Gibson Guitar names Cherry general counsel

Gibson Guitar Corp. has named veteran music industry attorney Joel A. Cherry to be its general counsel. The Pennsylvania native was an entertainment lawyer from 1979 to 1992 with Atlanta-based Katz &

Email | Print By David A. Fox

02-06-2004 12:00 AM — Gibson Guitar Corp. has named veteran music industry attorney Joel A. Cherry to be its general counsel.

The Pennsylvania native was an entertainment lawyer from 1979 to 1992 with Atlanta-based Katz & Cherry. He then joined EMI North America as its head of business affairs before returning to private practice.

CMT.com reported last month that he, Dana Miller and Karen Kane were being sued by client singer Ty Herndon and his corporation Ride the West for allegedly interfering with his business relationship with former manager International Management and Guidance for Excellence. Herndon also alleged that Cherry, Miller and Kane falsely claimed to have arranged a distribution agreement with Wal-Mart for a Herndon Christmas album.

Other performers Nashville resident Cherry has represented include Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, LucasFilms Ltd, Gloria and Emilio’s Estefan Enterprises.

Nashville-based Gibson includes such brands as Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Trace Elliot, Maestro, Baldwin, Ellington, Chickering and Wurlitzer.