Ben Vaughn, the president and CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, one of the leading publishing companies in Nashville, passed away Thursday morning at the age of 49. The cause of his death has not been disclosed at this time.
In a memo to staff, Warner Chappell Music co-chairs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall shared the news of his passing;
“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.”
Vaughn quickly climbed the ranks in the music industry, becoming one of Nashville’s youngest executives to lead a major publishing company when he was appointed EVP and GM of EMI Music Publishing. His achievements included being recognized in the 40 Under 40 list and discovering emerging talent, such as country star Thomas Rhett, whom he signed to a publishing deal early in his career.
In 2012, Vaughn joined Warner Chappell, where he was named president in 2017 before being promoted to president and CEO in 2019.
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