STUART HORNALL TOOK UP A GUITAR at an early age and learned how to play it passably (his word) in Largs, Ayrshire, his home town, writes Nigel Hunter. His dad didn't discourage this musical bent, but with canny Scots astuteness insisted that his son also learned a trade (the proverbial "proper job") so Stuart is also a qualified electrician in the unlikely event of Hornall Brothers Music disappearing down the tubes. "I was a member of a local group called Soul Pakk," Stuart recalls. "We couldn't have been that bad as I was earning £3 a week as an apprentice electrician and up to £10 a week as guitarist with the band." He also recalls his grandfather not being overly impressed by his grandson's instrumental prowess. Grandad reckoned that once you plugged a guitar into the local power supply, the latter did most of the work for you. Stuart's taste for music exceeded his enjoyment of mending fuses and working with wires by a large margin and he headed south of the border to London with the band. They did demos for Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, recording their songs as a means towards a deal of their own. They were signed first to Aurora and recorded Memories Of Melinda (still available on an album memorably titled Eiderdown Mindfog and written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod) and then with Deram for whom they cut a single of which the A-side was a Gallagher and Lyle song called Jefferson. During this period, Stuart also signed an exclusive songwriting agreement with Schroeder Music.

"We got some airplay and we toured the UK and parts of Europe for a while but eventually I needed to eat and pay the rent so I started a full time job at Graham's Record Bar near the Mount Pleasant post office. That led to a sales rep post with A&M Records covering London and the south-east down to Dover. Then I was made promotion manager for Scotland and the North, working on records by The Carpenters, Rick Wakeman, Gallagher & Lyle and Supertramp among others before being brought back to London as A&M national promotion manager."

That was in 1976, and a year later Stuart joined Elektra Asylum as general manager for three years, working with the Eagles, Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt, before leaving to set up his own promotion company called Showdown with clients including Gallagher & Lyle, Andy Fairweather Low and BA Robertson. That was short-lived because he was enticed back into the A&M fold the same year, this time as professional manager of Rondor Music (London), its publishing wing, and he eventually became general manager in 1981.When Bob Grace left four years later, Stuart was named managing director and later senior vice president of Rondor Music International. "I learned a lot from Bob," he remarks. "He has good ears!" Eleven years on in 1996, he surprised the music business by leaving to form his own Hornall Brothers Music and Proper Songs enterprise which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The brother of its name is Alan Hornall, not a participant in the company but a long-time production manager resident in the USA, where he is currently working with Kelly Clarkson.

"Yes, Rondor and I parted company," grins Stuart when asked about his departure, "and I decided that as I knew something about music publishingI had to go and do it for myself. It was a choice between that or sunning on a Greek beach. I wasn't looking for another job working for somebody else and nobody offered me one anyway." However, on a sudden whim, he did some sunning by taking a five-day holiday in Greece with wife Janie, whom he met during the Largs days and who is now Head of Royalties of HBM, with daughter Zoë who is now Professional Manager and Stuart’s PA; and Janie's brother before returning to London to face the future as an independent publisher."On the way to Glasgow Airport to fly to London, I suddenly said 'Let's go to Greece instead!' and we did. I felt certain there was going to be a lot of hard work ahead - and I was right! It was the sort of impulsive thing I had always wanted to do and I couldn't resist it. So Hornall Brothers opened a week later than planned on April 29th 1996. Dave Margereson and Kenny Thomson offered me a basement office at their base in the Fulham Road at a very reasonable price and the legendary Willie Robertson agreed to insure it, coupled with Ronnie Garrity at Heathmans Mastering cutting us a deal for tape copying facilities, and that's where Janie, Zoë and I set up shop.

It's a bit different now in our three-storey office block by the River Thames in Putney."Peter Bardon of Bardis Music gave me our first song," continues Stuart. "It was written by Derek Herbert and called Crawl. Graham Lyle was there for us as always and was the first major writer we signed. Then followed Colin Vearncombe, Paul Brady, Chris de Burgh, Jim Diamond, Leo Sayer, Thunder, Sam Brown, Billy Livsey, Jeff Healey, Melissa Etheridige, Mickey Jupp, Phil Palmer, Craig Logan and Gregg Sutton, all of whom joined when their previous deals expired.“Since then, we've added Terry Britten, Charlie Burchill, Chris Rea, Carlos Santana, Gabrielle, Boon Gould, Tim DeLaughter, David Galbraith, Len Freedman's catalogue including Walter Becker, Fred Ahlert Music, Snapping Turtle with Greg Khin and Jonathan Richman to name but a few. And to crown it all, Mel Brooks - beat that! We also represent the catalogues of several jazz stars such as Lee Ritenour, Gerry Mulligan and Freddie Hubbard. "The first sub-publishing deal was was with Major Bob Music, Garth Brooks' publisher, and I owe a big thank you to Bob Doyle for having faith in us and being the first to test the water with Hornall Brothers Music, which now represents Major Bob for the world outside North and South America and Japan. Then we signed a sub-publishing agreement with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, that was shortly followed by the wonderful Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller catalogue -what a thrill that was!" Later Stuart got a call from Mark Knopfler to inform him that he was coming to Hornall Brothers Music with his next album. He ended the call by wishing his new publisher ‘Merry Christmas, Stu!’ "Christ!" comments Stuart, "he wasn't wrong, was he?" Coincidentally, Mark’s new album of duets with Emmylou Harris, All The Roadrunning, is out on April 24th, the week of HBM’s 10th anniversary, and the pair will be touring here.Over the years, Stuart has enjoyed a long and very fruitful relationship with Nashville, and during his Rondor days he and David Conrad, who ran Almo/Irving Music there, worked together mixing and matching songwriters and songs. "David's a person from whom I've learned a lot. Since setting up Hornall Brothers, that relationship with Nashville has continued to blossom and we're lucky to work with some of its very best writers and catalogues. Among them are Garth Brooks, Billy Livsey, Randy Goodrum, Allen Shamblin, Kent Blazy, Paul Overstreet, Neil Thrasher, Mary Gauthier, Billy Kirsch, Danny Tate, Robert Jason, Lori McKenna, Horipro, Big Red Tractor and - last but certainly not least - the Carol Vincent & Associates catalogue, and Gary!"

In 2002, Hornalls took over the administration of Mautoglade from Frank Coachworth which brought the ARC Music Group into the fold with all the Chess Records artists like Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker and Willie Dixon. "It was everything I used to listen to when Iwas a kid," comments Stuart. "ARC is run by Marshall Chess, the son of Leonard Chess. It's a great company and Marshall is someone else from whom you can learn a lot. Recent additions are Private & Confidential Music; Rabbie Songs (Ronnie Garrity and Henry Gorman); the late Jim Capaldi's catalogue; and Nick Van Eede (Cutting Crew). "One of the hardest tasks when we started was to sort out sub-publishers for our catalogue across the world - or ar least it seemed like it would be. However, people like Peter Ende from EMI, Julio Marquina from Clippers (who's doing a grand job like his late dad with whom I did the original deal), the La Bionda brothers and Stefan Egmar were all incredibly supportive." Since those early days, good friends and ex-Rondor colleagues Tommy Richter and Halit Uman have formed their own companies in Germany and France respectively and Hornall Brothers has subpublishing agreements with them both. Stuart also pays tribute to his lawyer and friend, James Wyllie, a stalwart supporter from the beginning, without whom none of these deals could have been done. Luck played a necessary role but, even more than that, Stuart's glowing reputation in the business has stood the company in very good stead. "I've always got my ear to the ground where songs are concerned and most people tend to find me if they want to. I go by my own instinct and I find it easy to say ‘no’ because there's no point in saying ‘yes’ if you can't hear anything promising in a song. A publisher is only as good as his songs and the way to get good songs is to work with good writers. As Ialways say - if you work hard enough, the luck will follow. “Having spent the last 10 years developing HBM into a truly independent company without any outside investment, I'm confident that I'm also pretty much aware of the numerous developments that are taking place in the music industry today. I have already served for many years on both the MCPS and MPA boards, and in 2005 I was appointed to the board of the PRS until the 2006 AGM following the resignation of Crispin Evans. Since then, I have become even more convinced that in this online age it’s essential to be fully committed to the struggle to realise the full value of music copyright in today's market place."

“What do you say about Stuart Hornall? Well that covers that! On a more serious note, Chris's career has spanned more than 30 years in the music business and Stuart has been there from the beginning. From the many drunken nights in Scotland, where none of us had any money, but a lot of energy and belief, to the present day, where he has managed to build the best Independent Publishing company in Britain. Stuart has always been there for us with wisdom and certainly humour. He has been a major source of support and advice across Chris's career and we certainly couldn't imagine being with any other Publisher. On this, the 10th anniversary of Hornall Brothers Music, we'd like to congratulate Stuart, Janie, Zoë and the team. I certainly know that the next 10 years will be just as successful”.

“I'm sure glad that ugly Scotsman is my publisher because it doesn't leave him enough time to mess up somebody else's career! All my love.”

“Stuart Hornall is a publisher that has always related to his writers in a very personal and special way. Not only does he care about the songs but also about the writer’s welfare. Since I have known him and worked with him, which is a long time, he has always been a true friend and a great supporter of my work. His stable of songwriters reads like a who’s who of the world’s best. We are all there for a reason and that reason is Stuart.”

"When Stuart finally left Rondor and started out on his own with Janie and Zoe I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought to myself he'll have an uphill struggle. Well, not only did he prove me wrong he's reached the top of the hill. Always the friend of the songwriter, his interpersonal skills with the creator have, I'm sure, been the key to his success and there is no-one who deserves that success more than Stuart. I'm sure though he'd admit he couldn't have done it without Janie and Zoë. Congratulations to all three of them and I wish them even greater success over the next ten years." –

“I suggest that Hornall Bros. Music changes name to Hornall Family Music. It is a wonderful family business. It is such a pleasure to deal with people whose first priority is their clients, both songwriters and publishers, rather than the corporate pursuit of market share at any cost which is so prevalent nowadays.”

“In this faceless, corporate world we live in there is one exception to the rule: Stuart Hornall, one of the few real music men left that can actually spot a great song as well as having a great sense of humour. When I negotiated my deal with Hornall Brothers I'll never forget the look on my US lawyer’s face after reading the contract stipulating that I would be required to dress in women’s clothes upon signing. Now that’s rock’n‘roll!”

"The one thing about Stuart is he gives the best cocktail parties, in January (Midem) and December (Xmas). He's a very special friend and so are all the Hornall family."

“It is said, and I believe it to be true, that in his time at Rondor, Stuart only ever mispaid once... and that was in the artist’s favour (we'll try to overlook the fact of it being Chris De Burgh!). It has been a great pleasure to me to see the way in which Hobro as a unit (and a family unit at that God help them!) have not only survived the move to indie but prospered. If your songs have made money out there they will find it, and you will get what’s due - I think we all know how rare this can be in the music business. But they are rare people and I wouldn't be without them.”

“Ten years has flown by and here I am still with Hornall Bros. in spite of all warnings. Congratulations, Stuart and all at HB!” Love,

“Stuart, many congratulations on your 10th Anniversary. It has been great working with you all these years. Warmest regards.”

“Having met Stuart in 1983, working close together with him at Rondor for the following twelve years was a fantastic experience, far beyond a regular work-relationship. It was a big shock for us when he departed from Rondor in 1995, but it was a brave decision for him to go independent and to set up shop with Janie and Zoë. After Rondor was sold in 2000, it was obvious to follow in their footsteps and open our own shop in Germany. It is an absolute pleasure working with all our Hornall Brothers and Sisters, and we wish them a very happy tenth - well done!”

“Stuart represents each and everything music publishing is about: deep passion for music, great skills to spot new talent, golden ears, road repertoire knowledge, and he is a superb net worker. He knows the business inside out and if it comes to negotiating deals you will find out that he definitely knows how to make use of his broad experience. On top of this he is a loyal and reliable friend, bearded, and he knows how to party - you cannot ask for more! Cheers for you mate and for your lovely and dedicated family. Respect and sincere congratulations on yourfirst 10 years. Keep on rockin'.”

“In 1982 Stuart Hornall signed me to Rondor Music London mainly on the strength of one song, Crazy Dreams. The interesting thing about this song is that, structurally, it consists of four verses and no chorus - not immediately the kind of song that a publisher who sees music strictly in terms of the bottom line might be expected to get excited about. But excited he got (not a pretty sight, I might add!) and twenty four years later he still publishes my songs. Stuart is a 'music' publisher first. He has always had an instinct for a song that will touch peoples' hearts and firmly believes that this will naturally lead to it being successful. “I might add here that Crazy Dreams has consistently been one of my most popular and successful songs, which goes to show that structural guidelines for successful songwriting such as verse, bridge, chorus, middle 8 etc are just that - guidelines. People who tap their foot to a song that pleases them are not thinking about how many times the chorus appears! But that's another day’s topic. Stuart's instinct was right and that is what he lives by. When his time at Rondor came to an end it must have been a scary time for him, Janie and family. Starting out on their own as Hornall Brothers Music was a bold step. Their policy of simplifying and demystifying contractual agreements with writers was equally bold and inspiring, an ‘If you want to be with us, you'll stay - if not, there's no point in putting a gun to your head’ kind of thing. “

Gradually, over the years his human touch and patent love for music has attracted more and more writers, both established and starting out, who are fed up with the 'music is a commodity' attitude of the major publishing companies. Nowadays Hornall Brothers has its own proven track record with success after success. “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Stuart, Janie, Zoe and all the staff at Hornall BrothersMusic on reaching this milestone and wish them many more decades of creative, exciting and successful publishing!”

“I met Stuart via our old friend Peter McCamley when Stuart was then head honcho and bottle washer at Rondor Music UK in the 80’s. What struck me thenwas what a bloody good egg he was, a good drinker, good personality, knew his job like the back of his handand more so a very generous man. We kept bumping into each other over the years and he was very good to me when I took over running Rive Droite in the UK. When I announced I was leaving last year, he was the first person who called me up to say ‘I’m here if you need me.’ When I set up the Private and Confidential Group and had to decide who was going to look after our interests I met all the folks, but really my feeling was to go with Stuart.

“So after a talk and a few beers (to say the least) a deal was struck for Stuart to look after us worldwide with his great team of sub-publishers. After 1 month of being operational we had our first Top 20 hit and no doubt we will have many more over the next few months with major releases from the likes of Heather Small etc etc. It is a honour after all these years to be working with Stuart and his family (his girls). Ben ‘Jammin’ Robbins, myself and our team at PnC wish Hornall Bros all the best for another 10 years... maybe then we should through in the towel and head off for some more cold beers (preferably Leffe) in a sunnier climate and let the young ones show us how to run this odd business we are now in... it will be interesting to see if they can drink and rock and roll like us oldies and still do the best job possible, somehow I doubt it!”

“Congratulations on your 10th anniversary. It is just wonderful to work with you Stuart, Janie, Zoë and all your team. Cheers from Stiggy!”

“If there is a warm place in my heart, in this ever fascinating, bubbling world of music publishing, it is for Stuart, for Janie, for Zoë - The Hornalls. Not just as their sub-publisher here in Israel but as a friend indeed, we always have our annual meeting on that place on the Thames: Gilly's (still keep their matchbox as a souvenir from that unforgettable pre-Xmas writers party of 2005) where we meet for a bite, or for drinks, all the way from Tel-Aviv to Putney Bridge, always fun, always great humor, feelgood atmosphere. To meet such people with a real sense of humor is getting rare - so there’s a breath of fresh air for you! “The Hornalls are world famous for their beyond the business attitude, real music lovers, original thinkers, always innovative, always so warm. On your tenth Hornall Bros anniversary, please accept my sincere wishes for many happy, fruitful and healthy returns of the day. PS: Sophie watches from above and joins Etna the smiling dog with greetings - I love you!!”

“Stuart was one of the first international publishers to believe in Garth Brooks and Major Bob Music. He made a strong commitment to the development of Garth's career in Europe and the exploitation of Major Bob songs. When Stuart started Hornell Bros. Music we were one of the first companies to join him in his new venture. He has continued to believe in our catalog and roster, having recently gotten the Ronan Keating cover of If Tomorrow Never Comes. I wish him the best and hope for another ten years of working with this great publisher and music executive.”

“It is the dream of every songwriter to find a music publisher who has an all encompassing knowledge of the market, who cannot sleep while there is an uncovered song in his catalogue, who works tirelessly to support and promote his writers - and until I find him I am very happy to stay with Stuart! Congratulations on your tenth birthday and best wishes.”

"Stuart has achieved with Hornall Bros. what is widely regarded in the industry as virtually impossible these days. His qualitys of consistency, energy, commitment to his writers, and being always there for them are remarkable, and I'm just really thrilled for him. Everyone in the industry knows how tough it is out there, and we all have an enormous respect for him and his family. I'm proud to have been associated with him and always enjoyed working with him during our time together. He's a very genuine person, and deserves his continued success. "

“I have known Stuart for many years and have had the pleasure of acting for the company since its birth ten years ago. The enthusiasm of Stuart, Janie and Zoë has always been infectious and a visit to Hornall Brothers is always fun, particularly if lunch is involved. It's been great to be involved in the growth of Hornall Brothers from its small beginnings and I'm looking forward to its continued success in the future.”

“All of us at Leiber & Stoller Music Publishing have enjoyed our long affiliation with Hornall Brothers Music. Stuart, Janie, Zoë, and Diane have done an outstanding job promoting our catalog, and we’re grateful to them for everything they’ve done on our behalf. Here’s to your next decade, Stuart, and please say hello to your brother for us (if he really exists). Warmest wishes from Mike, Jerry and all your friends at Leiber & Stoller Music.” –

“It is a pleasure to work with Hornall Brothers Music, a company that appreciates the great music in our catalog and handles it with respect, enthusiasm, and knowledge. Stuart and all his crew are more than partners, they are friends and family.”

“Neither Gary or I can walk into a bathroom with a cell phone without thinking about Janie, and the one brief second she thought it retrievable!”

“I don’t know what’s happened to Stuart. He used to be able to drink. The last time he came to Nashville I had to double check my credit card receipts to verify that he only had 23 vodka drinks, 4 beers, and a bottle of Sake. I think he’s beginning to slip... we’re not sure we can take another 10 years! Congrats on making the last ten extremely memorable.”