# #Bill Hearn, President and CEO of EMI
CMG, announced the appointment of Christian music veteran Eddie DeGarmo to
the newly created position of President, EMI Christian Music Publishing (EMI
CMP). DeGarmo will report directly to Hearn and join the company on April 1,
2002.
As president, DeGarmo will oversee vision, direction and business
development for EMI CMP, including writer signings, development and
relations, copyright exploitation and catalog development. He will also
emphasize growing EMI CMP writers’ participation in film, television and
commercial projects and interface closely with record label A&R teams in
developing artists, songs and product.
In addition to his new responsibilities, DeGarmo will maintain ownership in
Meaux Music, and has signed a long-term worldwide, exclusive administration
agreement with EMI CMP for his flourishing independent publishing group.
?Eddie?s experience as an artist, writer, producer, label owner, and A&R
and publishing executive give him all the skills necessary to expand the
scope of our publishing business and provide creative leadership for our
writers, producers, artists, label partners and the industry. EMI CMP has
been extremely successful and I believe the appointment of Eddie to this new
position will bring even greater creative and financial results. I could
not be more excited to have Eddie back at EMI CMG.?
?Bill has made a visionary move to elevate the publishing function by
appointing a President,? said DeGarmo. ?I hope to create a new paradigm in
the world of Christian music publishing. I would like to build upon the
strong foundation and reputation for excellence that EMI CMP has established
and to create a culture of creativity and collaboration that we?ve not seen
in our industry.?
DeGarmo has a storied past in the Christian music industry, starting in the
70s as one half of the Christian rock duo DeGarmo & Key. Shortly before
retiring from the band, DeGarmo partnered with Dan Brock, Dana Key and Ron
Griffin, to create ForeFront Records in 1987. ForeFront became the first
label to target the youth culture, along the way breaking some of the
biggest acts in the industry, among them dcTalk, Rebecca St. James, Audio
Adrenaline and most recently, teen phenom Stacie Orrico. ForeFront was
acquired by EMI CMG in 1996 and in 1999, DeGarmo and Brock turned the
leadership of ForeFront over to its then general manager Greg Ham, now
ForeFront?s President.
After a short hiatus from the music business, DeGarmo launched Meaux Music
in 2000. In less than two years, Meaux Music has compiled a roster of young
writers and producers that includes Ted (Tedd T) Tjornhom, Michael-Anthony
Taylor, Marc Byrd, Christine Byrd, Pete Stewart, Antonio Phelon, Shannon
Ford, Nathan Romagnoli and Robert Marvin. Meaux Music writers have garnered
twelve Dove nominations this year.
Meaux Music will be under the day-to-day management of Brad Ford, who is
creative director for the company. DeGarmo said that Meaux Music will focus
on their current writers efforts and will sign no new writers, allowing him
to focus on his new responsibilities at EMI CMP and the continued
development of Meaux Music.
?I also see myself spending a great deal of time working with the label A&R
teams. Because of my A&R background from my days at ForeFront, I will be
able to support the A&R teams, especially by signing, and then spending time
to develop artists before they record their first projects. That?s
something that happens regularly in the pop world from which we could learn
a lesson. Artists, especially those who are songwriters, need time to
mature and grow in their craft and are always better off if that happens
before they make their first record?, said DeGarmo.
EMI CMP Senior Vice President, Steve Rice, will leave the company in April
to pursue other interests.
?Steve has been an invaluable member of the EMI CMG leadership team for
the past eleven years. He has played a key role particularly in the areas
of copyright exploitation, administration, acquisitions and new media such
as the development of WorshipTogether.com. Steve also contributed to
advancing our efforts in film and television where he and his team placed
more than ninety of our copyrights last year? said Hearn. ?We will miss his
dedication and professionalism, but I respect Steve?s decision and wish him
much success as he seeks new professional opportunities.?
EMI CMP was formed in 1994 after EMI CMG acquired Meadowgreen Music and
created a new unit from Sparrow’s publishing group. As a full-service
publisher, EMI CMP today represents more than seventy writers and 24,000
songs. Its artist/writers are signed to ForeFront, Sparrow, EMI Gospel and
InPop Records. EMI CMP also administers catalogs for Gotee, Tooth & Nail,
BEC, and many other catalogs, and recently completed the acquisition of 50%
of Thank You Music in the UK. EMI CMP was also named BMI?s Christian Music
Publisher of the Year in 2001.
Brentwood, Tennessee-based EMI CMG was founded in 1994. It is the world?s
largest Christian music company, operating the Sparrow, ForeFront, Worship
Together and EMI Gospel labels in addition to EMI Christian Music Group
Publishing and Chordant Distribution Group.
