Billboard is reporting today that Frances Preston, who was in charge of the Nashville BMI office from 1986 to 2004, has died of congestive heart failure. She was 83.
Frances Preston was the first female executive in Nashville and legendary songwriter Kris Kristofferson called her the “songwriter’s guardian angel.”
Del Bryant, President and CEO of BMI said: “Frances Williams Preston was a force of nature. She was smart, beautiful, tenacious, and generous. She put BMI on the culture map and shaped the careers of many: especially mine. Though we mourn the loss of a great leader and friend, she lives on through a legacy that is literally set in stone. The BMI Nashville building and her wing at Vanderbilt Hospital are two monuments that were erected by her and stand in tribute to her passion and drive for those she loved.
God speed, dear friend.”