Thanks to all for your interesting and informative feedback on this topic. Though it clears up a lot of confusion about royalties, it also opens the doors to other questions:

1) Do most established Nursing Homes and Retirement & Community Center type venues routinely pay annual fees to ASCAP/BMI to cover their scheduled live music entertainment?

2) How about street musicians who play 'for tips' in the public square? Do they ever get cited by the authorities for not paying copyright fees ? I assume that most large organized events (fairs, conventions, etc) routinely include whatever ASCAP/BMI royalty fees are required to pay in their operating budget.

3) How about PRIVATE (dance party) clubs & Weddings, where the entertainer/band leader himself is the host, providing a mix of both DJ & live music, and perhaps even charging a door 'cover charge'. Is the entertainer-host himself RESPONSIBLE for paying royalty fees to ASCAP/BMI in this situation?

Scott