Sue Ennis & Booker T. Jones: New Members Of Recording Academy Committee

SANTA MONICA, CA – Recording Academy's National Advocacy Committee, which works to advance the interests of the music creators that the Academy represents, added two new members Thursday: Songwriter Sue Ennis and three-time Grammy winner Booker T. Jones. Ennis is known for co-writing more than 70 songs with Ann and Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart, and will co-chair the committee with record producer Rodney Jerkins.

Jones is the leader of the instrumental group Booker T. & The MG's, the house band at Stax Records, and received the Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. She has been inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame. Ennis and Jones join existing committee members Rodney Jerkins, KEM, Ann Mincieli, John Poppo and Nile Rodgers, all working music makers.

"The addition of Sue Ennis and Booker T. Jones to the Academy's Advocacy Committee provides a valuable perspective and two strong voices to help in the fight for the next generation of music creators," said Daryl P. Friedman, the Recording Academy's Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer.

"Key decisions about the future of the music industry will be made in Washington, D.C., during the next two years," he said. "With a strong Advocacy Committee in place, these leading creators themselves will ensure all music creators are represented and heard."

A key item on the Advocacy Committee's agenda is the Fair Play Fair Pay Act, a music licensing bill that, according to the Academy, would close "current corporate radio loopholes and ... ensure that all music services play by the same rules, establishing a performance right on radio in the United States, while protecting small broadcasters."

The committee's agenda also includes supporting the Allocation for Music Producers Act, which would include producers in copyright law for the first time; ensuring fair market pay for songwriters and composers "who currently operate under regulations that suppress the value of their work"; and support of the National Endowment for the Arts, which funds music and art programs to preserve the craft for the next generation of artists.

Ennis and Jones join the committee as the Academy prepares to kick off its District Advocate program on Oct. 18, when music creators will meet with their local congressional representatives to discuss important legislative matters affecting the industry.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock