•        Madonna stays tops in the UK Charts, while Leona Lewis returns to Number 1 in the USA         •        Eddy Arnold, country music's "Tennessee Plowboy" whose rendition of "Make the World Go Away" was an international hit in the 1960s, has died at age 89 in Nashville after a lengthy illness         •        According to the BBC, Amy Winehouse is no longer working on a theme song for the forthcoming James Bond film, along with producer Mark Ronson         •        Songwriter Richard Fagan, who has written hits for John Michael Montgomery amongst others, has been charged with criminal homicide following the death of Gaetano Thomas "Tommy" Oteri, 69, father of Saturday Night Live cast member Cheri Oteri. Oteri, who was Fagan's manager, music publisher and roommate, was found stabbed to death inside their Nashville home on Sunday         •        Leroy Brown, immortalised in the Jim Croce song "Big Bad Leroy Brown", may soon be the main character in an action- comedy movie based on the lyrics, to be produced by Warren Zide         •        The singer representing France at the Eurovision Contest says he is ready to add more French lyrics to his mostly English-language song, following controversy in France         •        Yoko Ono is suing the producers of a new movie saying they used the song "Imagine" without her permission         •        Humphrey Lyttleton, who penned "Bad Penny Blues", the first ever jazz composition to reach the UK Top 40 Charts, has died in London at the age of 86         •        The musical "Heaven Sent" by Patricia Knapton & Stephen Hearson, will get its first performance at the Stoke-On-Trent (UK) Repertory Theatre from May 13th to May 17th 2008         •        Queen are planning to stage a second musical in London, following the success of "We Will Rock You"         •        The Frech Eurovision song has sparked a public row in Paris, due to the predominance of English in the lyrics         •        Tesco launches its own download service initially in the UK         •        Lake County and a local songwriter are caught up in a legal fight over a song extolling the beauties of the area         •        US act are winners of the Chevrolet Song Contest         •        Radiohead are to launch a song remix contest         •        New York Mets concede that their song contest was "rickrolled"         •        "My Songs Are Not Pretty" - so says Laura Marling         •        Robbie Williams and songwriting collaborator Guy Chambers have split again         •        The Florida Song Contest have reached a compromise over the winning song

The Original Songwriting Centre • Founded 1967 International Songwriters Association • The ISA

The Premier Songwriting Contest - The Eurovision From Lys Assia (Switzerland 1956), to Marija Serifovic, who won for  Serbia in 2007, we examine the winners (and the losers) in what has become the most famous (or infamous) song contest in the world - the Eurovision!

Are You Selling Your Songs? Songwriter Magazine is giving away absolutely free, the 60,0000 word International Songwriters Association Course "Selling Your Songs" to any songwriter who wants it. Click the pic for the full story!

Looking For A Hit Songwriter? Singers, bands, and managers seeking hit songs, contact us daily. If you are looking for unpublished songwriting product, our songwriters will happily oblige.  Just click the pic!

John Lennon Songwriting Contest The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is open to songwriters and lyric writers, and is one of the most successful songwriting contests of all, attracting songwriters and songwriting teams from all over he world.

Songwriter Interview - Gene Pitney "Today's Teardrops by Roy Orbison was a big hit, but not my biggest songwriting hit. That was Hello Mary Lou which I gave to Rick Nelson, and I've spent a lifetime analysing why it was as big as it was".

Songwriter Interview - Sonny Curtis "Leo Sayer, a songwriter himself, was in his hotel room, watching television, and on came More Than I Can Say in this K-Tel commercial and he said - 'Wow, I always wanted to do that song'. And he did!"

Songwriter Interview - Hal Shaper "In the early days, I had no instinct towards fame or fortune, I just liked being a songwriter. I always used to wake up thinking, 'I can't imagine why everyone in the world doesn't write songs for a living!'"

Songwriter Interview - Lionel Bart "I wrote songs for Cliff for the film. The Living Doll song itself -  one morning, I was looking at the Sunday Mirror, I think, and I saw this adverti for a doll that did everything. And I thought, "That'll do"

Songwriter Interview - Barry Mason "I wrote a song called Girl Of Mine for Elvis and there were two versions made of that.  One with just the rhythm section, for the fans, without The Jordanaires or violins -  and that's the version I've got"

One Song Percentage = How Much Cash? "I signed the contract, but had no idea what money was likely. My first cheque was $75.00 and I thought - that's probably right. Then the bank clerk pointed out it was actually for $7500!"

Get Our Free Weekly Songwriting Newsletter Enter Your Email For Our Free Weekly "Songwriting News" Join The ISA Join the International Songwriters Association free of charge for the first three months? Click the ISA Logo below to learn more Already An ISA Member? A member already? On your registered PC? Log-in here to the Members' Site ISA • International Songwriters Association (1967) Ltd PO Box 46 • Limerick City • Ireland • Tel 061-228837 • Fax 061-2288379 ISA Website  http://www.songwriter.co.uk • Editorial E-Mail  jliddane@songwriter.iol.ie Copyright © 2008 International Songwriters Association International Songwriters Association Limited Registered In Dublin, Ireland • Company Number 38917 Registered Address • High Chaperal, Raheen Heights, Limerick City, Ireland Postal Address • PO Box 46, Limerick City, Ireland