CMT News

Former Music Industry Executive Merlin Littlefield Dies

Former music industry executive Merlin Littlefield died Tuesday (Sept. 9) in Nashville following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The native Texan worked in radio promotion in Dallas before joining RCA Records where he worked with numerous artists, including Elvis Presley. After moving to Nashville, he had a 19-year tenure as an executive at ASCAP, the performance rights organization. While at ASCAP, he signed a string of songwriters, including Lyle Lovett and Gary Burr. After leaving the music business, he worked for the Tennessee Department of Corrections before his most recent position as a director of the state's Division of Mental Retardation Services.