BMI is very saddened to learn of the death of Lisa Marie Presley, who passed away on Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 54. A talented singer/songwriter and music creator, the only daughter of the legendary Elvis Presley started her own career in the music business in the… Read more...
“Great means incredibly well crafted, easily memorable, with a universally relatable sentiment and a sense of authenticity—“from the heart” as they say. Iconic means touching a cultural nerve, standing the test of time and instantly recognizable by many people - that holds true even if it’s not widely considered… Read more...
BMI is saddened by the passing of Deborah McCrary, one of four sisters in the legendary gospel group, The McCrary Sisters. Having learned to sing from her Baptist preacher and gospel musician father, Reverend Samuel H. “Sam” McCrary of the famed Fairfield Four, Deborah, along with Ann, Regina, and Alfreda… Read more...
As one half of the preeminent songwriting duo, Leiber & Stoller, Mike Stoller has garnered a legacy that most composers can only dream of. The list of credits attributed to him and his late partner, lyricist Jerry Leiber, constitutes some of the most beloved selections from the canon of American… Read more...
BMI is thrilled to celebrate the best in songwriting at the 70TH Annual BMI Pop Awards. Legendary music creators Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller will be honored as BMI Icons, celebrating their indelible and timeless contributions to the art of songwriting. BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of… Read more...
BMI is saddened by the loss of one of our most talented recording engineers, Al Schmitt, who passed away Monday at the age of 91. During his long and continuously impressive career, Schmitt, who joined BMI in 1971, won a record-breaking 20 GRAMMYS for his creative recording talents on more… Read more...
BMI is saddened by the passing of three Outlaw-Country pioneers, Billy Joe Shaver, Jerry Jeff Walker and Johnny Bush. Shaver was the writer of some of country music’s greatest songs, including “Honky Tonk Heroes,” “Georgia on a Fast Train,” “Old Five and Dimers Like Me,” and “Live Forever.” Along with… Read more...
Sometimes, playing it safe is the most dangerous thing we can do. This is especially applicable when our goal is to write songs that rise above the competition; songs that become artists’ signature songs; and songs that impact audiences and propel artists to a next level. We need to find… Read more...
At my BMI Nashville Songwriters’ Workshops, I screen and critique songs from each attendee. When I find songs that I believe are competitive with those being written by today’s top hitmakers, I forward them to ten music publishers who have agreed to listen. After the last BMI Workshop, I forwarded… Read more...
When I worked in the A & R Department at a major record label, and later, as production coordinator for albums by hit artists, in many cases, my ears were the first barrier that had to be crossed when a song was submitted for those acts. Almost all the songs… Read more...
