BEN VAUGHN,
1975-2025

We are devastated to report that Ben Vaughn, head of Warner Chappell Nashville, died suddenly on 1/30. He was 49.

It was a true privilege to work with him, and, in covering his exceptional career, we got to know an even more exceptional person. We send our deepest condolences to the WMG community and Ben's loved ones.

“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,” a statement by WCM co-chiefs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall reads in part. “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 for 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.”

Said ACM boss Damon Whiteside in tribute, “Ben was a champion of the country music genre and strong advocate for songwriters and good songs. We send our condolences to Ben’s family, friends, coworkers, and all of those who crossed his path and were lifted up by his passion. His memory will live on forever through the great music he made happen.”

"Ben was a treasured colleague and, more importantly, a dear friend," offered Electronic Arts Worldwide Executive and President of Music Steve Schnur. "We worked together on numerous projects and committees, and he consistently proved himself to be a man of great warmth, true integrity and rare creative insight. When you looked into his eyes and shook his hand, you knew you were dealing with a mensch of the highest order. The loss to his children, to the Nashville music community and to all who loved and respected him is immeasurable."

I am so sad to hear about the passing of Ben Vaughn. Ben gave me my first publishing deal at Warner Chappell. It is hard to fathom; in the music business we're all close, we're all interacting all the time. Take care of each other. This is a tough one.

— Troy Cartwright (@troycartwright) January 30, 2025

Ben Vaughn will always be part of the fabric of Nashville ❤️. His legacy will lead us all. https://t.co/AfdP5euOkz

— Leslie Fram (@FramLeslie) January 31, 2025

If you ever wonder what a talented Music Executive is, this is what it looks like : someone like Ben Vaughn! may he RIP https://t.co/JA9qrpS82r

— Loic Mackpayen (@Mackpaye) January 31, 2025

“I feel like I grew up on Music Row,” Vaughn said during a 2019 interview with HITS. A native of small-town Sullivan, Kentucky, he landed an on-air job at a local Country radio station at 16 before talking his way into an internship at Warner Chappell two weeks after arriving in Nashville, tackling the tape room and then splitting after a few years to work at Scott Hendricks’ JV pubco Big Tractor, which he was running before he turned 21.

Vaughn then took a gig at EMI Music Publishing, where he worked for 10 years—he credited the mentoring of Gary Overton, Roger Faxon, Dan McCarroll and Hall of Fame songwriters like John Bettis and Tom Shapiro in shaping his understanding of publishing—and ended up overseeing the Nashville division. When the company was absorbed by Sony/ATV in 2012, he exited and made the move to WCM, first under the joint stewardship of Cameron Strang and Jon Platt and then under Platt solo. “Of all the people I worked with, I probably worked most closely with Jon,” he said. “I’m really proud to have been part of his story. We'll always be brothers.”

Vaughn’s superb song instincts and considerable people skills enabled him to work closely and productively with such diverse talents as Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, Rhett Akins, Thomas Rhett, Nicolle Galyon, Little Big Town, Jesse Frasure, Dan + Shay, Midland, Lady Antebellum, the late busbee, Matt Ramsey, Brothers Osborne, Dave Cobb and Guy Clark. His writers won an impressive number of Grammys, CMAs, ACMs and more, while his own team scooped up a bushel of ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and other trophies.

During his remarkable career, what Vaughn relished most was watching the creators in his purview flourish. “I love what I see playing out on the charts over the last few years, where you have Nashville talent becoming consumption monsters,” he told HITS. “Publishing is a crockpot business; it’s slow and builds over time. Now, you’re seeing it all coming to fruition.”