Music News (3/11/15)

Lee Thomas Miller is in Washington, D.C. this week.

NSAI President Lee Thomas Miller, and ASCAP CEO and General Counsel Beth Matthews are among those who testified March 10 during a Senate subcommittee hearing titled “How Much For a Song?: The Antitrust Decrees that Govern the Market for Music.” Miller appeared on behalf of BMI, and Matthews on behalf of ASCAP, before the subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition, Policy and Consumer Rights to vie for changes to the outdated consent decrees which currently govern the rate setting procedures used by the PROs.

Other witnesses were scheduled to include: Matt Pincus, Founder and CEO of SONGS Music Publishing; Mike Dowdle, VP of Business Affairs and General Counsel of Bonneville International; Jodie Griffin, Senior Staff Attorney–Public Knowledge; and Chris Harrison, President of Business Affairs–Pandora Media, Inc.

This hearing follows last week’s reintroduction of the Songwriter Equity Act (SEA) in the Senate and House of Representatives. The SEA aims to change the process that sets royalty rates for American songwriters.

Read more at MusicRow.com.

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Wayne Kemp

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Wayne Kemp, who wrote hits for such superstars as George Strait, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty and George Jones, died Monday morning, March 9, in Lafayette, Tenn.

Kemp, who was 74, had multiple ailments and was on kidney dialysis at the time of his passing. He was a native of Greenwood, Ark. As a youth, he was an auto racer.

He first rose to prominence in Music City as the writer of the 1965 George Jones hit “Love Bug.” His “Feelin’ Single, Seein’ Double” was recorded by both Jones and Emmylou Harris. Conway Twitty took Kemp’s “Next in Line” to No. 1 on the country charts in 1968, scored with the songwriter’s “The Image of Me” that same year and also hit with “Darling You Know I Wouldn’t Lie” (1969) and “That’s When She Started to Stop Loving You” (1970). Johnny Cash took Kemp’s “One Piece at a Time” to the top of the charts in 1976. Johnny Paycheck’s 1977 “outlaw” tune “I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised)” was also a Wayne Kemp creation.

Kemp continued to write big hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including “I’ll Leave This World Loving You” (Ricky Van Shelton, 1988), “The Fireman” (George Strait, 1985), a remake of “Love Bug” (George Strait, 1994), “Tell Ole I Ain’t Here He Better Get on Home” (Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley, 1980) and “Who’ll Turn Out the Lights in Your World Tonight” (Mel Street, 1980). Strait also recorded Kemp’s “I Should Have Watched That First Step,” “Haven’t You Heard,” “Hot Burning Flames,” “That’s Where My Baby Feels at Home,” “She Knows When You’re on My Mind” and “Won’t You Come Home and Talk to a Stranger.”

Read more at MusicRow.com.

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The NMPA will welcome Lady Antebellum to headline its Spring Songwriter Showcase on March 24. The trio will also be honored with NMPA’s Icon Award for their contributions to the craft of songwriting and advocacy. The event will also recognize the Congressional sponsors of the Songwriter Equity Act, a bill to achieve fairer royalty rates for songwriters.

NMPA’s Spring Songwriter Showcase will take place at 101 Constitution’s rooftop terrace where Brooklyn-based songwriter Grace Weber will open for the trio.

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Pictured: Front row (L-R): Beth Laird, co-owner of Creative Nation Music; and Luke Laird. Back row (L-R): Travis Gordon, UMPG Creative Director; Kent Earls, Executive VP/GM of UMPG Nashville; Missy Wilson, UMPG Sr. Creative Director; and Ron Stuve, UMPG VP A&R.

UMPG Nashville has renewed its deal with Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Luke Laird, extending his longstanding relationship with the company.

Laird’s exclusive worldwide deal encompasses his entire catalogue as well as future works. Throughout more than a decade with UMPG Nashville as his publisher, Laird has garnered more than 800 credits to his name.

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ASCAP will welcome several top-shelf songwriters during its 10th Annual ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo, slated for April 30-May 2 at Los Angeles’ Loews Hollywood Hotel.

Among the writers scheduled to take part in the expo this year are Ashley Gorley (Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley), Darrell Brown (LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban), Desmond Child, Bill Withers, Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Savan Kotecha (Ariana Grande, Jessie J, One Direction), Greg Kurstin (Kelly Clarkson, Ellie Goulding), and more. Gorley will take part in The Writers Jam with Andrew Bird, Aloe Blacc, and others. Brown will participate in a live multi-genre song feedback workshop series.

Williams will participate in a conference panel on Saturday, May 2, that will focus on legislative issues affecting songwriters. Joining Williams will be songwriter/artist Aloe Blacc, ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews, and co-sponsors of the Songwriter Equity Act, Congressmen Doug Collins and Hakeem Jeffries.

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The Music Row Administrators Group will hold its first spring meeting on Thursday, March 19 at 1 p.m. in the sixth floor theater at BMI’s Nashville office.

The guest speaker will be Charles Alexander, CEO/Founder of Outside The Box Music, a digital strategy, management, marketing and artist services company. They have managed digital strategy and marketing campaigns for Keb’ Mo’, SHEL and Gabe Dixon, as well as, other artists, labels and brands. He is also the director of “Rock The Net,” a digital music initiative that educates music business professionals and shows them how to amplify their online presence.

To RSVP contact eddiekeithwilson@gmail.com.