Raised in Encino, California in the late 1980’s, American music has left an indelible mark on Nicol and still remains a major influence on her classic pop/folk sound today.

Although the idea of living in sunny California appeals, especially while window gazing out into a vacuum of grey misery and classic British drizzle, Nicol explains a series of large earthquakes and subsequent minor injuries paved the way, at least in part, for a transatlantic move to London with the family during her early teenage years. Nicol’s geographic history has undoubtedly contributed to a unique Anglo-American blend.

N: ‘some people say to me, hey…you’ve got a posh English speaking voice, so what’s with the west coast sound dude? Well…musically, I take a lot of inspiration from the States but there are loads of British bands I adore too. I love artists like Stevie Nicks, Carol King, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow….but I also listen to The Police, Elton John, Imogen Heap, Bowie...For me it’s all about great songs…it doesn’t matter where they hail from. Anyway, I did grow up in LA’.

So off to Blighty she went and it has to be said, English boarding schools.....a daunting prospect for anyone! However, the handy music room facilities did not go unnoticed. In fact Nicol spent the best part of her early teenage years working on intelligent melodies and insightful lyrics, some of which would later feature among a repertoire of timeless compositions….the kind Joni Mitchell would surely be proud of.

N: ‘I just felt there’s no better way to express myself. I wanted to write my own songs. I’ve never played covers. Even as a classically trained pianist, I would play a little Mozart and by the end of the session…the Dictaphone would be out, ready for my new ideas’.

Neither a scholarship offer from Saint Martins College of Art, nor an invitation to study at the Sylvia Young Theatre School could tempt Nicol away from her singing and writing. Maybe it’s just in the blood. Nicol’s uncle (formerly the guitarist in Johnny Kid and The Pirates) has toured with the likes of Van Morrison, Brian Ferry and Sir Paul McCartney.

Having recently completed numerous studio recordings, Nicol explains she is now ready to release her music to the world for the first time.

N: ‘You can’t hide forever; I just feel the time is right for people to get a chance to hear what I’m all about. I’m ready to get undressed and expose myself’. ‘How Does It Feel Now’, ‘Everybody Knows’, ‘Fall Down’, ‘Hayley’ and ‘Love’ are arguably the pick of the bunch, although Nicol is quick to confirm there is plenty more to come. A spiritual person, Nicol strongly believes in a ‘higher power’ and her own psychic ability. This ‘darker side’ leaves one curious to find out more, yet her endearing and charming honesty inspires a sense of optimism and satisfaction. Nicol is simply pop music at its best and most sophisticated.

Honest lyrics that cut straight to the heart of real life have become a trademark for the Lawrence, Kansas native, who first became enamored with songwriting after discovering Stevie Nicks as a teen. “Stevie’s lyrics were like poetry,” explains Sarah, “so I started to write poetry of my own . . . full of angst, and confusion. And the more I became interested in artistry and disinterested in school activities, the more nervous my poor mother became!”

Meeting Nicks in person after graduation sealed the deal for Buxton, who enrolled at Nashville’s Belmont University and was soon fronting a southern rock jam band and touring the Southeast. A short-lived marriage at 23 provided plenty of material to write about, and when buddy John Rich gave her a needed push and some encouragement about sticking to her musical guns, Buxton was armed and ready to conquer the country world.

Songs like “American Daughters,” “That Kind Of Day,” and “Innocence” impressed Lyric Street Records enough to sign her to a deal and release an EP this summer, and she’s poised to make her recording debut in 2008. But for a girl who’s already packed a lot of living into her 27 years, the biggest adjustment with her artist debut isn’t facing the crowds, or even coming up with witty banter onstage.

As she recently laughed and told the Lawrence Journal-World, “Being a songwriter for so many years, it was kind of a shock this year to go through stuff like, ‘Golly, I’ve got to do my hair again? I just did it two days ago!’”

Stewart was born Sept. 5, 1939 in San Diego, where he later performed and recorded three albums with folk group Cumberland Three. In 1961, he joined Kingston Trio, replacing original member Dave Guard. He left the group in 1967 to pursue a solo career, where he became the driving force behind the genre now known as Americana. In that same year, he joined Senator Robert F. Kennedy on his campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nomination, which had a profound effect on his songwriting. California Bloodlines, released early in his solo career, was included in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 200 best albums of all time

Stewart enjoyed songwriting success, penning such hits as “Daydream Believer,” a No.1 record for the Monkees, and “Runaway Train” for Rosanne Cash. In 1979, Stewart’s Top 10 album, Bombs Away Dream Babies, spawned his biggest hit, the Top 5 “Gold,” which featured collaborations with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Stewart remained a fixture on the folk circuit, and in 2000 he teamed up with former Kingston Trio bandmate Nick Reynolds, to create the Trio Fantasy Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. At the time of his death, Stewart was in San Diego completing work on a new album.

Stewart is survived by his wife, Buffy, and four children: sons Luke, Mikael and Jeremy and daughter Amy.

"The Game of Love" earned the BMI Pop Song of the Year Crystal for songwriter Gregg Alexander and his publishing company Keepin' It Real How 'Bout You Music Publishing; this distinction is given to the song tallying the most feature broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Recorded by Santana featuring Michelle Branch, "The Game of Love" was a #1 single from Santana's Arista album Shaman and has already been certified as a BMI Million-Air (one million broadcast performances). Multi-instrumentalist and producer Alexander won a Pop Award in 1999 for "You Get What You Give," a hit for his former group, the New Radicals. Alexander co-wrote "The Game of Love" with Rick Nowels (share not licensed by BMI).

Brian Wilson	Gregg Alexander	The Matrix

Lauren Christy and Scott Spock contributed three to the Most Performed List of 50 to share the BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year crown. The songs earning Christy and Spock the title were "Complicated" and "I'm With You," both #1 singles for Avril Lavigne, and "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," recorded by Jason Mraz. Christy and Spock, along with Graham Edwards (PRS), are also known professionally as songwriting/production team The Matrix. Other artists for whom they have written songs are Christina Aguilera, David Bowie, Ricky Martin, Ronan Keating, Liz Phair and Hootie & the Blowfish.

With 11 songs represented, Warner/Chappell Music Group (through its companies Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and Unichappell Music, Inc.) claimed the BMI Pop Publisher of the Year prize. Les Bider, Chairman & CEO of Warner/Chappell Music Group, accepted the crystal obelisk. The Publisher of the Year accolade is given to the publishing concern with the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. Warner/Chappell's top performing tunes were "Are You Happy Now?," "Crazy In Love," "Complicated," "Dilemma," "I'm With You," "In A Little While," "Mesmerize," "Miss You," "Picture," "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" and "Soak Up The Sun."

Brian Wilson was saluted as a BMI Icon for his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." One of the most revered pop music creators of the last 50 years, Wilson co-founded the Beach Boys and co-wrote such seminal rock and pop songs as "Good Vibrations," "I Get Around," "God Only Knows," "California Girls," "Help Me, Rhonda" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice," among many others. Collectively with the Beach Boys and individually, he helped to create the sound that defined a generation and painted the picture of the West Coast "surf" sound. His genius is embedded throughout the group's history, but it particularly resonates on their legendary 1966 release, Pet Sounds.

After an Icon video tribute, Fountains of Wayne performed "Be True To Your School," followed by Wilson Phillips - featuring Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy - singing "In My Room." Wilson and his band took the stage for several songs, closing with "Good Vibrations."

Wilson enters the elite company of previously praised BMI Icons including Isaac Hayes, Bill Anderson, James Brown, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Dolly Parton, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley . He is also the first person to be honored by BMI as both an Icon and with the President's Award (in 1995).

Of the 80 songwriters cited, nine were double winners: Sheryl Crow, R. Kelly, Jennifer Lopez, Shania Twain, N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett, and matchbox twenty's Rob Thomas.

Other writer/artists earning awards were Audioslave, Daniel Bedingfield (PRS), Big Tymers, Michelle Branch, Cam'Ron, Vanessa Carlton, Creed, Eminem, Evanescence, Ja Rule, Kid Rock, Linkin Park, Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 3 Doors Down, Uncle Kracker, and Unwritten Law.

Publishers garnering three or more awards were EMI Music Publishing (EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc./EMI-Unart Catalog, Inc./EMI-Virgin Songs, Inc.); Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc.; Universal Music Publishing Group; Dwight Frye Music, Inc.; Mr. Spock Music/Scott Spock Songs; Rainbow Fish Publishing (Christy's company) and Sony/ATV Songs LLC.

"When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down enjoyed Most Performed Song on College Radio kudos for songwriters Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson and Matt Roberts of the group. Included on 3 Doors Down's Republic/Universal CD Away From the Sun, "When I'm Gone" is published by Escatawpa Songs and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.

Another special presentation was the announcement of Andrew Horowitz as the 1st Place winner of the 2004 John Lennon Scholarship Awards. A student at the University of Michigan, Horowitz earned a $10,000 scholarship for his song, "Goodday." Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, the John Lennon Scholarship Awards recognize the talent of young songwriters between the ages of 15 and 24. More than $125,000 has been awarded over the last seven years through generous donations from Ono and Gibson Musical Instruments. The BMI Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to encouraging the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants.

Five of the 2004 top Pop songs are repeat achievers: "Heaven," first honored in 1985 for writer/artist Bryan Adams; "Landslide," a 1998 Pop Award winner for Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and the 2003 BMI Country Song of the Year via its recording by the Dixie Chicks; plus last year's winners "Complicated," "One Last Breath" and "Soak Up The Sun."

BMI's Citation of Achievement performance certificates are given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of popular music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television. This year's Pop Awards eligibility period ran October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003.

BMI presented its Country Awards last night (11/4), recognizing the songwriters and publishers of the past year's 50 most performed country songs. Ultimate honors went to the Stevie Nicks-penned "Landslide" as Song of the Year; to Jeffrey Steele as Songwriter of the Year; and to Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville as Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the evening was the tribute to Dolly Parton, who was honored as a BMI ICON. The BMI Country Awards -- country music's oldest awards celebration -- were hosted by President & CEO Frances W. Preston and Vice President Paul Corbin at the company's Music Row offices.

"Landslide" earned songwriter Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac the 35th Robert J. Burton Award as Most Performed Country Song of the Year. This distinction is given to the song tallying the most feature US broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Nicks is also publisher of the song, through her company Welsh Witch Music. Included on the Dixie Chicks' platinum Monument album Home, "Landslide" was a Country, Adult Top 40, Hot 100 and AC Billboard charts smash. Nicks previously collected a Pop Award in 1998 for Fleetwood Mac's recording of the song, which has achieved Million-Air status with over three million airplays.

Stevie Nicks | Bio

Jeffrey Steele | Bio

Dolly Parton | Bio

Jeffrey Steele claimed the title of Songwriter of the Year by placing four songs on the list of 50: "Chrome" (Trace Adkins), "The Cowboy In Me" [2nd Award] (Tim McGraw), "My Town" (Montgomery Gentry) and "These Days" (Rascal Flatts). Steele's BMI Awards total now stands at 14, with 11 Million-Air songs [16 million performances total].

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville claimed BMI Country Publisher of the Year by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. President & CEO Donna Hilley accepted on behalf of the publisher, which placed 12 songs on the most-performed list [through its companies Sony/ATV Tree and Sony/ATV Acuff Rose]: "Brokenheartsville," "I Keep Looking," "I Miss My Friend," "Living and Living Well," "A Lot Of Things Different," "Man To Man," "My Heart Is Lost To You," "Red Rag Top," "She'll Leave You With A Smile," "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo," "These Days," and "What If She's An Angel."

Dolly Parton was saluted as a BMI ICON for her "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." After a video tribute, Kris Kristofferson and Porter Wagoner took the stage to share reminiscences. Closing the program were performances by Lee Ann Womack, who sang "Jolene," and Vince Gill, who performed "I Will Always Love You."

With her first solo hit "Dumb Blonde" in 1967, Parton launched a career that helped revolutionize the world of country music for women and, through her songwriting, performing, film & television projects and entrepreneurial ventures, has made her one of the most successful and recognizable artists in history.

She has scored with more than 100 charting songs -- including 24 #1s -- and has collected 37 BMI Country and Pop Awards for such classics as "I Will Always Love You," "9 To 5," "Jolene," "Two Doors Down," "To Daddy," "Here You Come Again" and "Love Is Like A Butterfly." A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1999, she is nominated as Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2003 CMA Awards. Parton enters the elite company of previously honored BMI ICONs: James Brown, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard, Isaac Hayes, Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, and last year's Country ICON, Bill Anderson.

Of the 64 songwriters recognized, nine joined Steele as multiple winners: Tony Martin and Tom Shapiro with three songs each; Al Anderson, Toby Keith, David Lee, Lee Thomas Miller, Mark Nesler, Tia Sillers and Troy Verges with two each.

Additional publishers with three or more awards were Songs of Windswept Pacific; Universal Music Publishing Group; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.; Mosaic Music; Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc.; EMI Music Publishing; Steele's companies Gottahaveable Music/My Life's Work Music; and Shapiro's company Wenonga Music.

Among this year's honorees, 24 songs have reached the status of BMI Million-Air (accumulating at least one million broadcast performances) for a total of over 32 million performances. Based on an average length of three minutes, one million airplays is the equivalent of 50,000 hours or 5.7 years, continuously; Million-Airs on the 2003 Country list translate into 1.6 million hours or 185 years of continuous airplay. In addition to "The Cowboy In Me," songs cited for the second consecutive year were Million-Airs "Blessed," "Bring On the Rain," "I'm Movin' On" and "Young."

BMI's Citation of Achievement awards are given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of country music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television; the 2003 Country Awards eligibility period ran April 1, 2002 through March 31, 2003.

BMI represents approximately 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all areas of music. It collects license fees on behalf of American creators, as well as for thousands of creators from around the world who haven chosen BMI for American representation. The fees for the public performances of its repertoire are then distributed as royalties to the writers and copyright holders BMI represents. These performances include radio airplay, broadcast and cable television carriage and live and recorded performances by other music customers, including but not limited to the Internet, cell phone ring tones, restaurants and clubs, retail outlets, and music-on-hold.

Given only three months to live, Zevon passed up initial cancer treatment and headed to the studio to complete what would be his final album, The Wind. Infamous for his dark humor and fascination with death and dying, he faced his own mortality by writing the critically-acclaimed album as a goodbye to his friends and family. Released this August, The Wind debuted at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and featured guest appearances by friends and admirers including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Dwight Yoakam, Joe Walsh, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and others.

Born in Chicago to Russian immigrants, the classically trained pianist turned to pop music and the guitar, making his mark in Los Angeles as a commercial jingle writer, a bandleader for the Everly Brothers and songwriter for the Turtles when his 1969 debut album, Wanted Dead or Alive, failed to pay the bills. Although he was not well-known to the general public, Zevon was big on the LA music scene and his second album featured long-time friend and producer Jackson Browne, as well as guest stars such as Stevie Nicks, Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt. The self-titled record also included the song "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me," which Linda Ronstadt later covered and made a hit in 1977. His next and most commercial success was 1978's Excitable Boy, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard charts. He continued to record throughout the years up until his final release this summer.

Zevon, who was the sole guest last October on the "Late Show With David Letterman," was asked if he had learned anything about life and death since his diagnosis, to which Zevon answered: "How much you're supposed to enjoy every sandwich."

Zevon is survived by his son Jordan, his daughter Ariel, and recently born twin grandsons.]]> 2003-09-09T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233438 Artists, Berry, Chuck, Bridges, Jeff, Clapton, Eric, Crow, Sheryl, Dixie Chicks, Henley, Don, Jackson, Michael, Kid Rock, Nelson, Willie, Nicks, Stevie, Sting, Musical Styles, Country, Pop, Musicworld, Feature Although her new album isn't due out until early 2002, Sheryl Crow has nonetheless been spending a good deal of time in the public eye lately, thanks to a variety of musical activities. Indeed, it's hard to imagine any other artist who could release collaborations with both Tony Bennett and Kid Rock in the same month, as Crow has with her contributions to Bennett's new duets collection, Playin' with My Friends, and Rock's just-released Cocky. She also recently co-produced five tracks for Stevie Nicks' Trouble In Shangri-La album, performs Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" on the new various-artists holiday collection A Very Special Christmas 5, appeared in a new commercial for the Gap, performed in Lifetime's Women Rock! telecast and at the City of Hope award dinner, and sang a duet with Willie Nelson on the Country Music Awards.

But the most timely of the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist's recent public appearances was her appearance at the post-September 11 Tribute to Heroes telethon, where she tapped into the mood of the time with a moving performance of her song "Safe and Sound" (also currently featured in the Jeff Bridges/Kevin Spacey flick K-Pax).

Crow has been defying expectations ever since she trekked from her native Missouri to California in 1986. It didn't take long for the former music teacher, who holds a degree in classical piano from the University of Missouri, to make connections at the highest rungs of the pop-music ladder, first as backup singer with Michael Jackson on his 1987 Bad tour and subsequently singing backup with Don Henley, Sting, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker and the late George Harrison. Celine Dion, Wynonna Judd and Bette Midler had covered her compositions by the time A&M released her breakthrough debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club - which yielded the hits "All I Wanna Do" and "Leaving Las Vegas" - in 1993.

The self-produced Sheryl Crow followed in 1996, producing the singles "If It Makes You Happy" and "Every Day Is a Winding Road," and establishing Crow as both a multi-platinum recording artist and a widely loved performer. 1998's The Globe Sessions produced "My Favorite Mistake" and "Anything But Down," while the live Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live in Central Park featured contributions from such famous friends as Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards and the Dixie Chicks.

Previewing her forthcoming album, Crow says, "There are more piano-based songs on this record. I've never really written songs on the piano because I wanted to rock a little harder."

It's apparent that the events of September 11 and Crow's participation in the Tribute to Heroes show moved the artist to consider reworking some of the lyrics on her forthcoming album. One of her new songs, for instance, bemoaned a lack of heroes in the world - an opinion she says she no longer holds. "I feel differently about all that now after what we've seen," Crow told the Los Angeles Times. "My home in New York City is right next to a fire station, and I had a lot of good friends and familiar faces in that department who are missing now."

Alison Krauss

Ryan Adams

Lucinda Williams

Three nominations went to Ryan Adams, Ja Rule, Janet Jackson, Linkin Park, Tim McGraw, Jay-Z and BMI producer Carlos "Six July" Broady for his work with India.Arie.

The nominees were announced on January 4 at a press conference held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills and was attended by many of nominees themselves, including BMI songwriter/artists David Foster, Ja Rule and Stevie Nicks. The 44th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on February 27 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Check back here soon for a COMPLETE list of BMI Grammy Nominees.

Indeed, before Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, the group was a road-weary blues band with a surplus of critical acclaim and an undeserved lack of commercial success. But with Nicks' recruitment, the tide dramatically shifted for the stalwart quintet. Nicks was a bona fide goldmine: a superb songwriter with bewitching good looks and the voice of a despairing angel. With Nicks' added appeal, Fleetwood Mac went from cult status to global superstardom. And when Nicks launched a fortuitous solo career in the early '80s, she became a role model for generations of aspiring female rockers.

Now, with the welcome release of her first solo album in seven years, Nicks once again demonstrates her formidable musical talents. Co-produced by Sheryl Crow and featuring guest appearances by Macy Gray, Sarah McLachlan and Dixie Chick Natalie Maines, Trouble in Shangri-La teams the masterful singer/songwriter with some of her most accomplished "students." New songs like "Candlebright," "Everyday" and "That Made Me Stronger" possess the plainspoken power of diary confessions - which, as it turns out, is pretty much the case.

"My music often unfolds like the book of my life," Nicks recently stated. "Every step along the path of my life, I've been writing it all down, taking incredibly detailed notes . . . it's always deep, and it's always real."

Throughout her career, Nicks has displayed a knack for combining romantic lyricism with organic, folk-inflected pop. Born Stephanie Nicks in Phoenix, Arizona, she eventually relocated to Southern California where she met singer/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham. A musical and romantic partnership ensued, but the duo's one major label recording went unnoticed. But upon joining Fleetwood Mac, the Nicks/Buckingham magic could no longer be denied. Providing the perfect foil for Buckingham's roots-rock forays and Christine McVie's sunny love songs, Nicks composed and performed evocative ballads shrouded in mystery. She was responsible for two Top 20 Fleetwood Mac hits, "Rhiannon" and "Sara," while her 1977 ballads "Dreams" is the band's only number one song to date.

In 1982, Nick further demonstrated her musical abilities by releasing a debut solo album, Bella Donna. The disc sold over four million copies on the strength of hits like "Edge of Seventeen" and "After the Glitter Fades," and duets like "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (with Tom Petty) and "Leather and Lace" (with Don Henley). Subsequent Top 20 hits "Stand Back" (1983), "Talk to Me" (1985) and "I Can't Wait" (1986) solidified Nicks' reputation as an artist in her own right.

When Fleetwood Mac's 1997 reunion resulted in a live album, Nicks won acclaim for her show-stopping performance of "Silver Spring." Now, with the recent release of Trouble in Shangri-La, Nicks confidently begins a new chapter in her iconic career. The album features no techno flourishes, hip-hop overtones or other ingratiating contemporizations. Trouble in Shangri-La is the portrait of a recording artist still performing at the top of her game.