Music Industry Art Director Bill Johnson Passes

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Bill with wife Cynda in New Orleans 2010.


Grammy Award winning art director Bill Johnson has died at age 68. He passed away at home in Nashville on Wednesday (6/15) following a battle with lung cancer.
As the art director at CBS Records in the 1980s and 1990s, he left his visual imprint on an entire generation of country record makers. Johnson was noted for the vibrancy and saturated colors of his album-jacket designs, posters and advertisements. CBS graphics of the era were also noted for their attention to detail in everything from hair styling to wardrobe.
Johnson won his first Grammy Award for Best Album Package for 1987’s King’s Record Shop by Rosanne Cash. He won again the following year for Tired of the Runnin’ by The O’Kanes.
Other notable packages that bore his distinctive touch included Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Willie Nelson (1981), George Jones’ Shine On (1982), Rodney Crowell’s Diamonds & Dirt (1988), Dolly Parton’s Eagle When She Flies (1991), Merle Haggard’s Chill Factor (1987) and the Dixie Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces (1998).
Among the dozens of artists whose visual images he affected are Janie Fricke, Larry Gatlin, Waylon Jennings, Joe Diffie, Ricky Skaggs, Mickey Gilley, Charlie Daniels, Ricky Van Shelton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Loveless and Exile.
Prior to arriving in Nashville, Johnson was active in San Francisco and New York. He designed the iconic logo for Rolling Stone, which the magazine uses to this day, as well as the MusicRow magazine logo.
During the past five years, Johnson had been concentrating on his own artwork. His works have been regularly exhibited by The Arts Company in downtown Nashville.
He is survived by his wife, Cynda. Funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time.

NMPA Board Honors Bob Doyle

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NMPA Pres. and CEO David Israelite (R) honors Bob Doyle (L) for five years of service. Photo: Gary Gershoff/NMPA


Bob Doyle was recently re-elected to the board of the National Music Publishers’ Association and honored for his five years of service to the organization.
Elected members are Martin Bandier, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Caroline Bienstock, Carlin America; Helene Blue, Helene Blue Musique Ltd.; Bob Doyle, Major Bob Music; John Eastman, MPL Communications; Roger Faxon, EMI Music Publishing; Neil Gillis, Round Hill Music; Laurent Hubert, BMG Chrysalis; Dean Kay, Demi Music Corp.; Leeds Levy, Leeds Music; Evan Medow, Secret Sauce Music; Ralph Peer II, peermusic; MattPincus, Songs Music Publishing; John Rudolph, Bug Music; Michael Sammis, Universal Music Publishing Group; Cameron Strang, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.; and Richard Stumpf, Imagem Music. Also re-elected is Board Chairman Irwin Robinson, The Richmond Organization.
Board members are all active U.S. music publishers. They serve two-year terms.
“The NMPA membership benefits so much from the tireless commitment and dedication of this board,” said NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “It is my privilege and pleasure to work with them on issues important to music publishers and songwriters. Their leadership on behalf of the industry is valued and I am grateful for their service.”
The election results were announced at the NMPA’s Annual Meeting in New York City June 15. The gathering, which brings together hundreds of songwriters and music publishers each year, was also an opportunity to recognize several board members for their length of service. Recognized were Doyle for five years of service, Eastman for 15 years, Kay for 20 years, Levy for 30 years and Peer for 40 years. Robinson was recognized for 25 years of service as Chairman.
The NMPA is the trade association representing American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and songwriters in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights.

Are Netflix and Cable Operators At War?

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As the entertainment world continues to fragment there is growing concern and questions over consumer habits. Conventional wisdom seemed to say that added choices meant engaged TV/video viewers would watch more across all distribution channels. However, recent Nielsen SoundScan research and reports from The Diffusion Group are beginning to question that supposition.
For example, the recent Diffusion Group report showed that Netflix customers who stream content over the Internet are “more than twice as likely” to drop some of their pay TV services. A recent article in TheWrap.com noted, 32% of those streaming Netflix content are likely to downgrade other paid video services which is a 100% increase over last year.
Nielsen SoundScan has also said it sees, especially among consumers in the 18-34 demo, a growing trend of either/or between regular TV and online video. The findings, as reported on Billboard.com, are not chord cutting, but rather a subtle shift driven by cost savings.
However, other findings still show viewing on the rise in all areas leading some cable execs unconcerned. Time Warner Chief Research Officer Jack Wakshlag dismissed the new research telling Billboard, it’s, “Not something we view as destructive or damaging.”
But  TDG researcher Michael Greeson says TV and Netflix will have to acknowledge their adversarial relationship. “Both Netflix and PayTV operators have long been aware that there will come a point at which its services are not only dilutive to regular TV viewing, but antithetical to PayTV subscription levels. The question for realistic observers has been not if this will occur, but when.”
 

Leadership Music Names New Class

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Forty-five new members have been selected to participate in the 23rd class of Leadership Music. The annual program is designed to create a forum for established music community leaders to identify and explore issues currently affecting the music industry.
“The Leadership Music Class of 2012 is an impressive group of industry professionals with a wealth of experience and expertise from a diverse field of music businesses,” said Pat Collins, SESAC President/COO, who, as immediate past president of the board of directors, chaired the committee. “Once again, the selection committee has done an outstanding job in selecting members for a great Leadership Music class and I am certain all will find the nine month experience enlightening and rewarding.”
Members of the Class of 2012 are: Monisa Angell, Violist; Sarah Baer, Tour Producer, Sponsorship, Marketing, 4 Fini; John Barker, President/CEO, Clearbox Rights, LLC; Terrie Bjorklund, National Associate General Counsel/ Copyright & Intellectual Property, AFTRA (Washington, DC); Chris Boardman, President/Owner, Chimimi Music; Paul Brown, Owner, Red Hat 22; Bryan Calhoun, VP, New Media & External Affairs, SoundExchange Inc. (Washington, DC); John Capek, Songwriter/Producer; Rosemary Carroll, Partner, Carroll, Guido & Groffman (New York City, NY); Bryan Clark, President/Artist/Producer, Rainfeather Records/Rainfeather Entertainment; Bradley Collins, Director, Writer/Publisher, BMI; Lori Condon, General Manager, Acony Records; Mark Crawford, Coordinator of Commercial Music, Tennessee State University; Jaynee Day, President/CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee; Patti Donohoe, VP, The Bazel Group; Tammy Donham, VP Marketing, Country Music Association; Christi Dortch, VP of Programming, Sales & Event Services, Tennessee Performing Arts Center; Yvonne Drazan, Latin Creative Director, West Coast & Mexico, Peermusic (Burbank, CA); Bryan Frasher, VP Promotion BNA Records, Sony Music Nashville; Andre Gaccetta, VP Marketing, George P Johnson; Suzanne Gordon, VP, Programming, Great American Country; Chad Green, Creative Director, Word Music Publishing; Dennis Gwiazdon, VP/GM, South Central Media; Jeffrey Hill, Agent, Creative Artists Agency; Amy Isbell, VP Public Policy & Government Relations, Universal Music Group (Washington, DC); Tamara Johnson-George, CEO, Tifandnik Entertainment; Jordan Keller, Partner, Keller, Turner, Ruth, Andrew, Ghanem & Heller, PLLC; Andrew Kintz, Managing Director, Suntrust Bank; Joan Kornblith, Correspondent/Program Host/Producer, Voice of America (Washington, DC); Dee McLaughlin, SVP Brand Marketing & Creative, CMT; Louis Meyers, Executive Director, Folk Alliance International (Memphis, TN); Clay Mills, Songwriter, SeaGale Publishing; Tiffany Moon, Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Academy of Country Music (Encino, CA); John Ozier, Director of A&R, Curb Records; Tree Paine, VP of Publicity, Warner Music Nashville; Brad Paul, VP Promotions, Rounder Records (Burlington, MA); Sherod Robertson, President/Owner, MusicRow Enterprises, LLC; Ian Rogers, CEO, Topspin Media, Inc. (Santa Monica, CA); David Schober, CEO, DASP Productions; Lang Scott, President/Managing Partner, Music City Networks; Scott Scovill, Owner, Moo TV, CenterStaging, Moo Creative Media; Tom Silverman, CEO, Tommy Boy Records (New York City, NY); Paul Sizelove, VP, Gaither Music Group; Steven Tepper, Associate Director, The Curb Center for Art Enterprise & Public Policy, Vanderbilt University; Hunter Williams, Sr. VP, SESAC, Inc.

"Live A Little" At No. 1

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BMI toasted the team behind the Kenny Chesney No. 1 hit “Live a Little” at a party in its Music Row lobby on June 2. The single, Chesney’s twenty-second trip to the top of the charts, was co-written by Shane Minor and David Lee Murphy. BMI songwriter Minor has lived more than a little: He was a bull rider and Los Angeles police officer before his current career as a hit-maker. The recent Chesney smash marks his fifth chart-topper.

(L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, BNA Records’ Bryan Frasher, producer Buddy Cannon, co-writers David Lee Murphy and Shane Minor, EMI Music Publishing Nashville’s Tom Luteran, BNA Records’ Skip Bishop, and BMI’s David Preston. Photo: Steve Lowry

Artist Updates: Sunny Sweeney, Margaret Durante, LeAnn Rimes

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Sunny Sweeney performed to a packed crowd in Louisville, KY recently (6/10) at 4th Street Live! Her set included several tunes from her album, due out on August 23, including her current single, “Staying’s Worse Than Leaving” and the Top 10 hit, “From A Table Away.”

Pictured (L-R): Sweeney and WAMZ PD Coyote Calhoun. Photo: Shari Roth, Courtesy of Republic Nashville

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Margaret Durante dropped by the MusicRow offices on Tuesday (6/14) to visit with the staff and perform a few songs from her Maybe Tonight digital EP.

Front Row (L-R): Tim McFadden, R&J Records; David Ross, Music Row; Margaret Durante; Sarah Skates, Music Row; Jon Freeman, Music Row. Back Row (L-R): Christie King, Music Row; Scott Siman, RPM Management; Schatzi Hageman, Hot Schatz PR; Sherod Robertson, Music Row Photo: Courtesy Hot Schatz PR

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LeAnn Rimes





LeAnn Rimes released her new song “Give” this week (6/14). “’Give’ is a powerful song with a message that I believe needs to be shared with the world, especially in these times,” Rimes says. “I’m so honored to sing this song and help spread that message.” Click to listen to the song.