Sony/ATV Music Publishing

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Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC is one of the world's largest music publishing companies. The company was formed by the 1995 merger of the Sony Corporation of America's music publishing business with ATV Music, which Michael Jackson had purchased in 1985 for $47 million. Sony and Jackson each hold 50%, although Michael Jackson's half is currently pledged as collateral on a secured loan of over $200 million.

Among Sony/ATV's most valuable holdings are the Northern Songs catalogue, consisting of 180 songs written by The Beatles (mostly by Lennon-McCartney) and (http://www.sonyatv.com)'Sony/ATV Music Nasvhille' , the 200,000 song "Holy Grail" of Country Music, wich is comprised of numourous historic music catalogs that once dominated Nashville's Iconic Music Row. The oldest and perhaps most historic of all country music catalogs is Acuff-Rose Music.

Founded in 1945 on a handshake and a promise by two of Nashvilles music industry pioneers Roy Acuff and Fred Rose, Acuff-Rose operated indepenently for 40 years until it was purchased by Opryland USA in 1982. Having enjoyed a prosporous 10 year run with Opryland, Acuff-Rose found itself in the midst of Opryland's sale to Oklahoma based media Edward Gaylord just after the turn of the century. Gaylord's leadership team, at the time consisting of Jack Rose and Colin Reed were never thought to be long term players on Music Row.

Predictably, in 2002, running very low on cash, and desperately searching for a way to acquire enough cash to finish the half built Gaylord Palms Hotel in Grapevine, TX Rose and Reed looked over to Music Row, saw a rock-solid, perrinial financial performer sitting at the corner of 17th and Grand. No doubt, the decision came quickly and easily to these astute corporate leaders/hoteliers; Acuff Rose was for sale to the highest bidder and would provide the cash infusion needed in order to complete the Gaylord Palms Hotel. Sony/ATV Music, two blocks down 17th Avenue "came to the rescue of the employees by providing the winning bid for A/R. Having the catalog remain in Nashville was the number one priorty for the management staff and all employees of Acuff-Rose. While most employees of Acuff Rose were not offered jobs during the acquisition, a core group of executives and creatives joined the Sony/ATV team and continue to thrive at what was once considered the enemy by Wesley Rose. During the same time that Wesley Rose, Bud Brown and Roy Acuff were building Acuff Rose, Jack Stapp and Lou Cowan were a couple of blocks north, building a publishing empire that really, had no peers.

However, consolidation was rampant during this time and it was only a matter of time before Tree International was purchased by the Joint Venture between Michael Jackson's ATV catalog and Sony Music Entertaintment. Having gobbled up the unquestioned jewels of Music Row, Sony/ATV Music has positioned itself as the preeminent country music publisher in the world. Ably led for many years by the trailblazing Donna Hilley, Today's Sony/ATV Nashville is headed by Music Row verteran and former Acuff-Rose songplugger, Troy Tomlinson.

Known for his fair dealings and an aw shucks persona, Tomlinson is continuing the tradition of leading music row's publishing industry from the third floor corner office at the Sony/ATV offices located at the top of Music Row. Through the longstanding practice of acquiring undervalued catalogs as well as developing A-list writers in-house, Sony/ATV Nashville boasts some of the most important country music songwriters of the last half of the 20th Century including Hank Williams, Harlan Howard, Roy Orbison, Buck Owens, Mickey Newbuy, Willie Nelson, Don Gibson, Bill Anderson, Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, Sonny Throckmorton, Dallas Frazier, Hank Cochran, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Whitey Shafer, Lefty Frizell, John D. Loudermilk, Merle Haggard and Curly Putman.

These legendary songwriters have provided a very substantial foundation for our current staff of writers to continue to build upon. Sony/ATV's current roster includes Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon, Bob DiPiero, Derrick Ruttan, Taylor Swift, Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks, Charlie Peackock, Grethen Wilson, and Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert