Alabama appears in...
Iconic Musician, Producer Barry Beckett Dies
Legendary pianist, producer, and songwriter Barry Beckett died Wednesday, June 10, in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He was 66. An architect of the profoundly influential Muscle Shoals sound crafted in Fame studios, Beckett first made his mark in Alabama. His unmistakable keys-playing can be heard on classics including James and Bobby Purify’s “I’m Your Puppet,” Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman,”…
Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns Enjoy Big Wins at 09 Dove Awards

Perennial favorite Steven Curtis Chapman walked away with the Artist of the Year crown at the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards, held Thursday, April 23 in Nashville. Also named Songwriter of the Year, Chapman has garnered more Dove Awards than any other artist in the history of the awards ceremony, including 7 Artist of the Year honors and 10 Songwriter of the Year titles.
Alison Krauss and Lil Wayne Win Big at 2009 Grammys
Ethereal BMI songwriter Alison Krauss enjoyed frequent trips to the Grammy stage during the Recording Academy’s 51st annual ceremony Sunday, February 8 in Los Angeles. In all, Krauss accepted five trophies for Raising Sand, her collaboration with rock legend Robert Plant. The pair, along with super producer and fellow BMI songwriter T-Bone Burnett, walked away with many of the night’s top honors, including album…
Keith Gattis & Adam Hood Kick-Off ‘BMI Presents’ at 12th & Porter
BMI will launch a free and fresh showcase series Tuesday, October 21 dubbed BMI Presents at 12th & Porter. Slated for 6 p.m. every other month, the recurring showcase will highlight the lifeblood of the Nashville music community: songwriters. Tapped by BMI in recognition of their current potency or potential, the artists featured will reflect the diverse hive of creators impacting today’s country charts and the evolving Music Row hit-making…
Will Kimbrough

Will Kimbrough’s guitar playing and production work are mentioned often. He’s carved out a niche supporting high-quality singer/songwriters like Rodney Crowell and Todd Snider, and producing, too. But those aren’t the only things he does well: There’s also the songwriting. In fact, Kimbrough first gained visibility playing original music with his ’80s college rock band Will and the Bushmen. “I always think of myself…
Wil Nance & Steve Dean Celebrate Millions of Performances

Friends Wil Nance and Steve Dean recently celebrated significant career milestones together as BMI saluted them both for penning songs that have achieved more than one million performances. Nance and Dean's co-written "Round About Way," recorded by George Strait, hit the one million mark, while Nance's "She's Everything" recorded by Brad Paisley, along with Dean's "Watching You" recorded by
Majority of 2008 ACM Awards Go Home with BMI Artists
BMI's country family enjoyed sweeping recognition at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards, held May 18 in Las Vegas. The prestigious Album of the Year trophy went to Miranda Lambert for her critically acclaimed project, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Lambert accepted the award with genuine surprise and gratitude, thanking both the industry and fans for embracing her "left of center" approach. Her charged performance of single "Gunpowder and…
Al Kooper Celebrates a Half-Century of Super Sessions

Guess the two-word answer to a most enlightening list of questions. Who, in 1958 at the age of 14, joined the Royal Teens (Top Five hitmakers with "Short Shorts")? Who, in 1960, began his career as a BMI songwriter with a number called "My Kinda Love," which was recorded by Anastasia? Who has written hundreds of songs, all part of his BMI catalog?…
BMI Takes Stage at Lollapalooza, ACL Music Fest & New Big State Festival
School is out, and festival season is in. BMI, the leading performing right organization, is proud to present and sponsor a stage at three of the nation's premier musical festivals: Lollapalooza August 3-5, Austin City Limits Music Festival September 14-16 and the inaugural Big State Festival October 13-14. BMI's partnership with this elite festival trifecta is designed to offer more prime showcasing opportunities to its songwriters - a distinct priority…
2007 ACMs Tout Carrie Underwood and ‘Give It Away’ to Writers Anderson and Johnson
Call her a phenomenon-a wunderkind-but leave "newcomer" monikers behind when attempting to describe country superstar Carrie Underwood. BMI's Underwood took home three trophies at the Academy of Country Music Awards Tuesday night in Las Vegas for Top Female Vocalist, Album and Video of the Year. The wins officially recognized Carrie Underwood's substantial contributions to the country music format and her unfaltering momentum.
