01/22/2013
The heartbreaking passing of a giant.
Things won’t be the same now in the songwriting community. Our friend John Braheny is gone, he passed away on Saturday. He was the original songwriter’s friend, mentor, supporter and general mensch. We think of him as the Obi Wan Kenobi of songwriting – the guy you would go to when you had a question, about the craft or the business of songwriting. In fact, he wrote THE book on that subject, “The Craft and Business of Songwriting”. If there was one book a songwriter might want to answer all of his/her questions, this would be it. But, he would answer those questions directly, just because he wanted to set songwriters on the right track. In the cut-throat music business, he was a was an anomaly: he was simply the nicest man in America!
I first encountered him at those marvelous L. A. Songwriters Showcase meetings he ran with Len Chandler back in the 70s. He was always generous with his time, information and encouragement. Many great writers came through those ranks, too many to mention, in fact. Those meetings were, in fact, the model for our own L. A. Songwriter’s Co-Op.
Later, he formed the Songwriter’s EXPO, which for the most part, was quite like the TAXI Road Rally is now. They were very exciting, kind of like a World’s Fair for songwriters. They were nearly what one might call “information overload” with so much info and so many opportunities to connect - all in one weekend. We’d run around those things, trying to be in twenty places at once. Looking back, it was great training for the Road Rally, ASCAP EXPO and the like.
In his later years, he continued to contribute to the songwriting community in nearly every way possible, being an esteemed panel member, mentoring or guest-hosting many events. Always giving away his innate knowledge on the subject he ate and breathed, songwriting. Damn, we’ll miss him.
Alex Del Zoppo
