Kenny MacPherson, the longtime music publishing executive who co-founded independent publisher Big Deal Music, died Oct. 23 in Los Angeles. He was 71. No cause of death was given.
Over nearly four decades, MacPherson became known for a sharp ear for left-of-center talent and loyalty to the songwriters he signed. Former Big Deal partner Jamie Cerreta, now president of Peermusic U.S. and Canada, said MacPherson “was beloved by the songwriters he fought so hard for.”
MacPherson joined Warner/Chappell in 1989 to run its New York office, where he signed or developed acts including Radiohead, Underworld, Paul Westerberg, the Afghan Whigs and the Blue Nile. He then led Chrysalis Music’s North American division, where his team signed OutKast, My Morning Jacket, Ray LaMontagne, St. Vincent and Thom Yorke. He led the division until BMG acquired Chrysalis in 2010.
In 2012, MacPherson co-founded Big Deal Music with Dave Ayers and Jamie Cerreta. With offices in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville, the company added writers including Blake Mills, Weyes Blood, Kamasi Washington and Sharon Van Etten. In September 2020, Hipgnosis Songs Fund acquired Big Deal, which became Hipgnosis Songs Group with MacPherson as CEO.
MacPherson was an outspoken advocate for songwriters, arguing that writers deserved seats on industry boards and backing the idea of a publisher-funded health care fund for songwriters. He is survived by his wife, photographer Melanie Nissen; daughter Nicole Walker; granddaughter Kate Land; sister Anne Cowgill; and extended family.
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Source: Billboard
