Music News 1/27/2011

UMPG Nashville signs Ray Scott • Pete Best signs with Dan Hodges Music • BMI & KUPL present Kix Brooks & Friends • Singles Only offer “A Night of Hits” • Kobalt Expands •  BMG Deal With Notable Music

UMPG Nashville signs Ray Scott

Universal Music Publishing recently signed singer/songwriter Ray Scott to its roster. Scott wrote or co-wrote every song on his latest project, Ray-ality, produced by Dave Brainard.

(L-R) back: UMPG Nashville Creative Mgr. Dave Pacula, Sr. VP Creative Kent Earls, and Creative Mgr. Freeman Wizer. Front: UMPG Nashville VP A&R/Special Projects Ron Stuve, Pres. Pat Higdon, Ray Scott and Sr. Creative Dir. Cyndi Forman

•••

Pete Best Signs with Dan Hodges Music

Singer/songwriter Pete Best has signed a publishing agreement with Dan Hodges Music, LLC.

(L-R): Perry Howard, BMI Dir. Writer/Publisher Relations; Pete Best; and Dan Hodges, Owner/GM Dan Hodges Music, LLC

•••

BMI & KUPL Partner to Present “Songwriters Night with Kix Brooks & Friends”

BMI joined KUPL-FM in Portland, Oregon, to present a special “Songwriters Night with Kix Brooks and Friends” at Alpha Broadcasting’s Bing Lounge on January 20. In addition to Brooks, BMI songwriters Bob DiPiero and Big Al Anderson gave KUPL listeners and clients an inside look into the art of songwriting.

(L-R): BMI’s Dan Spears, Bob DiPiero, Big Al Anderson, KUPL PD Scott Mahalick, Alpha Broadcasting Chairman/CEO Larry Wilson and Kix Brooks.

•••

Singles Only Presents “A Night of Hits”

Singles Only, a new pitch group consisting of pluggers from seven successful independent publishers, held its first “A Night of Hits” show featuring performances of the writers’ best uncut material. The quarterly event took place at the Listening Room on January 19. The group’s roster includes multiple Grammy and CMA award winners who have amassed over 100 No. 1 hits, including hitmakers Bob DiPiero, Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, Liz Rose, Bobby Pinson, Jim Collins, Dave Berg, Tia Sillers, busbee, Neil Thrasher, Chris Lindsey, Victoria Shaw, Robert Ellis Orrall, Peter McCann, Jonathan Singleton, Jon Mabe, and Kent Agee, as well as up-and-comers Angaleena Presley, Brandon Kinney, Bruce Wallace, Caitlyn Smith, Casey Kessel, Dean Alexander, Emily Shackelton, Eric Paslay, Kip Moore, Lonnie Lee Fowler, Lisa McCallum, Sarah Buxton and Steven Lee Olsen.

(L-R): Natalie Harker, Cal IV Ent.; Denny Carr, Roots Three Music; Penny Everhard, Love Monkey Music/Tom-Leis Music; Daniel Lee, Ten Ten Music Group; Taylor Lindsey, BMG Rights Mgmt.; Scott Ponce, Liz Rose Music; and Shane Barrett, Shane Barrett Music.

•••

Kobalt Music Group is expanding its core business beyond music publishing to include the administration and marketing of other rights such as neighboring rights, synch rights for master recordings, and others to be announced later this year.

The company has worked for the last 18 months to develop a global extended rights collections platform which combines multiple rights into one large database. Kobalt’s new online synch database and licensing system will debut in late spring 201l at www.kobaltmusic.com.

•••

BMG has signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Notable Music Co., the entity founded by Cy Coleman. In addition to Coleman’s prestigious catalogue, BMG will represent the rights of Notable Music Co.’s full catalogue including the works of Bobby Hebb, Clifton Davis, Rosanne Cash, Wax Poetics, Chico Mann, Adriane Young, Aja West/The Mackrosoft and new masters by critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sam Phillips.

BMG also announced that its North American division has signed an exclusive worldwide agreement with Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens) which sees BMG handling all of the artist’s administration, collection and exploitation efforts worldwide on both back catalogue and recent releases.