Dualtone Music Group President, Paul Roper, Passes After Cancer Battle

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Paul Roper

Paul Roper, President of Dualtone Music Group, passed away on Tuesday (Dec. 17) after a battle with cancer.

Roper joined Dualtone Music Group in 2002 as an intern and swiftly rose through the ranks, becoming a key leader at the label and ultimately serving as President and Partner. He played an integral role in the release of over 200 albums, garnering Americana Music Association Awards as well as four Grammy wins and multiple nominations.

Roper was instrumental in championing critically-acclaimed albums by The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mt. Joy, Shakey Graves, Shovels & Rope, Flipturn, Brett Dennen, Langhorne Slim, Wilder Woods, Guy Clark, Chuck Berry, Mouse Rat, June Carter Cash and more.

He was known as visionary leader in the music space he called “Amerikinda,” and celebrated great songwriting across genres. Roper was also known as a tireless advocate for artists.

“When we started touring in our 15-passenger van, we used to park at the venue and bide our time until it was time to load in. We didn’t have money for hotels, and we’d usually be splitting Subway sandwiches or Clif Bars between us,” shares Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers. “I’ll never forget when Paul Roper showed up to the parking lot behind the venue in Nashville and met us with beer and pizza. It was a small gesture on his side, but a massive one to us.”

Under his leadership, Dualtone earned a reputation as a trusted partner for artists and a leader in independent music. In the wake of the East Nashville tornado in 2020, Roper shared, “The spirit of this company has always been bigger than any person or place. We had a lot of great memories in that building, but the heart of Dualtone is the music, the artists, the staff, the community. No storm could ever take that away.”

He is survived by his wife and their four children. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Corner to Corner in his memory.

A memorial service for Roper will take place at Belmont University’s Fisher Center on Monday (Dec. 23) at 10:30 a.m.

LB Cantrell
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