January 14, 2004

A Toast to Songwriters Williams and Kent

BMI songwriters Kenny Williams and Melvin Kent stopped by the New York office to share the success of their current hit song recorded by Alicia Keys. The pair co-wrote the original song "Let Me Prove My Love to You" from which elements were taken and used in Keys' single, "You Don't Know My Name," currently #4 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

"Let Me Prove My Love to You" was first recorded by R&B/soul band The Main Ingredient whose biggest hit was the 70s classic "Everybody Plays the Fool," also co-written by Kenny Williams.

Toasting Williams and Kent are (front row): BMI's Erica Tompkins, Co-Publisher and Williams' wife Mary Seymour; songwriter Kenny Williams; artist Jemeka; songwriter Melvin Kent; (back row): Williams and Seymour's son Kenny Seymour; BMI's Wardell Malloy, Charlie Feldman and Samantha Cox; Kent's lawyer Ken Salzman; and BMI's J.W. Johnson and Beka Callaway.

BMI represents more than 500,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with more than 7.5 million works.