SOCAN is mourning the loss of our former Membership Department representative and lifelong music publishing administrator Vicki Walters, who passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on March 5, 2024, at the age of 78, after battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for a year-and-a-half.
The loyal, caring, ebullient Walters worked for about 11 years, from December of 2001 to March of 2013, at SOCAN – where she was greatly appreciated by both her work colleagues and the music publishers she served. Prior to her time at SOCAN, Walters was the Vice President, Administration, of ATV Canada from 1982 to 1986, and then worked in the same capacity at TMP – The Music Publisher, run by Frank Davies, from 1986 to 2000. After 2013, she was a copyright/administration consultant for BMG Rights Management (Canada) Inc., where she worked closely with Jennifer Beavis, Canadian Director of BMG, and member of the Board of Directors of SOCAN.
“Vicki was a great friend and colleague at SOCAN for so many years,” says SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. “She had a true love of music, and she fostered and maintained such strong, true connections to our SOCAN publishers. Vicki was also extremely considerate of her co-workers, and always shared her extensive music publishing knowledge. I worked alongside her for years in Membership, and she was always happy to help. She was dedicated, reliable, and cared so much about serving and supporting our members. All at SOCAN will miss her.”
Frank Davies says Walters was particularly respected among artists and TMP’s foreign publishing partners for her diligence in tracking royalties and arranging for prompt payments. “Vicki was a devoted, loyal, and hugely caring person in everything she undertook, and was particularly vigilant in ensuring that all of our songwriters and publishing clients were always our first priority,” says Davies. “Vicki knew that they were our extended ‘family,’ and always treated them as such.”
“Vicki and I have been friends for 30 years, and I love her so much – as many of us who knew her do,” says Jennifer Beavis. “I first got to know her when she was a client of the CMRRA [Canadian Music Rights Reproduction Agency], where I worked at the time. We loved how Vicki could recite the terms and dates of every contract she ever saw. When she was at SOCAN as our publishing rep, I became a client, and of course she was incredible, diligent, and detailed in everything she did… A world without Vicki Walters will be a tough one to get used to.”
An online memorial page has been created, where the Canadian music publishing community has been quick to respond to Walters’ passing, posting comments as follows (in addition to their condolences):
“Vicki had such a big, open heart,” says Linda Noelle Bush, Director, PRS, at ACTRA (the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists). “When I was new to the industry, she saw my potential before I did, and gave me the confidence boost I needed. Later, when I signed Sam Roberts to his Universal [Music Canada] publishing deal, we celebrated his first SOCAN No. 1 Song; Vicki took me aside, telling me she knew I had it in me.”
“Vicki was such a music business character,” says Neville Quinlan, Managing Director of Peermusic Canada. “I always enjoyed working through complex problems with her. (I don’t know if we ever solved the problems, but we always laughed a lot!) She’s missed, and it’s nice to think of the fun times.”
“What a firecracker Vicki was!” says Aideen O’Brien, longtime music publisher and current music/wealth/health consultant. “She lit up a room with her infectious laughter. Always so gracious with her career, sharing knowledge and support whenever needed. The world is so much better for having her along in this crazy journey of Life.”
“Vicki’s joyous and infectious energy will be missed by all who knew her,” says Janet Baker, Director of Administration and Synchronization at Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada.
Walters is survived by three siblings, and five nieces and nephews. Donations can be made in her name to Sunnybrook Hospital Palliative Care Unit, and the funeral took place on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at Garden City Funerals, 39 Court Street, St. Catharines, Ontario.
SOCAN extends its deepest condolences to Vicki’s family, friends, and colleagues in the Canadian music ecosystem.