Vicki Walters passes

Vicki Walters, a popular Canadian music publishing veteran, died on March 5, at the age of 78, after battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Walters' early experience in the music business included a stint as executive assistant to Jack Feeney at RCA and Sunbury/Dunbar Publishing, working with such artist/songwriters as Ian Thomas.

That was followed by a period managing a nightclub called Heaven, situated near the Art Gallery of Ontario, prior to connecting with legendary Toronto music publisher Frank Davies, with whom she worked from 1982 to 2000.

A 2000 Globe and Mail feature story on the collapse of Song Corporation noted that "By June of 2000, only three months into a three-year deal to be a Song consultant, Frank Davies had bailed. He felt Song's top managers, including Allan Gregg, had no vision for marketing its current catalogue or developing new talent. He was particularly upset when his long-time song administrator, Vicki Walters, was dismissed against, he says, his wishes, after 14 years with TMP. Davies says Walters was particularly respected among artists and the company's foreign publishing partners for her diligence in tracking royalties and arranging for prompt payments."

Walters then joined SOCAN as a Membership Department Representative in Dec. 2001, remaining there until March 2013.

After leaving SOCAN, Walters became a copyright/administration consultant for BMG Rights Management (Canada) Inc., where she worked closely with Jennifer Beavis, of BMG’s Synchronization & Copyright Administration Department.

Singer-songwriter John Cody posted this tribute on Facebook: "I worked with Vicki for many years when Frank Davies signed me to TMP back in '91. She was always smiling and an absolute pleasure to work with. Thank you for your Joy dear Vicki."

A funeral was held in St. Catharines, ON, on March 7. Donations can be made in Vicki Walters' name to Sunnybrook Hospital Palliative Care Unit. An online memorial page has been created.