Ben Vaughn was the former President & CEO of Warner/Chappell Nashville.
He was appointed to the role in 2019.
Throughout his publishing career, Vaughn worked with artists including Thomas Rhett, Devin Dawson, Dan + Shay, Midland, Cale Dodds, LANco, Brandon Lay, Josh Phillips, Riley Green, Michael Ray, Gone West, Seth Ennis, A Thousand Horses, Morgan Evans, and Carlton Anderson.
Vaughn passed away in January 2025, aged 49.
The news was confirmed on January 30 in an internal memo from Warner Chappell Music Co-Chairs Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall.
“It is with broken hearts that we share the unthinkable news that Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, passed away this morning,” the memo read.
“Our deepest condolences are with his family and many friends.”
Ben Vaughn: Career
Prior to his work at the majors, Ben Vaughn ran an independent music publishing company from the age of 20. He joined EMI as VP, A&R in 2002.
In 2009, Vaughn became the youngest executive to head a major publisher in Nashville, as EVP & GM at EMI Music Publishing.
In 2017, Ben Vaughn was named President of Warner/Chappell Nashville, six years after moving to the company after a decade at EMI. In this role, he headed Warner/Chappell’s entire Nashville operation – including all creative and commercial activities across A&R, administration, business development, finance, and human resources.
Vaughn was promoted again in 2019 to the position of President & CEO of Warner/Chappell Nashville.
Vaughn served on the board of CMA and Belmont University’s Music Industry Advisory Board, and is a member of NMPA and a former Chairman of the ACM board.
Ben Vaughn: Personal philosophy
In 2018, Ben Vaughn became the first music publisher to become the Chairman of the Academy of County Music in its 52-year history.
Speaking to MBW, he acknowledged the long-term view that working in publishing needs.
Publishing is a business where you might not see the fruits of your efforts today for a year or two or longer, so you can’t think short-term. We focus a lot on making sure we do the small things correctly.
ben vaughn on publishing
Music Business Worldwide