Melrose exit

MELROSE EXIT: As expected, Epic U.K. Managing Director Steven Melrose has left the building as Sony U.K. ruler Jason Iley continues to reshape the company. Melrose and fellow MD Dougie Bruce were appointed during prior Sony U.K. head Nick Gatfield’s reign; Melrose has been associated with Gatfield for years and could be joining him in his newly funded U.K. incubator for new and developing acts. It should be noted that Epic was not a fully developed major in the U.K.; it for now remains part of the Sony redesign as the group relies on Columbia, RCA and SYCO in the U.K. as its main sources of repertoire. In a possibly related story, Pope Francis has anointed Michael Schimmel to run his Dublin-based imprint, which will purvey Vatican-approved covers of Sinead O’Connor songs. (10/28a)