Warner/Chappell Music and Sea Gayle Sign Kelley Lovelace

(L-R): Ryan Beuschel (Warner/Chappell), Christina Wiltshire (Sea Gayle), Kelley Lovelace, Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell) and Sea Gayle’s Jake Gear, Mike Owens, Chris DuBois, and Brad Paisley in Paisley’s home bar, Ye Olde Potion Room Pub.

Warner/Chappell Music and Sea Gayle Music have signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Grammy-nominated songwriter Kelley Lovelace. Lovelace’s work has been recorded by Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow, and many others. He has 23 Top 10 hits to his credit, including 16 No. 1s (eight of which were recorded by Paisley). Warner/Chappell and Sea Gayle will also represent a significant part of Lovelace’s back catalog.

“Signing with Warner/Chappell and Sea Gayle is truly the best of both worlds for me—I couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect partnership,” said Lovelace. “I have had such incredible enthusiasm and motivation from both companies that it’s actually causing me to dig a little deeper and write a little more. I think my best songs are the ones I will be a part of in the future. I haven’t been this optimistic in a long, long time. Feels like I just moved to town.”

“There is a very short list of songwriters that have earned the success that Kelley has achieved,” said Chris DuBois, Co-Owner, Sea Gayle Music. “He has as much talent in the writer room as anyone I have ever known and I speak for everyone at Sea Gayle when I say how proud and honored we are to welcome him to this partnership between Sea Gayle and Warner/Chappell.”

Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Nashville, added, “In an ever-evolving industry, one thing that does not change is the importance of a great idea. Kelley Lovelace has proven, time and time again, that his craftsmanship and wordsmithing is among the elites in the songwriting profession. On behalf of the entire WCM team, it is a great pleasure that we enter into this new partnership with our friends Kelley Lovelace and Sea Gayle.”

Lovelace is the recipient of MusicRow magazine’s Song of the Year award for “He Didn’t Have To Be,” which was co-written and recorded by Paisley. Lovelace has been nominated for country song of the year by all of the major awards shows, including the Grammys, CMA Awards and ACM Awards. Lovelace is represented by attorney Chip Petree.