Blacktop Music Group’s Mike Sebastian has announced the re-signing of hit songwriters Marty Dodson and Jimmy Yeary. Dodson’s latest chart-topper is Kenny Chesney‘s No. 1, “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven.” He also co-wrote the Billy Currington No. 1, “Must Be Doin’ Something Right.” Yeary has had songs recorded by Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, John Michael Montgomery, The Lost Trailers, James Otto, Steve Holy and Emerson Drive.
Pictured (l-r) are: Blacktop’s Lindsay Gum, Jimmy Yeary, Blacktop’s Mike Sebastian, Marty Dodson and Blacktop’s Kim Wiggins.

Taylor Swift attended BMI’s 57th Annual Pop Awards in Los Angeles, where she enjoyed a prestigious surprise. In addition to earning a BMI Pop Award for her crossover hit, “Teardrops on My Guitar,” Swift received the BMI President’s Award, which honors an exceptional individual in the entertainment industry deserving of special recognition. The BMI President’s Award is presented only on occasions when an individual has distinctly and profoundly influenced the industry. Swift is the youngest individual ever to receive the honor. Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the invitation-only ceremony was hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President/General Manager, Los Angeles, Barbara Cane and also recognized the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed pop songs from BMI’s catalog of more than 6.5 million compositions.

Taylor Swift accepts the BMI President’s Award from BMI President & CEO Del Bryant

Duff Berschback has been promoted to VP of Business Affairs at Sony/ATV Nashville. Berschback joined Sony/ATV Nashville in January 2007 as Senior Director of Business Affairs after six years as an entertainment attorney with his own Nashville-based private practice. Bershback will report directly to Sony/ATV Nashville’s President/CEO, Troy Tomlinson, and is responsible for all contract negotiations, catalog acquisitions, and copyright infringement litigation. “Duff has proven to be a welcome addition to our Nashville team,” Tomlinson said. “His professionalism, work ethic and love of songwriters made this advancement obvious.”

In a 21 to 9 vote today (5/13), the House Judiciary Committee voted to send the Performance Royalties Act to the full House for a vote. During a heated three-hour hearing, three amendments to the bill were offered and only one amendment, which reduced the fees to small broadcasters, was embraced. Broadcasters were buoyed when Democratic California representative Maxine Waters reversed her support for H.R. 848, stating concern about the bill’s potential financial impact on broadcasters.

David Renzer, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has announced the promotion of Pat Higdon to President for Universal Music Publishing Group, Nashville. Most recently, Higdon served as Executive Vice President/General Manager for UMPG Nashville. In this new role, Higdon will preside over the company’s country music publishing activities, reporting to Renzer. The list of top writers that have trusted their song careers in Higdon’s hands includes Don Schlitz, Josh Turner, Dave Loggins, Troy Verges, Rivers Rutherford, Radney Foster, Shooter Jennings, Monty Powell, Matraca Berg, Anders Osborne, Gary Harrison, Troy Seals, Shawn Camp, Tim Mensy, and many more.

A Nashville native, Higdon broke into the music industry in the early ‘70s as a recording engineer at Nashville’s Woodland Sound before moving to Cedarwood Publishing. He then spent seven years with MCA Music, rising to MCA’s Vice President of Nashville operations. In the late `80s, he moved to Warner/Chappell Music, where he served as Senior Director of Creative Services. In 1989 Higdon founded Patrick Joseph Music as a joint venture with Warner/Chappell. He established a similar relationship in 1992 with Los Angeles-based Windswept Pacific Entertainment. The success of Patrick Joseph Music’s boutique catalog caught the attention of Universal Music Publishing Group and Higdon was tapped to run the Nashville operation in 1999. In his position with Universal, Higdon manages a catalog that spans the width of the musical landscape, from the 1940’s Folk/Blues of the Delmore Brothers, the 1950’s and 1960’s classics of Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly, country classics from Webb Pierce, Brenda Lee, Mel Tillis, and the works of Bob McDill, Pat Alger, Dickey Lee, Kostas, Mel Tillis, Marijohn Wilkin, Stephanie Bentley, Matraca Berg, Gary Burr, Troy Verges, Craig Wiseman, Emmylou Harris, Ed Hill, Marcus Hummon, and many more.

“What we’ve achieved is a testament to this company’s artists, songwriters, catalogues, and employees,” said Higdon. “I’m pleased to build on the great results we’ve achieved artistically and commercially over many years. I firmly believe in the mantra of great songs and great songwriters and have always invested in careers for the long haul. We’re building a catalogue at UMPG that I believe will weather the test of time.”