Chronicle: ASCAP EVP/Chief Creative Officer John Titta has died following a two-year battle with cancer. In addition to his position at ASCAP, Titta was a board member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Prior to ASCAP, he was VP/A&R at PolyGram Music Publishing, where he signed k.d. lang, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jimmy Webb, and SVP/GM at Warner Chappell Music. His family is planning a private service to be followed by a memorial at a later date. Read ASCAP's tribute to the New York-based executive here. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the John and Rose Titta Fund at The ASCAP Foundation, which helps children on the autism spectrum through music programs.