Eddie DeGarmo Announces Retirement

Eddie DeGarmo

Music publishing veteran and CAPITOL CMG PUBLISHING (CCMGP) Pres./EDDIE DEGARMO will retire effective JULY 31st, 2014.

Following his retirement, DEGARMO will serve in an exclusive advisory role for the remainder of the year to CAPITOL CMG Pres./BILL HEARN.  HEARN will oversee, on an interim basis, day-to-day operations of the publishing company along with CCMGP SVP/CASEY MCGINTY and BRENTWOOD BENSON MUSIC PUBLICATIONS SVP/JOHNATHAN CRUMPTON.

HEARN commented, “I've had the privilege and honor of working alongside and learning from EDDIE for more than 20 years.  EDDIE is one of those extraordinary talents in the music industry with an uncanny ability to combine his gifted creative skills as an artist and writer with those of a strong business leader and developer of people. I will certainly miss working with him on a day-to-day basis but more importantly our industry will never be the same without his presence. He is truly one of a kind and his footprint on our community can never be filled."

DEGARMO said, “My years at EMI and now CAPITOL CMG PUBLISHING have been the capstone of a truly wonderful journey with music.  I can’t imagine a better scenario and group of people to work alongside. I’ve had the honor of dreaming with most of the best songwriters in the business, coupled with the very ‘best in class’ staff and organization. I can’t thank BILL HEARN enough for his belief in me to build CAPITOL CMG PUBLISHING. BILL is a true visionary as well as my dear friend. I also thank my longtime friend EVAN LAMBERG for his support. He has been instrumental in creating CAPITOL CMG PUBLISHING, investing the strength of UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP fully into the Christian music genre.”

UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP Pres./EVAN LAMBERG added, "EDDIE DEGARMO is a rare and special music publishing executive who has helped build the single greatest Christian music publishing catalog our industry has ever seen. Not only does he understand the business incredibly well, but he connects with songwriters and artists at a very unique level. We will miss EDDIE dearly and on a personal note, I have loved working with him over the last 20 years."

Throughout his over 40 years in music, EDDIE DEGARMO has had a storied career with success as an artist, songwriter, producer and businessman. He was one of the leading pioneers of contemporary Christian music as part of rock duo DEGARMO & KEY which was recently inducted into the GOSPEL MUSIC HALL OF FAME. During his 17 years with D&K and a successful solo endeavor, DEGARMO sold millions of albums and garnered 11 GRAMMY nominations and dozens of DOVE AWARD nominations.

Following his artist career, DEGARMO went on to co-found FOREFRONT RECORDS, where he developed multi-Platinum and GRAMMY winning artists such as DC TALK, STACIE ORRICO, AUDIO ADRENALINE and REBECCA ST. JAMES.  FOREFRONT was eventually purchased by EMI CMG, and DEGARMO was hired to run EMI CMG PUBLISHING.

Under DEGARMO’s leadership, EMI CMG PUBLISHING was named Christian Music Publisher of the Year every year since 2004 by both BILLBOARD MAGAZINE and ASCAP.  In 2013, DEGARMO led the merger of EMI CMG PUBLISHING with BRENTWOOD BENSON MUSIC PUBLISHING to create CAPITOL CMG PUBLISHING.

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