Warner/Chappell Music Signs Worldwide Publishing Agreement with Tim Nichols

Warner/Chappell Music signs Grammy-winning songwriter

New York, January 3, 2006 - Warner/Chappell Music announced today it has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with award-winning songwriter Tim Nichols.

In making the announcement, Richard Blackstone, Chairman and CEO, Warner/Chappell Music said, "A worldwide publishing agreement with Tim Nichols is another example of Warner/Chappell's commitment to identifying and working with music's leading songwriters and creative voices. We are thrilled that Tim has chosen Warner/Chappell as his home and we look forward to supporting his creative vision with our global resources."

As part of the agreement, Tim Nichols and Connie Harrington will form a new venture called This Music, which is co-published and administered by Warner/Chappell. Nichols and Harrington co-wrote Terri Clark's 2004 number one song on the Billboard Country chart "Girls Lie Too." Rusty Gaston, formerly of Song Garden, has been named GM of the new venture. Warner/Chappell and This Music will sign and collaborate with writers and artists to identify opportunities for their songs and creative efforts.

Nichols is one of country music's leading songwriters. He has been responsible for numerous hit songs including Alan Jackson's "That'd Be Alright," JoDee Messina's "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and Ronnie Milsap's "All Is Fair In Love and War." Nichols' co-wrote Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" with Craig Wiseman, which won the Best Country Song Grammy award in 2005 and was nominated for the Grammy Song Of The Year category. In addition, "Live Like You Were Dying" won the Song of the Year award from the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, BMI Country Awards, ASCAP Country Awards, and the Nashville Songwriters Association International. It is the only song to ever have won every major song award that is presented for country music.

For one week in 2004, Nichols had two songs at number one at the same time; Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" was number one for a record-setting 10 weeks on the Radio & Records Country chart while Terri Clark's "Girls Lie Too" was number one on the Billboard Country chart.

Nichols is currently on the charts with Jamie O'Neal's "I Love My Life" and Van Zant's new single "Nobody Gonna Tell Me What To Do."

About Warner/Chappell Music
Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., WMG's award-winning music publishing company, has a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. These range from standards like "Happy Birthday," "Rhapsody in Blue," "Winter Wonderland," and the songs of Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin, to the contemporary music of Madonna, Radiohead, Nickelback, Dr. Dre, Dido, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott and others. The Company is often a first stop for A&R executives and record, feature film and television producers and others who need to acquire song rights.