From left: Fred Beteille of YouTube, Music Biz Chairman; Pete Townshend;
Roger Daltrey; James Donio, President of Music Biz; and Steve Harkins of
Baker & Taylor, Music Biz Vice Chairman.
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) kicked off Music Biz 2015 week in Nashville with a special tribute to the pioneering Rock band The Who. Music Biz Chairman of the Board Fred Beteille of YouTube honored the band with the Outstanding Achievement Award for 50 Years of Musical Excellence at a special ceremony held May 11. A video of the presentation will be shown during the Music Biz 2015 Awards Luncheon, which takes place on Thursday, May 14 at 12:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel in Nashville. The Who are not available to accept their award in person, as they are performing at a benefit concert in Chicago that evening with their friends Eddie Vedder, Joe Walsh, Joan Jett, Simon Townshend and others to raise money and support programs for teenagers and young adults with cancer at the University of Chicago Medicine along with other local children’s charities.
The Award was created especially for The Who, the band is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a 60+ date tour of North America and Europe. THE WHO have sold over 100 million records since forming in 1964; they brought together four different personalities and in effect produced a musical hurricane. Each of them was a pioneer – Keith Moon, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. They exploded conventional rhythm and blues structures, challenged pop music conventions, and redefined what was possible on stage, in the recording studio, and on vinyl. In conjunction with their tour, they released the compilation album The Who Hits 50!, which includes “Be Lucky,” their first new material in eight years. The band is donating $1 from each ticket sold on “THE WHO HITS 50!” North American tour, as well as the band’s royalties from their new song, “Be Lucky,” to Teen Cancer America, a charity founded in 2011 by band members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Just announced in Nashville yesterday, Teen Cancer America will be working in partnership with Vanderbilt Hospital to develop a specialized facility for teenagers with cancer.
“The Who is one of the most successful and influential bands in the history of Rock, and we’re thrilled to honor them as they commemorate 50 years of incredible music,” said Beteille. “It’s the perfect way to get Music Biz week started in Nashville, as we celebrate those who have done so much to build this business just as we move toward a future of prosperity for artists, songwriters, labels, publishers, and every other stakeholder in the industry.”
Over the course of their career, The Who has released one Triple Platinum album, four Double Platinum albums, eight Platinum albums, and five Gold albums in the U.S., along with 16 Top 40 singles on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and received a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, along with myriad other awards. They are also listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as “The Loudest Band in the World.”
Music Biz 2015 is going on today through May 14 in Nashville, marking the first time the annual conference has been held in “Music City” in the Association’s almost-60-year history. It is the music industry’s premier event, giving the commerce and content sectors a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. Each year at the event, Music Biz honors outstanding achievement from artists and executives, and in addition to The Who, this year’s honorees include Jack White, Meghan Trainor, Martina McBride, The Doobie Brothers, Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta, and Waterloo Records & Video Inc. Owner John T. Kunz.
About the Music Business Association
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. By leveraging the legacy of the former National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and its hub for digital initiatives, digitalmusic.org, Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.
