Quincy Jones, John Mayer and Bill Withers Lead Speaker Lineup for ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo

LOS ANGELES, CA and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 25, 2010) - Music legends Quincy Jones and Bill Withers and music superstar John Mayer will lead the list of speakers at the 5th annual ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, it was announced today by ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). The three-day EXPO will take place at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, April 22-24, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.

Quincy Jones will be interviewed about his prolific career as a musician, composer, producer, arranger and conductor, who has worked with such entertainment giants as Count Basie, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin and many others. As one of music's true renaissance men, he has done it all. He has shuffled pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, African and Brazilian music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performance, movies and television, leaving his indelible mark on American popular music.

John Mayer will discuss his craft, career and current projects, including the worldwide tour in support of his latest album, "Battle Studies." Universally recognized for his guitar playing skills as well as his writing skills, the seven-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter and performer expertly mixes pop, blues, soul and jazz into his ever-evolving music, which includes such hits as "Your Body Is a Wonderland," "Waiting on the World to Change," "Gravity" and "Say." He has collaborated with artists from several genres, including blues guitar greats Buddy Guy, B.B. King and Eric Clapton, jazz icon Herbie Hancock, hip-hop visionaries Common and Kayne West, as well as legendary studio musicians Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino as part of the John Mayer Trio.

Bill Withers will share valuable insights into a remarkable career that includes writing and performing such classic hits as "Ain't No Sunshine," "Grandma's Hands," "I Want To Spend the Night," "In The Name Of Love," "Just The Two Of Us," "Lean On Me," "Lovely Day" and "Use Me," to name a few. His music and unique voice have been used in countless television and radio commercials, motion pictures and television programs, and his songs have been recorded by hundreds of artists from a variety of genres including Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minnelli, Sting, Will Smith, Lionel Hampton, The Temptations, Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Mick Jagger and Crystal Gayle, among others.

Also confirmed to participate in the EXPO are Louis Biancaniello, Kenny Burrell, Desmond Child, Dre & Vidal, Steve Diamond, John Forté, Ashley Gorley, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Ron Jones, Just Blaze, Bear McCreary, Bob Mintzer, Robert Ellis Orrall, Don Schlitz, Brian Tyler, Sam Watters, Greg Wells, Wendy & Lisa, Phil Vassar, and Paul Williams. Additional panelists and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

"The diversity of music creators and music industry representatives who so generously share their expertise at our EXPO is unprecedented, and I sincerely thank each of them for their participation," said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams, who will be appearing at the EXPO. "The energy and inspiration generated by our community coming together in this way is truly remarkable, and is one of the reasons why the EXPO continues to be so successful."

The ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO is the premier conference for songwriters, composers and producers. It covers all genres of music and includes panels, workshops, master classes, keynotes, One-on-One sessions, song critiquing, networking events, product displays, state-of-the-art technology demonstrations, performances, and more. All music creators, producers, publishers and executives -- regardless of their performing rights organization affiliation -- will benefit from this unique creative event, which is designed around personal interaction, education and networking. For more information, and to register, please visit www.ascap.com/expo.

Members of the press may apply for credentials at www.ascap.com/press/pressroom/expo/.

About ASCAP

Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 370,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com