We first wrote about Sound Exchange and the millions of dollars of royalties being held by the organization on the behalf of musicians that can’t be found back in April 2008. A number of blues musicians are among those artists that the non-profit claims that they can't find. Sadly, almost eighteen months since our original plea on their behalf, few names have been removed from the organization's list. Discover who these "lost artists" are and let's help Sound Exchange find 'em and pay them the money they're owed!
What Is Sound Exchange?
Sound Exchange was formed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the music industry's lobbying arm, as a non-profit service organization. Sound Exchange's primary reason for existing is to collect royalties for the digital transmission of sound recordings and then pay these monies back out to artists and record labels. For example, Sound Exchange collects royalties from satellite radio stations like XM Radio and Sirius that play recorded music; from cable and satellite television (Muzak or MusicChoice channels); and from Internet radio stations like Pandora and LastFM.
Lost Blues Musicians
There's just one problem - Sound Exchange can't find many of the musicians that they owe royalties. On the organization's website they include a list of over 8,000 of these "lost artists," musicians and bands that are due money. Although Sound Exchange claims that they're currently paying royalties to some 31,000 artists, some critics claim that the number of "lost artists" might actually be as high as 40,000 musicians.
Among the thousands of artists that are due unclaimed royalties from the digital broadcasting of their music, there are a number of blues and R&B musicians. Your erstwhile Blues Guide has pored through 84 pages of names to dig out the below-listed pearls:
- Alberta Hunter
- Arc Angels
- "Big" Mike Griffin
- Blind Willie Johnson
- Brownie McGhee
- Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings
- Eddie Floyd
- Freddy King
- Guitar Slim, Jr.
- Homesick James
- Houston Stackhouse
- J.B. Hutto
- Jessie Mae Hemphill
- Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones
- Keri Leigh
- Mark Selby
- Mason Ruffner
- Nappy Brown
- Omar & the Howlers
- Preacher Boy
- Rising Sons (Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder)
- Roosevelt Sykes
- Shuggie Otis
- Sleepy John Estes
- Slim Harpo
- Smokin' Joe Kubek
- Son House
- Tarbox Ramblers
- Tarheel Slim
- Willie Cobbs
- Willie Hutch
This is just a small list compiled from thousands shown on the Sound Exchange website. Some of these artists, like Smokin' Joe Kubek, Taj Mahal (Rising Sons) and Omar Van Dyke (Omar & the Howlers), are still active musicians, while others have sadly passed on years ago. Regardless, these individuals or their estates deserve to receive the royalties due to them.
If these royalties aren’t claimed within a certain period of time, they'll be forfeited to the organization. All recording artists are strongly urged to get in touch with Sound Exchange and see if you're owed any money; and if you haven't registered with the organization, you should do so as soon as possible so that you, too, don't end up "lost."
