Downtown Acquires Iconic Alabama Hit Single "Dixieland Delight"

Nashville, TN, Aug, 7, 2018 -- Today, Downtown Music Publishing announced the acquisition in 100% of the rights to the hit song "Dixieland Delight," written by Ronnie Rogers and initially recorded by the iconic Southern Rock group Alabama.

Originally released in January 1983 as the lead single from Alabama's 'The Closer You Get...,' "Dixieland Delight" was #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and remains one of the group's most popular songs. In addition to recordings by Tim McGraw and Old Crow Medicine Show, Rogers' song has become a fan favorite at football games through the Southeast. Last year, a petition to bring back the song to the University of Alabama's home games garnered thousands of signatures.

"Modern music publishing is often equated with chasing the charts or signing a new artist," said Andrew Sparkler, Downtown's SVP Business Development. "While we're extremely enthusiastic about our roster of active songwriters and the work of our global A&R team, we will always be humbled by the opportunity to represent iconic songs like "Dixieland Delight;" words and music that have stood the test of time and become such an integral part of the fabric of America's diverse popular culture."

In the last year, Downtown's Nashville office had 11 singles on the country radio charts, including three number-ones, and celebrated a major signing with John Prine, the acquisition of catalogs from Major Bob Music, and the launch of Songwriters Without Borders, a new initiative to connect Downtown's global writers across continents and genres. The office also announced four new hires and two promotions in the midst of huge expansion for the company overall, with Downtown's global staff more than doubling in the last year.

About Downtown Music Publishing

Established in 2007, Downtown Music Publishing is one of the world's leading rights-management firms with offices in major music markets around the globe, including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Paris, and Sydney. The company's catalog spans over seven decades of popular music, encompassing some of the world's most beloved songwriters and artists including The Beatles, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, Hans Zimmer, The Kinks, One Direction, Mötley Crüe, Robin Thicke, Naughty Boy, Hardwell, Sturgill Simpson, Santigold, Carla Bruni, and Social Distortion. Downtown Music Publishing is wholly owned by Downtown & Company, which also owns New York-based Downtown Music Studios and Songtrust, the world's largest technology platform for songwriting and music publishing royalties, which powers global royalty collection from over 120 territories and more than 20,000 unique income sources worldwide.