Lee Thomas Miller Signs With SMACKSongs

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Pictured (L-R): SMACK’s Jeremy Groves, Carly Sater, Lee Krabel, Lee Thomas Miller, SMACK’s Robert Carlton, Robin Palmer and Sam Sarno

Hitmaker Lee Thomas Miller has signed a publishing deal with SMACKSongs.

With a career spanning over three decades, Miller has earned eighteen top 20 singles, including seven No. 1s, and 13 BMI radio performance awards. His songs have collectively received more than 25 million spins and garnered hundreds of millions of streams worldwide.

“One of the first songwriters to welcome me in the publishing business 15 year ago was Lee Thomas Miller,” says Lee Krabel, SVP of Publishing at SMACK. “I’m incredibly excited to get the opportunity to work with Lee again at SMACK. He is simply one of the best songwriters to ever come to Nashville. Looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together!”

Miller has also earned three Grammy nominations, a Teen Choice Award, and four NSAI “Songs I Wish I Had Written” trophies. Additionally, he won a CMA and an ACM Award for Song of the Year with “In Color” by Jamey Johnson. Another iconic hit, “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins, secured Song of the Year titles at both the ASCAP and NSAI Awards and the Single of the Year at the CMA Awards. Miller has had cuts with Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Brothers Osborne and more.

“This one is really special. Lee is one of the truly great songwriters in this town,” says Robert Carlton, President at SMACK. “He could go anywhere but the fact that he entrusted SMACK with this next chapter of his career is a big win for all of us. Personally, it hits a sentimental note for me because my dad gave Lee his first deal. I grew up listening to Lee’s catalog and demos as a kid. His songs are as relevant and as timely now as they were back then. I know my dad has got to be looking down proud to have a hand in this signing.”

“It is an honor to begin the next chapter of my career writing songs at SMACK. Not only have I been a fan of Shane McAnally’s songwriting his entire career, I also love what he and Robin Palmer have built in this publishing company,” says Miller. “I could not be more impressed with their team and the close ties I have to them already. I worked with Lee Krabel for many years early in his career and Robert Carlton’s late father Jeff Carlton gave me my big break when he signed me to my first publishing deal in the ’90s. Lee and Robert are impressive publishers now who have surrounded themselves with quality professionals as well as humans. I have to think Jeff is smiling today and would tell me I’m in good hands. Everything about this feels right.”

Lorie Hollabaugh
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