A sampling of Hit Songwriters Who Performed at 2011 Frank Brown
International Songwriters’ Festival
Billy Joe Shavers – The father of outlaw country music was a featured
performer. His debut album was “Old Five and Dimers Like Me" he
wrote “Honky Tonk Heroes”, “I Been to Georgia On a Fast Train” "Willy
the Wandering Gypsey and Me", "Live Forever" and many more.
Grammy nominated for “Everybody’s Brother” Shaver has recorded
duets with Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, and Tanya Tucker.
Waylon Jennings Hit Album Honky Tonk Heroes Album Contained 12 of
Billy Joe's Cuts!
Brett Jones’ first hit in the U.S. country market was his 1993 top 20,
Confederate Railroad’s “When and Where.” Since then he has had over
100 major recordings and 14 top 10 records, including 7 # 1’s. His most
recent hits have been Billy Currington’s “That’s How Country Boys
Roll”, Jason Aldean’s “Crazytown” and Justin Moore’s #1 single, “If
Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away”. He recently achieved rare status in
country music songwriting by having #1 records in each of the past 3
decades.
Steve Dean has co-written six number one hits, “Watching You” Rodney
Atkins, “Round About Way” George Strait, “Walk On” Reba McEntire,
“Southern Star” Alabama, “It Takes a Little Rain” The Oak Ridge Boys
and “Hearts aren’t made to Break” Lee Greenwood.
Chris Wallin is noted for his number one single six weeks running with
the Kenny Chesney, Academy of Country Music nominated song of the
year, ”Don’t Blink”. In a twist of songwriting history “Don’t Blink”
became number one when it flipped number one spots with Toby Keith’s
“Love me If You Can” also written by Chris. In recent years, he has
written hit singles in the top-five including Trace Adkins “I’m Trying”,
Montgomery Gentry “SPEED” and Montgomery Gentry’s number one hit
“Something To Be Proud Of”. Other songs Chris has written that have
enjoyed top 40 status include Brian McComas’ “You’re In My Head”,
“What Brothers Do” by Confederate Railroad and “John J. Blanchard”
by Anthony Smith. Other artists who have cut Chris’s songs include
Keith Anderson, Sammy Kershaw, Tommy Shane Steiner, Jeffrey Steele,
Neil McCoy, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio and others.
Joe Doyle songs were recorded by the likes of Reba McEntire, Joe Diffie,
Dan Seals, Daryle Singletary, Linda Davis, Martina McBride, Deryl Dodd
and numerous others, including the #1 single “In Pictures” for Alabama
and the top ten single “She Said Yes” for Rhett Akins.
Karen Staley This award winning songwriter has had #1 hits by Faith
Hill, Tracy Byrd, IIIrd Tyme Out and Michael Martin Murphy. She has also
had top hits by stars like Terri Clark, Trick Pony, Dolly Parton, and
Reba. Icons like George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Conway Twitty
have all recorded Karen’s songs. Some of Karen’s hits include Take Me
As I Am, Let’s Go To Vegas, Every Time I Cry, On A Night Like This,
Across The Miles, Face In The Crowd, She Took It Like A Man, Keep
Walkin’ On and many more. Karen won the ACM Song of The Year
award with Tracy Byrd's classic Keeper of the Stars which was recently
featured on CMT's 100 Greatest Country Love Songs of All Time TV
special.
Casey Kelly A two-time Grammy®-nominated songwriter for “Soon”
(Tanya Tucker) & “Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight” (Kenny Rogers/Dottie
West) Kelly has had a successful hit-songwriting career. Some of his
other hits include: “That Road Not Taken” (Joe Diffie), “Somewhere
Down the Line” and “Cowboy Rides Away” (George Strait).
Dean Dillon Between 1979-1983, Dillon charted eight times, and broke
the Top 30 with "I'm into the Bottle (To Get You Out of My Mind)." He
also wrote hits for other country stars, like the 1983 George Jones hit
"Tennessee Whiskey." He had considerable success with George Strait,
who took five of his songs to the charts between 1981-1988. In 2002, he
was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (along with
Bob Dylan and Shel Silverstein).. To date Dillon has had over fifty songs
recorded by King George alone.
Arlos Smith wrote "Mayberry,” recorded by Rascal Flatts and was
recognized as 2004 country song of the year. Smith first won the
SEASAC top songwriter honor in 2000 for his John Michael Montgomery
hit, "Home to You."
David Chamberlain won ASCAP’s Song of the Year for “What’s Going On
In Your World” recorded by George Strait. “Am I Blue”, another song
recorded by George Strait, was in a Disney cartoon. Today, David writes
and works with Davis entertainment of Marshall, Texas. His songs have
been recorded by such artists as George Strait, Gene Watson, Conway
Twitty, Tanya Tucker, La Costa, Charley Pride, Johnny Paycheck, Keith
Whitley, Dottie West, Connie Francis, Donna Fargo, Tammy Wynette,
Billie Jo Spears, Sammi Smith, Larry Boone, Margo Smith and Barbara
Fairchild.
Rick Carnes has earned 40 platinum albums with songs recorded by
artists Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Alabama, Steve Wariner, Pam Tillis,
and Dean Martin. His song,”I Can’t Even Get the Blues No More” was
Reba McEntire’s first number one single, and “Long Neck Bottle”
recorded by Garth Brooks, set a record on the Billboard charts by
entering the charts at #10.
Alan Rhody Among the many who’ve recorded his songs are The Oak
Ridge Boys (#1 Country Classic, "I'll Be True To You"), Del McCoury (#1
Bluegrass, "Trainwreck Of Emotion"), Lorrie Morgan (Career-breaking
single "Trainwreck Of Emotion"), Ricky Van Shelton (Career breaking
single, "Wild-Eyed Dream"), Toby Keith ("Christmas To Christmas),
Tanya Tucker ("Christmas To Christmas"), Lee Greenwood ("Christmas
To Christmas"). Plus: George Jones, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Kevin
Welch and Kieran Kane.
Bobby Keel has received 14 Gold and 12 Platinum from the R.I.A.A for
songs recorded by artists Hank Willliams Jr., David Allan Coe,
Confederate Railroad, Travis Tritt, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Freddie
Powers, Albert King, The Carter Family, Johnny Rodriguez, Moe Bandy
and Joe Stampley, Tammy Wynette, McGuffy Lane, and Tom Jones.
Among his hits are: “Whiskey on Ice” recorded by Hank Jr., Travis Tritt
and Confederate Railroad, “Time Off for Bad Behavior” recorded by
David Allan Coe, Confederate Railroad and Mark Chestnut, “Daddy’s
Honky Tonk” recorded by Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley, “Bein’ Gone”
recorded by Tammy Wynette, ‘Where’s the Love We Made” recorded by
Tom Jones, “If You Got It” by Albert King, “Yankee Don’t Go Home” by
the Carter Family and The Forester Sisters. Known as “The Songwriter’s
Songwriter” Bobby has been nominated for inclusion in the Songwriters
Hall of Fame!
And the list goes on and on…….
Larry Butler -- 2 time Grammy Award winning songwriter, "Hey Wont you
Play, Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" BJ Thomas and
Producer of the Year for "The Gambler" Kenny Rogers
Wayne Carson - "Always on my Mind” Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley “The
Letter”, The Box Tops
Sonny Throckmorton - "Middle Age Crazy" Jerry Lee Lewis “Stand Up”,
The Oakridge Boys
Bo Roberts -"Ten with a Two" Kenny Chesney
Larry Henley “Wind Beneath My Wings” cut by Bette Midler
Jerry Salley - “I’m Gonna Move That Mountain”, Reba McEntire
Jim Sales – “Tonight We’re Gonna Tear Down the Walls”, Randy Travis
“I Wonder Where We’d Be Tonight”, Vern Goslin
Mark Sherill (with Don Goodman & James Bohon) – “Ol Red”, recorded
by Blake Shelton, George Jones and others
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