PAUL ROPER,
1979-2024

Dualtone Records President Paul Roper died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 45.

Roper began his association with Dualtone in 2002, when he joined the label as an intern shortly after its founding. He quickly rose through the ranks to become president and partner. Under his guidance, Dualtone notched 16 Grammy nominations, with four wins, including trophies for June Carter Cash, Guy Clark and the team of Jim Lauderdale and Ralph Stanley.

During Roper’s tenure, Dualtone achieved considerable success, both critically and commercially. Standouts included releases by Chuck Berry, Mt. Joy, Shovels and Rope and The Lumineers—an enormously influential contemporary act that achieved triple-platinum certification for their self-titled debut album and platinum status with 2016 follow-up Cleopatra.

Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers said, "When we started touring in our 15-passenger van, we used to park at the venue and bide our time until it was time to load in. We didn't have money for hotels and we'd usually be splitting Subway sandwiches or Clif Bars between us. I'll never forget when Paul Roper showed up to the parking lot behind the venue in Nashville and met us with beer and pizza. It was a small gesture on his side but a massive one to us. I'll never forget that."

Paul’s family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Nashville nonprofit Corner to Corner in his memory.