I used to host weekly jazz in my North Carolina restaurant. The son of a renowned jazz musician, I saw my venue as a way to keep the music alive, giving artists a place to perform where the music is respected and appreciated. I subsidized the $10-per-person cover charge, which allowed me to pay for hotels, travel, meals and a modest paycheck for performers. As virtually any proprietor of a jazz supper club can attest, there was little opportunity to break even, let alone make a profit. Before long, I began to be harassed almost daily by ASCAP to purchase one of its bogus music licenses. After I capitulated, those letters were soon joined by others from BMI and SESAC, all demanding $800-$1,000-per-year fees. I decided that it wasn't worth the headache, and I quit hosting live music altogether. My father was a legendary blues/jazz musician, who recorded more than 150 records. Several of his recordings -- one which landed No. 3 on Billboard for 16 straight weeks -- gained major airplay. But guess what: Like many artists before and after him, he never got a major pay day for his recordings. Where was his PRO (BMI) during his 80 years on Earth? It was his club and concert dates that allowed him spend his life as a working musician. With the likes of BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, no musician will be able to earn a living in this profession. Those organizations work solely for the fat-cats, especially the ones who show up at venues in suits and a brief case to threaten those who care about musicians and the music!
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What the PRO's Are Doing is a Travesty!
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