Don Henley has joined forces with fellow artists Dave Matthews, Maren Morris, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White and others for form the Music Artists Coalition (MAC) to advocate for and to protect artist's rights.
“Artists decide their musical fate every time they write a song or step on stage,"says Henley. "Their true fate -- the ability to protect their music -- is being decided by others … bureaucrats, government legislators, and the powerful digital gatekeepers. We are forming the Music Artists Coalition to ensure that there is an organization whose sole mission is to protect the rights of music artists -- performers and songwriters.”“
And Matthews adds, "Emerging artists deserve the same opportunity that many of us had -- to be able to make a living creating music. It’s important for today’s musicians to pave the way for those in the future.”
Among the organization's board members is Henley's longtime manager, Irving Azoff, who likens the MAC to the National Music Publishers’ Association, which represents music publishers, as well as the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents major labels.
“Artists don’t really have a seat at any table,” says Azoff. "Just the fact that we have a powerful group of people will scare everyone else to the table.
“We have a responsibility to protect the people who write the songs and create the music. MAC will be the voice and defender for all music creators.”
In 2000, Henley co-founded the Recording Artists' Coalition, which worked to protect musician's rights against music industry practices.