New York, N.Y. – May 5, 2009 –Hal David, Chairman/CEO of the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF), today announced that Maxyne Lang will receive the Abe Olman Publisher Award to be presented at the 2009 Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards 40th Anniversary gala, slated for Thursday, June 18th, at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.
“Maxyne has been a driving force in the music publishing industry, and we are looking forward to applauding her accomplishments and presenting her with our prestigious Abe Olman Publisher Award,” Hal David commented.
Maxyne Lang began her publishing career at the legendary Chappell/Intersong Music Group, where, during her 11-year tenure, she rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Special Products and Standards. Lang represented a broad spectrum of music, including the catalogues of Rod Stewart, the Bee Gees, Leiber and Stoller, Pomus and Shuman, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Since 1988, Lang has served as President of Williamson Music and Williamson Music International, the U.S. and global publishing divisions, respectively, of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. Founded in 1944 by legendary writing duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (both sons of men named William), Williamson Music (ASCAP) was created by and for writers.
Under Lang’s leadership, Williamson Music remains committed to writers of today while celebrating standards by the giants of the past. Williamson Music’s current and diverse successes include: In The Heights (2008 Tony Award, Best Musical), with a Tony Award winning score by Lin-Manuel Miranda; Legally Blonde, with a 2007 Tony Award nominated score by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin; Grey Gardens, with a 2007 Tony Award nominated score by Michael Korie and Scott Frankel; The Light In The Piazza, with a 2005 Tony Award winning score by Adam Guettel; Avenue Q (2004 Tony Award, Best Musical), with a Tony Award winning score by Lopez & Marx; the 2008 Broadway musical [title of show] with a score by Jeff Bowen; and such long-running Off-Broadway musical hits as Altar Boyz (score by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker), and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (score by Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts). Artists from across the music spectrum continue to celebrate the Williamson Music catalogues, ranging from OutKast to Twisted Sister. Following her tribute to Harnick’s “If I Were a Rich Man” with the hit single “Rich Girl” in 2005, pop icon Gwen Stefani had a Billboard top-10 hit in late 2006 called “Wind It Up,” which sampled Rodgers and Hammerstein’s yodeling classic, “The Lonely Goatherd.”
A dynamic industry leader, Lang was elected to the NMPA Board of Directors in 1994, and became a member of the board of the Harry Fox Agency in 2001. She is also a member of the NMPA Finance Committees, and is currently Chairman of the Communication and Public Relations Committee. She is serving her fifth term as a member of the ASCAP Board of Review. In addition, Lang served for four years on the Steering Committee of the New York Chapter of NMPA’s Music Publishers Forum and for three terms on the Board of Directors of the New York chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP). In 1998, Lang became a member of the board of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In recognition of her dedication to the AIMP and success as an independent music publisher, Lang was honored with the organization’s 1999 Indie Award. In 2003, she received the Touchstone Women in Music Award. On June 18 of this year, Lang will receive the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Abe Olman Publisher Award.
The Abe Olman Publisher Award, named after one of the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s esteemed founders, goes to music publishers who have had a substantial number of songs that have become world-renowned and have furthered the careers and successes of many songwriters. Recent Abe Olman Publisher Awardees have included Milt Okun, Martin Bandier, Les Bider, Nicholas Firth, Ed Murphy, Beebe Bourne and Ralph Peer, among others.
Inductees at this year’s event include Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora; Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati (The Young Rascals); Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Galt MacDermot, James Rado and Gerome Ragni (deceased); and Stephen Schwartz. The Johnny Mercer Award will be presented to Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland of Holland-Dozier-Holland. The Towering Song this year is “Moon River” and the Towering Performance Award will be presented to Andy Williams. The Hal David Starlight Award will be presented to Jason Mraz. The Hitmaker Award will be presented to Sir Tom Jones.
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame 40th Anniversary Gala begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event support the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.