BEEBE BOURNE PRESIDENT OF THE BOURNE CO. AND THE MUSIC PUBLISHERS ASSN TO RECEIVE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME ABE OLMAN PUBLISHERS AWARD

HENRY JUSZKIEWICZ CHAIRMAN/CEO OF GIBSON GUITAR CORP TO RECEIVE THE PATRON OF THE ARTS AWARD

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED INDUCTEES INCLUDE STEVE CROPPER, JOHN FOGERTY, ISAAC HAYES AND DAVID PORTER, RICHARD AND ROBERT SHERMAN AND BILL WITHERS

NEW YORK, N.Y. MARCH 07, 2005 - Hal David, Chairman/CEO of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, today announced that Beebe Bourne, President of the Music Publishers Association will receive the Abe Olman Publishers Award and Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman/CEO of the Gibson Guitar Corp will receive the Patron of the Arts Award at the 2005 Awards dinner, slated for Thursday, June 9 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

In announcing the awards, Hall of Fame Chairman Hal David said: ³We are pleased to confer the Abe Olman Award on Beebe Bourne in recognition of her many years of inspired leadership and her invaluable contributions to virtually every one of the industry¹s major associations. This award acknowledges the Songwriters Hall of Fame¹s appreciation, respect, and admiration for this unique and stylish executive.

³Henry Juszkiewicz has delivered the same passion, drive, and determination in supporting music-industry causes that he has so successfully employed in turning Gibson into a legendary success story. His commitment to causes ranging from MusiCares, to the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, to the special work done through his own Gibson Foundation - and, of course, his unflagging support for the Songwriters Hall of Fame - made him our unanimous choice for the Patron for the Arts Award. We salute his contributions and honor him as a beacon for great statesmanship in our industry.² Henry Juszkiewicz is either on the Board of Directors for or active in The Hope Foundation, the Rainforest Alliance, the NFAA, MENC and The Gibson Foundation.

The Abe Olman Award, named after one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, goes to a music publisher who has had a substantial number of songs that have become world-renowned and have furthered the careers and successes of many songwriters. Recent Abe Olman Award recipients have included Martin Bandier, Les Bider, Nicholas Firth, Ed Murphy and Ralph Peer, among others.

The Patron of the Arts Award goes to influential executives who are great supporters of the performing arts. Past awardees include Martin Bandier, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Iris Cantor, Roger Enrico, Theodore Forstmann, Michael Goldstein, Robert Mondavi, Stephen Swid and Jonathan Tisch.

Beebe Bourne is part of the legendary Bourne music publishing family. Bourne Co., now approaching its 86th anniversary, was founded by her father, Saul Bourne. Beebe, who took over the reins of the company in 1991, controls the publishing of such American classics as ³Unforgettable,² ³Me And My Shadow,² ³When You Wish Upon A Star,² ³Swinging On A Star² and ³Black Magic Woman.² Ms Bourne also owns and operates the prestigious serious music catalog, International Music Co., one of the most important publishers of classical music in the world. Beebe is currently the President of the Music Publishers Association on whose board she has served for the past eleven years. Having been the Executive Secretary of the New York Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers for the last nine years, she is now serving as its Executive Director. She is on the Board of Directors of the National Music Publishers Association and serves on its International and Legislative Committees, and is a member of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. In 2002, she received the Women in Music Touchstone Award given for Distinguished Service to the Music Industry. Previously, Beebe was President and C.O.O. of the THinc Consulting Group; C.E.O. of Seversky Electronatom; Special Assistant to the President Of The United States; and Executive Assistant to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

Henry Juszkiewicz is the Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp. Refocusing the company on achieving the highest possible standards of quality and customer service, he drove Gibson from the brink of closing to a company that has regained worldwide respect with annual average growth of 20 percent over the last decade. Juszkiewicz began fulfilling his vision of Gibson as a full-line musical instrument company by acquiring other music-related companies. Today, Juszkiewicz oversees Gibson, Epiphone, Dobro® guitar lines and the Baldwin Piano Company, among others.

The National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The NAPM/SHOF not only celebrates songwriters and educates the public on their great achievements, but is also devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships.

Over the course of the past 35 years, some key Songwriters¹ Hall of Fame inductees have included Carole King, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Sir Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, Phil Collins, Sting, Randy Newman, Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Barry Manilow and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Jimmy Webb, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Cy Coleman, Marilyn and Alan Bergman and Stephen Sondheim, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Don McLean and Al Green, among many, many others.

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame begin at $800 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go towards the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

For a full list of all Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees, and full information on this year¹s nominees, inductees and gala, go to SHOF.org.

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