Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner/Chappell Nashville, has passed away, aged 49.
The news was confirmed today (January 30) in an internal memo from Warner Chappell Music Co-Chairs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall.
“It is with broken hearts that we share the unthinkable news that Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, passed away this morning,” the memo reads.
“Our deepest condolences are with his family and many friends.”
You can read their memo in full below:
To everyone at WMG,
It is with broken hearts that we share the unthinkable news that Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, passed away this morning. Our deepest condolences are with his family and many friends.
Ben has led our Nashville team since 2012, and we know that many of you around the world got to know him over the years. Anyone who had the pleasure of working with him will be as shocked and saddened as we are.
First and foremost, Ben was an extraordinary human being. He met everyone with enthusiasm, warmth, and generosity. His smile was huge, and his sense of humor was infectious.
He was always a passionate advocate of songwriters and a topflight music publisher. The Nashville community has lost one of its greatest champions, and he will be profoundly missed by so many across our company and the entire industry.
We are planning to visit the Nashville team very soon and thank you all for helping support them through this awful tragedy.
With love,
Guy & Carianne
Throughout his publishing career, Vaughn worked with artists including Thomas Rhett, Devin Dawson, Dan + Shay, Midland, Cale Dodds, LANco, Brandon Lay, Josh Phillips, Riley Green, Michael Ray, Gone West, Seth Ennis, A Thousand Horses, Morgan Evans, and Carlton Anderson.
Prior to his work at the majors, Vaughn ran an independent music publishing company from the age of 20. He joined EMI as VP, A&R in 2002.
“Ben was an extraordinary human being. He met everyone with enthusiasm, warmth, and generosity. His smile was huge, and his sense of humor was infectious. The Nashville community has lost one of its greatest champions, and he will be profoundly missed by so many across our company and the entire industry.”
Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall
In 2009, Vaughn became the youngest executive to head a major publisher in Nashville, as EVP & GM at EMI Music Publishing.
In 2017, Ben Vaughn was named President of Warner Chappell Nashville, six years after moving to the company after a decade at EMI. In this role, he headed Warner Chappell’s entire Nashville operation – including all creative and commercial activities across A&R, administration, business development, finance, and human resources.
Vaughn was promoted again in 2019 to the position of President & CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville.
In 2018, Ben Vaughn became the first music publisher to become the Chairman of the Academy of Country Music in its 52-year history.Music Business Worldwide
