ASCAP Elects Board of Directors

The results of the biennial election for ASCAP's Board of Directors were announced by ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Marilyn Bergman. The twelve writer and twelve publisher members have been elected to serve on the Board for a two-year term commencing April 1, 2003.

The writer members who were re-elected in the at-large field are: lyricist Marilyn Bergman; composer Cy Coleman; lyricist Hal David; songwriter Wayland Holyfield; songwriter Jimmy Jam; composer Johnny Mandel; songwriter Jimmy Webb; songwriter Paul Williams and composer Doug Wood. Newly elected writer directors are composers Elmer Bernstein and Bruce Broughton. Re-elected in the Symphonic and Concert field is composer Stephen Paulus.

The publisher directors re-elected in the at-large field are Freddy Bienstock, Bienstock Publishing Company; Joanne Boris, EMI Music Publishing; John L. Eastman, Edwin H. Morris & Co., Inc.; Nicholas Firth, BMG Songs, Inc.; Donna Hilley, Sony/ATV Tunes LLC; Dean Kay, Lichelle Music Company; Leeds Levy, Leeds Music; Jay R. Morgenstern, Warner Bros. Music; David Renzer, Universal Music Publishing Group; Irwin Z. Robinson, Famous Music Corporation and Kathy Spanberger, Songs of Peer. Re-elected as publisher director in the Symphony and Concert field is Arnold Broido, Theodore Presser Company.

Bergman expressed her sincere gratitude to both David Raksin and John Bettis for their many years of service to the Board representing writer members.

George Wyle, 1916-2003

Best-known for composing the music for the television theme song, "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island," George Wyle was also music and choral director for numerous TV variety programs and personalities. Among the many artists he worked were Andy Williams, Doris Day, Howard Keel, Jerry Lewis, Dinah Shore and Nanette Fabray. He also composed the holiday classic, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and the novelty hit, "I Said My Pajamas," which reached #3 in 1950 for Tony Martin and Fran Warren.

Doris Fisher, 88

Songwriter Doris Fisher teamed with collaborator Allan Roberts to create such standards as "You Always Hurt the One You Love," "Put the Blame on Mame" and "Tampico." The daughter of songwriter Fred Fisher ("Peg o' My Heart") and sister to Marvin Fisher ("When Sunny Gets Blue") and Dan Fisher ("Good Morning Heartache").

Nina Simone, 69

Nina Simone wrote several of the most stirring songs of the black experience including "Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young Gifted and Black." Simone was a prolific recording artist whose renditions of such ASCAP classics as "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus, and "My Baby Just Cares for Me"by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn, were definitive.

Joe Strummer, 1952-2003

A founder, rhythm guitarist, vocalist and songwriter of the legendary and fervently political British punk band, The Clash, Strummer (born George Mellor) died of a heart attack just months before his band's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Strummer was a PRS writer licensing his works through ASCAP in the United States and was a co-writer of such socially-charged songs as "White Riot," "London Calling," and "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad," as well as personal songs like "Should I Stay or Should I Go" and "Train in Vain." The Clash were among the most popular and influential bands of the punk era. Following the group's break-up in the 80’s, Strummer continued to write, record and perform critically-acclaimed music.

Sidney Lippman, 89

Sidney Lippman was the composer of one of Nat "King" Cole's most notable hits, "Too Young" (lyrics by Sylvia Dee), which reached No. 1 in 1951. Another Lippman song, "'A' You're Adorable" (Buddy Kaye and Fred Wise, co-writers), was a chart-topper for Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters in 1949. Born in Minneapolis, Lippman was a graduate of the University of Minnesota. Following service in World War II as a merchant seaman, he relocated to Manhattan, where he studied music at the Juilliard School.