Music News 1/6/11

Cameron Strang

Warner Music Group Corp. recently announced the appointment of veteran music industry entrepreneur, Cameron Strang, as CEO of Warner/Chappell Music. The appointment was announced jointly by Warner Music Group’s Chairman & CEO, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., and Warner/Chappell’s Chairman & CEO, David H. Johnson.

Strang, the founder of New West Records and Southside Independent Music Publishing, will serve as Warner/Chappell’s CEO and will be based in Los Angeles. Johnson will continue as Warner/Chappell’s Chairman until July 1, 2011, at which point Strang will assume the additional role of Warner/Chappell’s Chairman. Johnson, who had served as WMG’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel since 1999, was initially elevated to serve as interim CEO of Warner/Chappell in 2006, and was subsequently promoted to Warner/Chappell’s Chairman & CEO in 2007.

Warner/Chappell has also acquired Strang’s Southside Independent Music Publishing, a leading independent music publishing company that was behind some of the biggest hits of 2010 including two of the songs nominated for the 2011 “Record of the Year” Grammy Award—B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You” and Cee Lo Green’s “F*** You.” Other recent hit songs on Southside include Brad Paisley’s No. 1 “American Saturday Night” and Uncle Kracker’s hit “Smile.”

Strang is the founder of both Southside Independent Music Publishing and New West Records, and co-founder of DMZ Records, a joint venture record label he launched with producer T-Bone Burnett, and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.

With the acquisition of Southside, Warner/Chappell gains a roster including Nashvillians Ashley Gorley, Blair Daly and Matthew West, as well as Bruno Mars, and producer Brody Brown. In 2009, Southside acquired Nashville publisher Combustion Music, and the catalog of multi-Platinum rock act Kings of Leon.

Other top Southside songs include Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” “All American Girl” and “Just A Dream;” Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This;” Brad Paisley’s “Then” and “American Saturday Night;” Kenny Chesney’s “Where I Grew Up;” Darius Rucker’s “It Won’t Be Like This For Long;” Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” and “Sex on Fire;” and Flo Rida’s “Right Round.”

Strang launched New West Records in 1995 with the signing of singer/songwriter Billy Joe Shaver. In 1998, he moved the label’s home to Los Angeles. During the last decade, Strang and New West have released numerous award-winning albums and built an impressive roster including Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Kris Kristofferson, Rickie Lee Jones, Drive By Truckers, Ben Lee, Old 97’s, and Buddy and Julie Miller. Recently New West acquired the Texas Music Group, and released the award-winning soundtrack to the film Crazy Heart.

Read about changes at New West following Strang’s exit here.

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Everyone knows the music business is going through a downturn, but an article in the Tennessean shows just how hard it is hitting songwriters.

NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison tells the newspaper that the number of Nashville songwriters making a living from their craft has dropped a drastic 75% in the last five years. Essentially, the songwriting middle class is now non-existent.

A major factor contributing to this songwriter slump is the popularity of artist co-writes. The lack of singers cutting outside songs is partially fueled by the decline in music sales and the resulting decline in mechanical income for the artist. Critics suggest this trend has had a negative effect on the quality of songs coming out of Nashville.

Among those who talked to the paper about the topic are songwriter Liz Rose, BMI Nashville chief Jody Williams and UMPG Sr. VP Creative Kent Earls. More here.

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Nashville music industry veteran Terrell Tye, 58, passed away peacefully on Christmas morning at 7 a.m. She is survived by her loving sons Josh and Zack Allen and brother Dowell Tye. Tye was also the former wife of Grand Ole Opry member Hal Ketchum.

Terrell Tye was a partner in Forerunner music, an innovative publishing partnership that included producer Allen Reynolds, singer-songwriter Jim Rooney and engineer Mark Miller. The company was purchased in 2000 by Universal Music Publishing and its catalog included hits by Ketchum, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill and many others.