Nashville Tree Grows New Branch

05/20/1998 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Bruce Haring

(5/20/98) - Nashville's music publishing giant Sony/ ATV Tree has purchased independent publishers Little Big Town Music and Tom Shapiro Music, in a wave of deals said to be worth in excess of $20 million.

The deals give Sony/ ATV Tree, which was until last year Billboard's top country music publisher, the copyrights to thousands of new songs, and has beefed up its already strong roster of songwriters. Hitmakers like Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn fame, Emory Gordy Jr. of Patty Loveless fame and Gretchen Peters are already staff writers at Tree.

Writers joining the ranks include famed hitmaker Bib DiPiero, who's penned such tunes as George Strait's "Blue Clear Sky," Neal McCoy's "Wink" and (McCoy's soon-to-be-ex-wife) Pam Tilliss ' "Cleopatra, Queen Of Denial." DiPiero's catalog has also been purchased as part of the deal.

Tom Shapiro's hits include Terri Clark's "Better Things To Do" and "When Boy Meets Girl," and Kathy Mattea's "Walking Away A Winner." Also joining the Tree writing staff are Randy Bachman, formerly of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, a part-time Nashville resident.

Insiders say the deal will further solidify Tree's position as the world's leading country music publisher. As part of the acquisition, Tree's top ranks have been re-organized. Donna Hilley remains president and CEO. Don Cook is now chief creative officer and Little Big Town's Woody Bomar has been installed in the new position of vice president and general manager.