New York, NY – Spirit Music Group, one of the world’s leading global independent music publishing companies, has promoted Frank Rogers to Chief Creative Officer, Spirit Music Group/Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Music Nashville. In his new role, Rogers will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Spirit Music Group’s global roster and creative activities as well as continuing to oversee Spirit Music Nashville’s operational activities. Rogers will continue to be based in Nashville.
“I’m confident Frank is the right person to lead Spirit Music Group’s global creative team in this next exciting chapter. Frank brings a wealth of experience to our business, both as a multi-platinum songwriter/music producer in his own right and as a highly accomplished music publishing executive with a proven history of delivering hit after hit with our roster. We are thrilled to provide Spirit Music Group’s global roster of artists, songwriters and producers of every genre the very best in executive talent and a creative executive at the helm who knows how to build business and careers for our writers. What Frank has accomplished with Spirit Music Nashville is a great example of what a music publishing community firing on all cylinders can accomplish and we look forward to seeing him apply his creative strategy throughout our global offices,” said Jon Singer, Chairman, Spirit Music Group.
“Frank’s experience speaks for itself. He’s a consummate music publishing executive and a true music man who understands every facet of the music publishing business. We are thrilled that Frank has chosen to continue building on his history of success with Spirit Music Group,” said Joe Borrino, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer, Spirit Music Group.
“I am honored to continue and to expand my relationship with Spirit Music Group. Jon Singer, Ross Cameron and Joe Borrino have been great partners over the last several years and I look forward to continuing to build on Spirit’s impressive foundation. I am excited to work with all of Spirit’s songwriters and staff with the goal of expanding our global presence while making Spirit Music Group the preeminent independent music publisher in the world,” said Frank Rogers.
In addition to being a music publishing executive, Frank Rogers is a multi-platinum producer and songwriter who has produced 44 #1 singles, 80+ Top 20 singles and 60+ RIAA certified multi-platinum/platinum/gold records or singles for artists that include Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Allison Krauss, Frank Ray, and Scotty McCreery. Rogers has 18 CMA nominations (with one win) and 27 ACM nominations (with five wins). He was named Billboard magazine’s No. 1 Hot Country Producer Award 5X and MusicRow magazine’s Producer of the Year 4X. He has produced 17 GRAMMY® nominated songs/albums including four winners. Rogers was named to Billboard’s Country Power Players list in 2020 and 2022.
Rogers has co-written a slew of #1 songs: “I’m Gonna Miss Her” (Brad Paisley); “Alright” and “This” (Darius Rucker); “Five More Minutes”, “This Is It”, “In Between”, “You Time” (Scotty McCreery); and “Backroad Song” (Granger Smith). His songs have been recorded by many artists including Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Kenny Rogers, Clint Black, Hootie And The Blowfish, Lee Brice, Kidd Rock, Billy Gibbons and Matthew West.
In 2016, Spirit Music Group formed a multi-facted deal with Frank Rogers and his company Fluid Music Revolution forming the Spirit/Fluid joint venture. Through the agreement, Spirit acquired Rogers’ one third interest in certain copyrights of the respected Sea Gayle Music. The deal also leveraged Rogers’ considerable executive abilities and creative talent. Spirit’s venture with Rogers, empowered him to bring new artists, producers, and writers to the company. He also joined Spirit’s roster as a songwriter, and the company exclusively administers all of his new compositions worldwide. In 2019, Spirit Music Group appointed Rogers CEO of Spirit Music Nashville.
The promotion of Rogers follows a banner year by the Spirit Music Nashville team—over the past year, 70% of Spirit Music Nashville’s current writer roster has had at least one charted single. This includes nine #1 singles, ten Top 10 singles, and 11 Top 30 songs in 2021 as well as ACM Single of the Year “I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (via Jonathan Singleton) and Album of the Year Starting Over by Chris Stapleton. The company also publishes Music Row’s Song of the Year, “Hell of a View” – Eric Church (via Monty Criswell). The company received four CMA nominations for Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year and took home six ASCAP Country awards. Spirit Music Nashville/Spirit Fluid writer Frank Ray earned the title of being most added song on country radio by a new artist (by impact day) driven by his single “Country Looks Good On You” (the song was also produced by Spirit Music Group’s Frank Rogers. The company also has a publishing interest in the top two country songs of the decade and top two country albums of the decade with “Meant To Be” and “Body Like A Backroad” and Traveller/Chris Stapleton and Montevallo/Sam Hunt.
During his time at Spirit Music Group, Rogers announced the acquisition of a number of the master recordings of Tim McGraw, including his #1 GRAMMYÒ-winning hit “Highway Don’t Care” (#1 Country Airplay, CMA and ACM “Video of the Year” and American Country Awards Song of the Year and Collaborative Single of the Year) as well as his #1 single “Humble & Kind” (GRAMMY Best Country Song, CMT Video of the Year, CMA Song of the Year, and AMA Favorite Country Song). Spirit also recently announced the acquisition of the artist’s portion of the masters for Jason Aldean. The deal encompasses nine albums, including twenty-four #1 songs, thirty-four Top 10 songs, and six RIAA certified Platinum albums. The acquisition also includes neighbouring rights and SoundExchange royalties. BBR retains their catalog rights and certain distribution rights. Aldean is an exclusive recording artist with BBR.
Under Frank Rogers’ guidance, Spirit Music Nashville also acquired a portion of the publishing catalog of #1 hit songwriters Jonathan Singleton and 4X GRAMMY® winner David Garcia (co-writer/co-producer of “Meant to Be” which spent 50 weeks at #1, ASCAP’s 2019 Christian Songwriter of the Year). Rogers also secured high-profile signings with Joy Williams of The Civil Wars (4X GRAMMY® winner); Nathan Barlowe (whose songs have been recorded by Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, and Keith Urban); Dave Cohen (2X ACM Keyboardist of the Year); the formation of a JV with Platinum producer Derek Wells; Music Row’s “Song of the Year” co-writer Jeremy Bussey (co-writer of Music Row’s “Song of the Year”); Neil Thrasher; Brinley Addington; Frank Ray; Bobby Hamrick; Cale Dodds; Josh Dunne; and more.
Rogers moved to Nashville in 1990 and got his music business degree from Belmont University where he met friend and future collaborator Brad Paisley. Rogers then worked for EMI Nashville Production and opened up respected Nashville indie publisher Sea Gayle Music with Paisley and Chris DuBois. Frank Rogers and his wife Jessica recently made possible a $50,000 scholarship endowment at Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.