kim Wiggins (peermusic) Kevin Lamb (V.P. peermusic Nashville) and Michael Knox (Producer/peermusic Sr. Creative Director)

peermusic has signed Oklahoma native Jaron Boyer to the roster. Boyer landed his first major cut, “I Ain’t Ready To Quit,” with co-writer Thomas Rhett on Jason Aldean’s My Kind Of Party album, and has since had songs cut by Dustin Lynch, (“Yeah,Yeah, Yeah,”) Joe Nichols (“She’s Just Like That,”) and Lauren Alaina (“Livin For The Night Kinda Town,”) among others.

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Two Nashville “pitch groups,” Chicks with Hits and The Turks, joined together for an event on Feb. 27 at Nashville’s Sunset Grill for an evening of performances by several writers from each group who are in the initial phase of their publishing relationships. Performers included Jeffrey East, Dennis Matosky, David Kroll, Shel, Jake Mitchell, Forrest Glen Whitehead, Anne Marie and Brian Curtis. Over 75 people attended the event.

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Warner Chappell and THiS Music have extended their long-term partnership. Under the agreement, Warner/Chappell will continue to publish and administer THiS Music’s repertoire. THiS Music was formed in 2006 by General Manager Rusty Gaston and songwriters Tim Nichols and Connie Harrington, and launched in partnership with Warner/Chappell Music.