Kenny MacPherson, Veteran Music Publisher and Big Deal Music Co-Founder, Dies at 71
Kenny MacPherson, the Scottish-born music publisher who co-founded Big Deal Music, died in Los Angeles on 23 October aged 71. Across a career spanning almost four decades, he helped shape the publishing careers of many influential artists and became a prominent advocate for songwriters.
MacPherson began in live music in Glasgow before moving to the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He led Warner/Chappell’s New York office for 13 years, then ran Chrysalis Music’s North American division; in 2012 he co-founded Big Deal, which was acquired by Hipgnosis Songs Fund in 2020. The company regularly ranked among the top 10 US publishers by market share and was named independent publisher of the year in 2017.
In short
- Publisher Kenny MacPherson died in Los Angeles aged 71.
- He co-founded Big Deal Music in 2012.
- He championed songwriters throughout his career.
Explained simply
Music publishing is the business of managing the rights to songs: it helps songwriters license their work and collect royalties when it is recorded, performed or used in films and other media. Publishers can also help writers build careers by connecting them with performers and other music professionals.
Kenny MacPherson worked in this field for nearly four decades, after starting out in live music in Glasgow and moving to the United States. He led Warner/Chappell’s New York office and Chrysalis Music’s North American division before co-founding Big Deal Music in 2012.
Big Deal became one of the leading independent music publishers in the United States and was bought by Hipgnosis Songs Fund in 2020. MacPherson was also an advocate for songwriters, whose work and rights form the basis of music publishing.