Ben Vaughn obit

Ben Vaughn, Nashville Music Publishing Veteran, Dies at 49

A beloved figure in the country music world, he served as President/CEO of Warner Chappell. 

He was not on the list.

Ben Vaughn, a beloved figure in the Nashville music community who served as the president and CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, has died. He was 49.

The cause of death was not revealed in Thursday’s announcement by the publishing company’s co-chairs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall.

Vaughn joined Warner Chappell Nashville in 2012, rising to the top post at the satellite office which built a reputation for nurturing songwriting talent in country music and beyond. Under Vaughn’s leadership, Warner Chappell Nashville earned dozens of honors from across the music space, including awards from the Grammys, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, the CMA and ACM awards, among other organizations. Warner Chappell also boasts eight inductions into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Vaughn grew up in the small Kentucky town of Sullivan. A life-long country music fan, he landed a job at his local radio station, WMSK, where he obsessed over the liner notes in the CDs that arrived at the station’s office.

After graduating from Nashville’s Belmont University, Vaughn reconnected with his former middle school computer teacher, who had become a staff songwriter at Warner Chappell, getting him a job as an intern to Kurt Denny, then a creative manager.

While still at school, Vaughn took an internship at Warner Chappell’s partner company, Big Tractor Music, finding himself the company’s head at 21 years old for the company’s owner at the time, Scott Hendricks, who was head of Capitol Records Nashville and a major producer.

After six years at Big Tractor, Vaughn took a job at EMI, where he would spend the next decade. At 34, he was one of the youngest executives in Nashville to head a major publishing company when he became EVP and GM at EMI, signing multiple newcomers — like country star Thomas Rhett — to their first publishing deals and working with staff songwriters. During his tenure, he oversaw all creative and commercial activities across A&R, administration, business development, finance and human resources, until a series of mergers led him to leave.

Following a six-month sabbatical, Warner Chappell tapped him to lead its Nashville office, returning to the company where he began as an intern.

Vaughn was a fierce advocate for songwriters, speaking of rights protection initiatives and the economic challenges of the craft and lending his expertise to those in the community.

Read the memo sent by Moot and Marshall in its entirety 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