[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E814-E815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING FRANCES WILLIAMS PRESTON FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO MUSIC AND 
                      HER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2004

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of popular 
music's most effective and accomplished champions, Frances Williams 
Preston, on the occasion of her retirement. Ms. Preston, whom Fortune 
magazine has called ``one of the true powerhouses in the pop music 
industry,'' steps down this year after 18 years as President and CEO of 
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). And while her daily presence as the leader 
of BMI will be missed, she will no doubt continue to make her mark on 
the industry that she has come to lead.
  Since entering the music business through the mailroom of WSM Radio 
in Nashville forty years ago, Ms. Preston's passion for music and 
acumen for business have shaped the art both in Nashville and 
nationwide. Tapped by BMI to open its Nashville office in 1958, Ms. 
Preston oversaw the growth of an industry giant which now employs 400 
people in Nashville and thousands all over the globe. Under Ms. 
Preston's leadership, BMI became a driving force in Nashville's music 
scene, helping songwriters make a living doing what they loved, much as 
she did, herself. And although she eventually left Music City for New 
York in 1986 to take the helm of BMI's national and international 
operations, she has always remained an active fan and supporter of 
Nashville music and Southern artists.
  Ms. Preston's numerous awards and commendations barely do justice to 
her lifetime of achievement, yet she retires as one of the most 
decorated individuals the music industry has ever seen. Ms. Preston has 
received nearly every honor available to a music industry executive, 
including a Trustees Grammy in 1998, and membership in the Country 
Music, Gospel Music, and Broadcasting & Cable

[[Page E815]]

Halls of Fame. Her three honorary degrees include one from the Berkelee 
College of Music, and she has received more than two dozen national 
awards recognizing her leadership and ingenuity. Esquire Magazine's 
designation of Ms. Preston as ``the most influential and powerful 
person in country music'' is typical of the respectful and admiring 
treatment she deservedly receives in the press.
  Her expertise on songwriters' issues has also made Ms. Preston an 
effective and valuable resource on Capitol Hill, to the equal benefit 
of both her ``constituents'' and of lawmakers, and her influence has 
been broadly felt in the law of intellectual property. Over the years, 
policymakers in all levels of government have sought her counsel, 
including Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn, Vice-President Al Gore, and 
President Jimmy Carter.
  Despite her many accolades from the music industry, Ms. Preston still 
considers her community contributions to be among her greatest 
achievements. Her proudest accomplishment, she says, was her pivotal 
role in creating the Frances Williams Preston Research Laboratories at 
the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. In addition to her numerous board 
memberships and community leadership roles, Ms. Preston was the first 
woman board member of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, and the first 
woman Rotarian in Tennessee. It is a person of commendable character 
who looks back on a star-filled life to see her community service as 
the highlight of it all.
  On behalf of the Fifth District of Tennessee, I applaud Frances 
Williams Preston's contributions to music, business, her community, and 
our Nation, and I wish her a happy and healthy retirement.

                          ____________________