Indie Exec to Take Over at Warner/Chappell

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Warner Music Group has named indie music industry entrepreneur Cameron Strang as chief executive of its Santa Monica music publishing firm Warner/Chappell Music.

The New York music company, which has significant operations in Burbank, said Tuesday that Warner/Chappell also acquired Strang’s Southside Independent Music Publishing for an undisclosed amount. Southside, whose artists include Bruno Mars, Brad Paisley and Uncle Kracker, has two songs nominated for the 2011 “Record of the Year” Grammy Award, including rapper B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You.”

In addition to Southside, Strang is the founder of Los Angeles’ New West Records, and co-founder of DMZ Records, a joint venture label he launched with Grammy-winning producer T-Bone Burnett and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.

David Johnson, Warner/Chappell’s chairman and chief executive since 2007, will continue as chairman until July 1, when Strang will add that title too. A new role for Johnson at Warner Music, where he began as general counsel in 1999, was not announced.

“Cameron’s impressive track record of identifying and signing some of the industry’s most successful emerging songwriters and catalogs and his proven success as an entrepreneur make him the ideal executive to lead Warner/Chappell,” said Warner Music Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. in a statement. “He’ll be a great fit for the progressive and entrepreneurial culture that exists within WMG.”

Warner/Chappell Music owns the rights to music as varied as standards “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Winter Wonderland” to the works of artists such as Eric Clapton, Green Day and Lil Wayne. It sold its printed music division in 2005.

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