Paul Roper, the broadly revered President of Dualtone Music Group, handed away on Tuesday (December 17) after a brave battle with most cancers.
Roper is survived by his spouse and their 4 youngsters.
“His loss will likely be deeply felt by his household, colleagues, artists, the Nashville music neighborhood, and the music trade at giant,” mentioned Dualtone Music Group mum or dad firm MNRK in an announcement this week.
Roper joined Dualtone Music Group in 2002 as an intern and rapidly turned “a driving pressure” inside the label, rising by way of the ranks to President and Associate.
He performed an integral function within the signing and launch of over 200 albums, garnering Americana Music Affiliation award wins, a number of Grammy nominations and 4 Grammy wins.
Roper championed acclaimed albums by The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mt. Pleasure, Shakey Graves, Shovels & Rope, flipturn, Brett Dennen, Langhorne Slim, Wilder Woods, Man Clark, Chuck Berry, Mouse Rat, and June Carter Money, amongst many others.
He was a proud graduate of Sewanee: The College of the South.
Roper is described by MNRK as having been “a visionary chief and a pioneer in a music house he known as Amerikinda, celebrating nice songwriting in all kinds of genres”.
Added MNRK: “Recognized for his tireless advocacy for artists, Paul believed that the artistic course of and the music at all times got here first. His ardour for nurturing each rising and established voices will likely be remembered by all who had the privilege of working with him”.
Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers paid tribute to Roper: “After we began touring in our 15-passenger van, we used to park on the venue and bide our time till it was time to load in.
“We didn’t have cash for accommodations and we’d normally be splitting Subway sandwiches or Clif Bars between us. I’ll always remember when Paul Roper confirmed as much as the car parking zone behind the venue in Nashville and met us with beer and pizza. It was a small gesture on his aspect, however an enormous one to us. I’ll always remember that.”
MNRK added that underneath Roper’s management, “the label thrived, incomes its repute as a trusted companion for artists and a frontrunner in impartial music”.
Within the wake of the East Nashville twister of 2020, Roper mirrored: “The spirit of this firm has at all times been larger than any individual or place. We had quite a lot of nice reminiscences in that constructing, however the coronary heart of Dualtone is the music, the artists, the workers, the neighborhood. No storm may ever take that away.”
“Paul Roper’s legacy of kindness, integrity, and deep love for music will proceed to encourage us all.”
Added MNRK: “Paul’s imaginative and prescient and unwavering dedication continues to outline the center and soul of Dualtone. He led Dualtone and his crew with dedication, authenticity, humor, and kindness and he will likely be terribly missed by all of us.
“Paul Roper’s legacy of kindness, integrity, and deep love for music will proceed to encourage us all.”
Paul Roper’s household requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Nook to Nook in his reminiscence.Music Enterprise Worldwide
