She has recently co-written with two of her mentors, the highly respected Bud Lee (co-writer of "Friends in Low Places" for Garth Brooks) and Deborah Allen (writer of over 1,000 songs including her signature song “Baby I Lied").

Christina says the "greatest high in the world" is being on stage. She has performed in many venues from Rockefeller Center in NYC to the legendary Douglas Corner in Nashville to the South by Southwest festival in Austin. Her music is influenced by a blend of country, pop, folk, rock and blues.

Christina Bell's Personal Manager is Randy Willis. Christina Bell and Randy co-own Town Lake Music Publishing, LLC that publishes hundreds of songs and employs songwriters.

Dave Berg
With over a half dozen singles racing up the charts in recent months, Cal IV songwriter Dave Berg has become one of Nashville’s hottest hit makers. His breakout run began in 2004 with his first #1 hit “Somebody” performed by Reba McEntire. In 2006, Dave celebrated a four-week number one for Rodney Atkins’ “If You’re Goin’ Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows).” This smash was honored as the R&R/Billboard Country Single of the Year for scoring the most airplay of any Country song for 2006 and was also nominated at the Billboard Music Awards for Single of the Year. Other current and recent singles include the Top 5 hit “Stupid Boy” recorded by Keith Urban, “Don’t Make Me” performed by Blake Shelton, “Moments” performed by Emerson Drive and Sarah Buxton’s debut single “Innocence.”

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Dave moved to Nashville as his Ty Herndon single “I Want My Goodbye Back” became a Top 5 hit. Since then, Dave’s songs have been recorded by country music legends and rising stars alike, including Tracy Byrd, Ronnie Milsap, Terri Clark, The Warren Brothers, Lorrie Morgan, Katrina Elam, Jimmy Wayne, Bucky Covington, and Tracy Lawrence, to name a few. Dave has recently enjoyed international success ranging from a spot on the #1 album in Hungary to a major ad campaign for Chinese recording artist and movie star Aaron Kwok.

A successful independent artist in his own right, Dave has recorded two critically acclaimed albums Surface and Three Perfect Days. To learn more about Dave, visit www.myspace.com/davebergmusic.

Kris Bergsnes
Kris Bergsnes, originally from Ada, Oklahoma, is celebrating his 20th year in Nashville. Willie Nelson, Randy Travis, Bobby Pinson, Wynonna Judd, Vince Gill, Diamond Rio, Chris LeDoux, Andy Griggs, Tim McGraw, and many others, have all contributed to his amazing 50 cuts on 15 million records.

Kris has spent the last nine years writing for Byron Gallimore's SongGarden Publishing. Kris, through his hard work and determination, has earned the name the "Mayor of Music Row" by his peers.

::top::

Kent Blazy
Like many Nashville songwriters, Kent Blazy began his career as a performer. While growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, Kent was in a series of bands that regularly played Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana in the early 1970s. Sound advice persuaded him to move to Nashville in 1980 when Kent made the commitment that his focus and effort would be directed toward songwriting.

By 1982, Gary Morris made Headed for a Heartache a top ten hit. In an effort to develop more knowledge of the recording side of music and to create his own “day job”, Kent opened a home recording studio. A by-product of the home studio was an introduction to some of the best, new demo singers and songwriters in Nashville. Some are now household names in country music: Randy Travis, Billy Dean, Trisha Yearwood, Joe Diffie, and Martina McBride just to name a few.

In 1987, Bob Doyle (then with ASCAP) introduced Kent to a demo singer new to Nashville from Oklahoma, a young man named Garth Brooks. The first song penned together was If Tomorrow Never Comes which became the first number one song for both.

Kent and fellow songwriter Pat Alger co-produced a CD with six other songwriters titled In the Beginning: A Songwriter’s Tribute to Garth Brooks. This project represented some of the songs on Garth’s early albums in the original acoustic and authentic demo form as Garth first heard them.

In the recent past, Kent’s songs have been recorded by Diamond Rio, Kenny Chesney, Kenny Rogers, Mark Chestnut and Clay Walker. However, Kent’s first #1 hit, If Tomorrow Never Comes, continues to touch listeners and was recently an international hit for Irish pop singer Ronan Keating.

::top::

Steve Bogard
Steve Bogard's music career began at twelve years of age fronting his first band in Tampa, Florida. By the time he was sixteen, the band was signed to Florence Greenberg's New York label, Scepter Records, and released two singles of Bogard originals songs. This first publishing and record deal was done in Memphis, with legendary Bill Black's publishing company, and by the age of nineteen, Bogard had a top 20 R&B hit on James Carr, "Freedom Train," and two cuts on A&M records' soulful star Rita Coolidge. While in Memphis, Bogard played guitar, sang backgrounds, and toured extensively with both Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis.

At twenty, he made the move to Miami with famed Memphis rhythm section, The Dixie Flyers, as a staff writer for Atlantic's Cotillion Music. Based at Criteria Recording Studios, he learned from and worked closely with Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler on artists and projects from Eric Clapton's "Layla" to Aretha Franklin's "Spirit in the Dark". During this time, Steve’s songs were recorded by Dee Dee Warwicke, and Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. When Atlantic moved its Miami operation, Bogard stayed, playing clubs, engineering recording projects, and producing music for TV and radio. He met and married his wife and best friend of thirty-five years, Beverly, and they have two children, Jessica and Zachary. During this time Steve continued his career as a singer-songwriter with an album on Canada's Attic Records, and two singles and an album on Decca Records in the U.K. He was drawn to Nashville, when in 1981, an eleven-year-old Bogard song, "Touch Me with Magic" became a BMI award-winning top ten hit for Marty Robbins. The family decided to move to Music City.

After his first publishing deal with the Welk Music Group in Nashville, Bogard signed as a writer with Chappell Music, which later became Warner Chappell Music. He remained as a staff writer at Warner Chappell for a remarkable twenty years, until in August of ‘04 he signed a multi-year agreement with The Famous Music Corporation. Artists named in his discography range from country legends Conway Twitty and Waylon Jennings to soul greats Etta James and The Four Tops, to more recent pop artists, Sinead O'Connor and Louise Goffin.

Steve Bogard has written eight number one country songs among eighteen ASCAP or BMI award winners including George Strait's, "Carried Away” and “Carrying Your Love with Me," Rascal Flatts' career breaker, "Prayin' For Daylight," and this year’s #1’s for Jack Ingram, “Wherever You Are,” and Grammy nominee for Country Song of the Year, Dierks Bently’s “Every Mile A Memory.” His co-written second single on Dierks is the title cut “Long Trip Alone.” Additional artists recording Bogard songs include Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Reba, Patty Loveless, Restless Heart, Blackhawk, Clay Walker, Lonestar, Alabama, Tanya Tucker, The Oak Ridge Boys, Diamond Rio and Steve Wariner. Total sales of albums, CD's and cassettes containing Steve Bogard songs are over seventy million units.

Steve has produced eight major-label album projects, for Arista, Virgin, Lyric Street and Sony from finding and developing Michelle Wright ("Take It like a Man"), the ACM's best new female vocalist of '93 to recent “Nashville Star” winner Brad Cotter.

Several years ago Bogard became active in the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International. He was soon elected to its Board of Directors and is now the president of NSAI Board, taking office in July ’06. Steve is currently working closely with the NMPA, DiMA, the RIAA, BMI and ASCAP on pending and future legislation affecting songwriters’ rights to digital income, covering subscription services, tethered downloads, satellite radio devices, and future digital uses of music.

Steve Bogard is a former Board Member of the Academy of Country Music, is a 1995 graduate of Leadership Music, served on ASCAP's Southern Writer's Advisory Board, and has hosted the ASCAP Song Seminar. He is a member of the CMA, the ACM and both the Composer and Producer and Engineer wings of NARAS.

::top::

Lee Brice
Born and raised in Sumter, South Carolina, Lee began writing his own songs when he was about ten or, as he puts it, “when I could start picking them out on the piano”. In 2001 on a trip to Nashville Lee met Lisa Johnson, wife of record producer Doug Johnson. She scheduled a fifteen minute meeting for him with Doug that ended up lasting four hours. When Doug became head of A&R for Curb’s Asylum label, he offered Lee a publishing contract and, ultimately, a record deal.

Lee has quickly gained a solid reputation in the Nashville songwriting community and has had cuts by several artists including Jason Aldean, Cowboy Crush, and Keith Gattis. He’s even stretched beyond Music Row with “Beautiful High” written for the rock group Sister Hazel, with Stan Lynch of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers and Hazel’s own Drew Copeland as his co-writers.

His sound is as true and unique as his musical heroes who range from Garth and Hank Jr. to Coldplay and John Mayer. Lee Brice’s goal is to make a positive impact on the music industry and chances are, he will.

Richie Brown
Richie Brown grew up in both Denver City and Seminole. He started singing at the very tender age of 5 in church. Followed into High School Choir and then on to the famed South Plains College Commercial Music Program in Levelland, Texas. There he performed on the monthly TV show for a year and a half before setting his sights of Nashville, TN.

Nashville was not very welcome though, as it never is, and many people told him that his ultimate dream could never come true (which was to write with his mentor Garth Brooks). Richie proved them wrong when he met up with the superstar in 2001 and was asked by Garth if he would like to write, in which they cowrote together with fellow singer/songwriter and now Category 5 recording artist Jerrod Niemann, the 2006 top 30 hit “That Girl Is A Cowboy, the third single off Garth's The Lost Sessions album. Also in 2005 they cowrote the #1 hit "Good Ride Cowboy" with and for Garth Brooks as well, the tribute to the late great Chris Ledoux. The song after only 4 days of airplay debuted at #18, and broke the Billboard highest debut single of all time record which was also held by Brooks. In 11 short weeks the song went #1 in December 2005.

Richie after losing his father in 1996 moved the crowd to tears at the #1 party as he gave all the respect to Brooks, Ledoux and his own father. In 2005 Richie signed with Sea Gayle Music and EMI Music Publishing and continues to write for them today. He is proof that dreams are not enough you have to BELIEVE!!

::top::

Deanna Bryant
Deanna Bryant grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Childress, Texas, a state with a rich musical heritage that crosses both decades and genres.

She spent much of her time as a child performing, but after high school Deanna chose university life over the honkytonks, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. Following her college graduation, Deanna worked as a corporate accountant and later as a financial planner for professional athletes. Songwriting, however, was never far from her mind or heart. After her first visit to Nashville, Deanna fell in love with the town’s eclectic songwriting community before making it her home in 1994. Since becoming a member of Nashville’s most artistic community, she has had cuts with artists including Terri Clark, Deana Carter, and Randy Travis. Reba McEntire took her song "Forever Love" to the top of the charts and Clay Davidson’s recording of her song "Unconditional" was nominated for the Country Music Association Song of the Year in 2001. Deanna's current singles are "Stupid Boy" by Keith Urban and “Don’t Make Me” by Blake Shelton. She currently resides in Nashville and is a songwriter for Island Bound Music.

Chuck Cannon
Chuck grew up in the low country of the South Carolina coast. His father and grand-father were both Pentecostal preachers, so his earliest musical influence was a unique strain of gospel music that was an amalgam of Appalachian folk and black spirituals. He started singing in church before he was five years old and it soon became clear that music would be the driving passion in his life.

His first album was Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison” and his influences include: The Beatles, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, the STAX stuff, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Jim Croce, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and others too numerous to mention.

Chuck was a solo performer on the beach circuit for several years before moving to Nashville in 1984 to attend Belmont University, where he studied Music Business and Finance. In 1988 he met producer Marshall Morgan, who signed him as a staff songwriter to Taste Auction Music. In 1992 Chuck opened his own publishing company, Wacissa River Music, Inc. An active champion of songwriters’ issues, he served as President of the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International (NSAI, 2001-2003). He still serves on their Board and Legislative Committees.

Recent honors include BMI’s Two-Million-Air award for the Academy of Country Music’s 1993 Song of the Year and international hit, “I Love The Way You Love Me,” and #1 hit for 5 weeks, “How Do You Like Me Now,” written with country artist Toby Keith. Chuck also received BMI’s Million-Air award for the #1 hit, “Me Too” written with Toby Keith.

Chuck’s newest album, God Shaped Hole, is available at www.chuckcannon.com and cdBaby and iTunes.

Lisa Carver
On a great day, Lisa Carver is a storyteller in the vein of Kristofferson and Tom Waits, breathing life into and out of characters that inhabit songs of love, heartache, longing, cheating, and murder. On a good day, Carver is one of the lucky ones getting to earn a living making up songs with the other creative souls on Nashville's famed Music Row. Carver's songs have been been cut by artists ranging from Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Julie Roberts, Shelly Fairchild, Thom Bresh, Willie Nelson and Tanya Tucker, to four cuts on Sugarland's new album, including the new single, "Everyday America".

Stephanie Chapman
There’s something in the water around the Washington D.C. area. The nation’s capital has delivered smart, female singer songwriters whose voices and songs enjoy a home with music fans from all genres. Stephanie Chapman considers herself lucky to not only be from the same fertile territory as these women, but also to have had them as role models for cutting an original path through Nashville’s field of dreams.

Born in a small town in West Virginia’s Eastern panhandle and raised in Round Hill, Virginia, Stephanie grew up with a geographic and demographic backdrop as eclectic as her father’s music tastes. At the same time she was exposed to Broadway musicals and Frank Sinatra, Stephanie learned from her father to love Bluegrass, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. It only makes sense that this amalgamation of influence, both in music and in life, would lead to a songwriter whose songs appeal to a wide audience.

A few months into her sophomore year of college Stephanie was hit by a car while walking to campus and suffered a severely broken leg which she almost lost. While the outcome could have been much worse, Stephanie says the accident that literally knocked her off her feet changed her life. “There are people who’ve been through so much more, but for a small moment in my life I really thought I was going to die. Everyone deals with emotions and events in a different way; I am lucky to get to write songs about them."

Stephanie calls East Nashville home and lives with her producer/guitarist husband Nathan Chapman. She continues to write songs for herself and others and at Sony Publishing. www.stephaniechapman.com

Cliff Cody
Cliff Cody grew up in the West Texas oil town of Odessa—the town that was featured in the movie, “Friday Night Lights”. He moved to Nashville in 1995 after a brief stint at Southwest Texas State, where he majored in keg parties and rugby. Coming home with a stellar 1.1 GPA one semester later.

After living in Nashville for 4 years with no success, Cliff went back to school and became an RN. Settling in Ohio, he soon realized that songwriting was still in his blood. While attending a songwriter’s retreat in Wyoming, he met one of his songwriting hero’s—D. Vincent Williams. His encouragement put Cliff back on the songwriting path and he began making the 6-hour journey to Nashville every other week. His persistence paid off when Cliff was discovered by EMI Creative Director, Tom Luteran at the 2004 Songwriter’s Symposium. He was signed by EMI in 2005.

“Chasin Whiskey” was recognized as one of the highlights of Julie Roberts critically acclaimed album “Men and Mascara” by Rolling Stone Magazine, Barnes and Noble Review, The Washington Post, the Philadelphia Enquirer and the Nashville Scene.

In 2006, Cliff was commissioned by the Ohio Governor’s campaign to write the campaign song for now Governor Ted Strickland. The song, “Ready for the Change” was used at rallies, fundraisers and blaring from the cars in parades all over Ohio.

Cliff’s blend of solid talent and amazing personality on stage helped him become a favorite on the singer/songwriter circuit in Nashville and at the coveted Hog’s Breath Saloon in Key West.

Cliff lives with his wife Amelia and daughter, Veronica (7) in New Albany, Ohio…and any couch he can find in Nashville.

::top::

Doug Colton
Doug Colton wears many hats these days. He is the co-owner of Murrah Colton Entertainment, LLC, a Nashville based publishing and production company focused on rock/pop, Latin and Urban music. He is General Counsel and Director of International Relations of Murrah Music Corporation. Colton is also a songwriter and singer, having recently received a cut and video release for “Maria” on Del Castillo’s latest album “Brotherhood.” The album just won “Album of the Year” at the Austin Music Awards held at SXSW.

Colton is an attorney specialized in music publishing, copyright and intellectual property law. Before joining Murrah Music, he was in private practice working with the highly respected, international entertainment firm of Sukin Law Group, P.C. headquartered in New York. He has represented a diverse array of clients such as Warner Chappell Music, the Estate of Elvis Presley, the Gershwin’s, along with songwriters, artists and an extensive list of international music publishers.

Colton is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School, and holds a B.A in Communications from the University of Washington. Prior to attending law school, he was a Northwest singer/songwriter and performer for 10 years. This experience has given Colton a unique perspective, combining the legal and business aspects of the company with the creative fields of songwriting, recording, music publishing and entertainment. A major supporter of songwriter and publisher rights, Colton’s accolades include authoring the Amicus Brief of the Nashville Songwriters Association International to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the 1998 U.S. copyright extension. Colton resides in Nashville with his wife, Amy.

Courtney Dashe
Singer/Songwriter Courtney Dashe, is currently signed to a joint publishing venture with Skyline Music and country superstar, Martina McBride and her husband, John McBride.

Dashe, who hails from California, is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. Following her graduation, she held several jobs on Music Row, including a stint in the A&R department at Mercury/MCA, Office Manager for both Diver Dann Music (music producer Dann Huff’s publishing company) and Big Loud Shirt Industries (writer Craig Wiseman’s publishing company) and most recently, Creative Director for Stage Three Music Nashville. She continued to write her own songs after work.

“Courtney is Martina and John’s first and only songwriter in their new publishing company. We are delighted to be working with them and very excited about Courtney’s future,” says Wally Wilson, President of Skyline Music Publishing.

Nashville music honcho Paul Worley, and hit producer Wally Wilson, along with his studio partner Chip Voorhis and Texas attorney Glen Morgan, announced the formation of Skyline Music Publishing in 2004.

www.myspace.com/CourtneyDashe

::top::

Dallas Davidson
Arrived in Nashville in January of 2004. In august of the same year he landed a publishing deal with Big Borassa Music. Major influences include Hank Williams Jr., Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and the Allman Brothers.

In less than two and a half years into his writing career he has had songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Rhett Akins, Jamey Johnson, Josh Gracin, Chris Young, Catherine Britt, Randy Houser, and many more. Still riding the huge success of “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” Dallas has another hit at radio right now. The song “I Love Women My Momma Can’t Stand” recorded by new artist Jerrod Niemann is sure to be another chart topper.

Songs like “Kiss My Country Ass” and “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” reflect his South Georgia sense of humor but songs like “Louisiana” and “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” will have you hanging on to every word. Dallas has quickly become one of Nashville’s top new songwriters. He can sing. He can write. He can entertain. Get ready for one hellava show.

Brian Davis
Brian is an artist/writer, originally from North Carolina, who for the past 7 years has lived in Nashville, TN. Brian is currently signed with BMG Publishing Nashville.

His high-energy honkytonk/country style is mostly attributed to his “love for the live show”. His influences range from traditional sounds such as Waylon and Willie all the way to Matchbox Twenty, and almost anything in between. In Brian’s opinion “Music is something that you can touch, taste, smell, see, and HEAR if it’s done right. My intention is to give anyone holding a twenty dollar ticket, a hundred dollars worth”. You can find out more about Brian Davis at www.briandavislive.com.

::top::

Dillon Dixon
Originally from Englewood Colorado; Dillon Dixon left the comforts of home in 1988 to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter. Having cut his teeth on the Greenwich Village, NY and Boston folk circuits, Dillon is quite at home on any kind of stage.

Dillon signed a new publishing contract with Ash Street Music and continues to sing jingles and demos all over the United States. He has had his voice and songs placed in major motion pictures such as: "Mimic," "Scream," and recorded a song that he sang and wrote for the Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines soundtrack.

RCA recording artist Restless Heart recorded one of Dillon's songs for their Greatest Hits album, "For Lack Of Better Words." He has a cut on Mindy McCready's latest record entitled "If I Feel Your Hand" and a song entitled "Put Your Best Dress On" on Neal McCoy's new record. A highlight of Dillon's career came last year with a song entitled "Honey Hush," cut by George Jones on his current release "The Rock."

His performances are dynamic and stirring. His lyrics are from the heart, melodies from the mind. It's the kind of music that commands you to stop and listen.

Marty Dodson
“Growing up in a recording and song center can be intimidating!” says Nashville native and Blacktop Music Group songwriter, Marty Dodson. “We moved to Nashville when I was five years old, and I remember that it seemed like everyone who ever worked on our air conditioner or waited on us at a restaurant was trying to get into the music business. I didn’t have any connections in the business and was very intimidated because I knew the sheer numbers of people trying to make it as writers and artists here in town. So, I enrolled at David Lipscomb University and made plans for another career.”

Marty began writing songs when he was about 11 years old. He continued writing as a hobby until he ran into Gordon Payne, a friend of his fathers. Gordon was a songwriter and the lead singer for the Crickets. When Marty mentioned that he wrote for fun, Gordon asked to hear some of the songs he had written. One song entitled “Weekend Cowboy” caught Gordon’s ear and he asked if he could help make it more commercial.

While writing at Kim Williams Music, Marty had songs recorded by such artists as Lonestar, Billy Ray Cyrus, John Michael Montgomery, Ricochet, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Rascal Flatts and Diamond Rio. Marty co-wrote the recent top ten Rascal Flatts hit single “While You Loved Me”.

Marty is currently a writer with Blacktop Music Group, Inc. and recently had the singles “Always Sixteen” by Billy Ray Cyrus on Word Records and “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” by Billy Currington on Mercury Records which reached # 1 on the Billboard Country Charts. He lives with his wife Becky and their three children.

::top::

Scotty Emerick
Most recording artists toil for years before earning the respect of their fellow musicians. A rare few, however, get an early nod of approval from the crowd that can't be fooled by studio tricks and stage lighting. So it is with Scotty Emerick, who already wears a "real deal" badge bestowed by those in the know.

This is a man who's held in high regard by folks like Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack and Toby Keith, among others. This is a musician who's slogged through five years of hard touring and kept a smile on his face. This is a songwriter with five number one hits to his credit, dozens of major album cuts and a prestigious Songwriter of the Year award. This is Scotty Emerick. Born in Vero Beach, Florida, Emerick has always loved country music, be it listening to early influences like Hank Williams, Emmylou Harris and Glen Campbell...or making it. "I've been carrying around a guitar for as long as I can remember," says Emerick, who first picked up the instrument at the age of six.

Even before his teen years, Emerick was performing local venues, and by the time high school rolled around he had his sights set on Nashville. Moving here in 1993, Emerick quickly moved into the ranks of successful songwriters, earning album cuts with artists including Kenny Chesney, Bryan White, George Strait, Ronnie Milsap and Sawyer Brown, who took his "I Don't Believe In Goodbye" to No. 2.

His most successful collaboration has been with Toby Keith. Their co-writes have included the smash hits "I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight," "Beer For My Horses," "I Love This Bar," "Whiskey Girl," and "As Good As I Once Was." Not to mention a couple dozen album cuts. He was honored as Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International in 2004.

"I've been on the road with Toby for five years," Emerick says. "That's where we do most of our writing. I also come out in the middle of the show and we do a little acoustic set, playing some funny songs we've written." Among the "bus songs" are titles like "Weed With Willie" and "The Taliban Song."

As an artist, Emerick had a top 20 single on DreamWorks ("I Can't Take You Anywhere") before his project got lost in corporate politics. Shortly thereafter, DreamWorks was folded into Universal. "I'm just glad all that's over and I'm finally getting my shot," he says.

And what a shot it is. He's the second artist signed to Show Dog Nashville, the first naturally being Toby Keith who signed himself when he launched the label in September of 2005. His debut album, already in progress, is expected to include duets with both Willie and Womack. "The first single's called 'What's Up With That,'" Scotty says. "Toby and I wrote it."

Expected at radio in early 2006, the song will introduce the public to an artist who's already got some pretty high profile fans. Unlike many of the new acts coming out of Nashville, there's no smoke and mirrors where Scotty Emerick's concerned. Just good country music from an immensely talented guy.

::top::

Keith Follese
Keith Follese’ grew up in the music rich scene of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has spent most of his music career dividing time between Los Angeles and Nashville. Keith’s relentless drive and songwriting talent has rewarded him with many top songwriting honors. Keith has been named both ASCAP and BILLBOARD magazine’s SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR.

Keith is currently the CEO of Midas Music and is the lead writer for the production team THE CENTER. He continues to write with top producers and artists all over the world. Keith’s list of co-writes include: Rhett Lawrence (Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston), Jorgen Elofsson, Jessica Simpson, Marc Anthony, Lance Bass (N’SYNC), Kara Dioguardi, Brian Latrell (Backstreet), Wynonna, Jo Dee Messina, Kenny Chesney, The Matrix (Avril Lavigne), Gavin Brown, Darius Rucker, Peter Zizzo, Nick Lachey, Katy Perry (Sony), LaLaine (WB), Phil Thornley, Jamie O’Neal, Gary Burr and Cliff Magness.

Since moving to Nashville, Keith’s chart action speaks volumes. Starting in 1994 Keith had #1 singles with Randy Travis’ “Before You Kill Us All” and Little Texas’ “Life Goes On”. Since then, Keith has held the #1 Single chart position for a record 15 weeks: Faith Hill’s “The Way You Love Me” (4 Weeks #1), Tim McGraw’s “Something Like That” (5 weeks #1), Martina McBride’s “I Love You” (Runaway Bride) (5 weeks #1), Lonestar’s “Smile” (1 week - #1).

In 2002 “The Way You Love Me” from Faith Hill’s 8x’s Platinum “Breathe” CD was awarded ASCAP’s Country “Song of the Year”. “The Way You Love Me” went on to become a POP/AC hit in the United States and all over Europe

Rob Hatch
Born in Cross City Florida, Rob is one of those people who beat the odds. Having not even considered songwriting until his freshman year of college Rob took a chance and it has paid off in what some might call a Cinderella story. But let’s not call it that…this boy is as country as country gets and “Cinderella’s” just don’t hunt around here!!!

Rob moved to Nashville in June of 2002 and got his break and signed with BMG MUSIC PUBLISHING group in June of 2005. In no time at all Rob was beating the odds and beginning his long “expected” career as one of the top backwoods, in your face country music songwriters.

In 8 short months Rob has had his songs recorded by: Jamey Johnson- “Saving Grace” “Keepin Up With The Jonesin’” “Rebeliscious” Rhett Atkins- “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” John Pierce- “I’ve Been In Love” And you can bet ... More is a coming!!!!

::top:

Morgane Hayes
Morgane Hayes, a singer/songwriter, hails from Jefferson, Georgia. She signed with BNA records in 2004 and plans to have her first single out later this year.

James Dean Hicks
At the age of 10, country music artist James Dean Hicks began making the trip from his home on a farm near Bardstown, Kentucky, to the big-city streets of Nashville. There he appeared regularly on the "WSM Midnight Jamboree" with the Grand Ole Opry greats, including Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow. By the time he was 13, James had opened concerts for Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

From this almost legendary beginning, James has traveled on to success as one of America's premier songwriter/artist!

Two of James' compositions -- "It Takes a Little Rain (To Make Love Grow)" and "This Crazy Love" -- became #1 hits for the Oak Ridge Boys. Then came "Goodbye Time" for Conway Twitty, and "Jesus and Mama", recorded by Confederate Railroad which became James' third #1 hit, followed closely by Sammy Kershaw's chart-topper "National Working Woman's Holiday." James' song "Grandpa Told Me So" soared up the charts for Kenny Chesney, "The Hole" was a hit by Randy Travis and "God Gave Me You" was a recent hit for Bryan White. He also has written the title cut "Sweet Kisses" for new pop sensation, Jessica Simpson, as well as, "Life is a Party" by the new teen heartthrob, Aaron Carter.

The list of artists who have recorded James Dean Hicks' songs is long. It includes Crystal Gayle, Charlie Daniels, Linda Davis, and Conway Twitty. Some of country's hottest young performers are also well-represented on that list -- John Michael Montgomery, Neal McCoy, Collin Raye, Lorrie Morgan, Bryan White, Skip Ewing, and pop superstars, Aaron Neville and Tony Rich. (See the Discography page for the all-inclusive list.)

James was named after the actor James Dean. "It was always kind of hard living up to that name," James says. "One of my brothers is named after John Wayne, another one is named after Ernest Tubb. So I guess it could have been worse. They could have named me after Doris Day."

"I always wanted to sing and write songs," James recalls. "I used to sit on my swing on the farm, and make up songs. Daddy gave me a guitar and I learned to play by ear and from a chord book."

From age 10 until he was 16, James performed regularly at weekend jamborees. Then he decided he was missing out on a regular childhood, so he laid his music performance career aside to enjoy a normal teenage life. "One night some of my high school buddies tossed me in the back seat of their car and started blasting AC/DC on the radio. I had never heard that kind of music before. I really got into Journey, AC/DC and Bob Seger, and those artists have influenced my music. I literally went from Conway Twitty to AC/DC overnight. It was the best shock my music career could have had."

After earning a music degree in college, the next logical step for James was to move to Nashville to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a professional artist/songwriter. "Staff writing helped me learn my craft," James explains. "It helped me learn the basics and how to knock the rough edges off, and taught me how to write from the heart about real life. The good thing is now I know how to put those rough edges back on."

But there are no rough edges in James Dean Hicks' music. His voice is as smooth as the fine Kentucky bourbon distilled in his hometown. His songs recall the purity of sound and emotion found in the best recordings of Dan Fogelburg, the down-home simplicity of Merle Haggard and the creative edge of Don Henley. His live concerts are both captivating and riveting, as he takes the listener on a musical journey through heartfelt ballads, traditional country themes, and rocking anthems. "If anyone had to pick one word to describe my music, I hope it would be 'honesty'. I want my work to have integrity."

This honesty shines through James' compositions and touches universal emotions: lost love, religious faith, single parenthood, straying children, enduring love. His lyrics are complex and witty, poetic, yet simple.

James performs over 100 shows each year opening for many diverse acts, from Merle Haggard to Bryan White, from the Romantics to the Lynns. He has performed from coast to coast and in many European countries, as well. He does numerous radio and Television shows, in support of his live concerts.

"To me, the hope of creating a classic is why I write and sing. It's the chance to create something that will out last your days on this earth. Finishing a great song is the biggest thrill of all and then to see the emotion of that song mirrored in the face of an audience brings it full circle.

::top::

Byron Hill
Byron Hill is from Winston-Salem, NC. Byron moved to Nashville in April of 1978 and signed his first songwriting contract with ATV Music Group in September of 1978, where the hits started happening for Byron as a writer in 1979.

In 1984, after the sale and closing of ATV Music, Byron began four years as an independent songwriter/publisher, writing the Ed Bruce #4 single "Nights", as well as songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, George Jones, Tom Wopat, and others. In 1988 he signed as a staff writer for Collins Music, an association that yielded Alabama's #1 single "Born Country", the hit "Alright Already" for Larry Stewart, and many other cuts with artists such as Asleep At The Wheel, Barbara Mandrell, and Randy Travis.

In 1992 at MCA Music, he landed singles by Tracy Byrd ("Lifestyles Of The Not So Rich And Famous"), Neal McCoy ("If I Was A Drinkin' Man"), George Jones ("High-Tech Redneck"), Sammy Kershaw ("Politics, Religion And Her"), River Road ("I Broke It, I'll Fix It") and Gil Grand ("Famous First Words"). In January of 2003, Byron signed with Almo Irving Music was closed and consolidated with Universal Music Publishing Group, where Byron is presently a staff songwriter.

He has new songs on current and upcoming albums by Joe Nichols, Rhonda Vincent, Lantana, Hot Apple Pie, Gord Bamford and others. His work as a producer includes three albums for Gary Allan on Decca Records, an album for Gil Grand on Monument Records, an album for Kathy Mattea on Mercury Records, a long-time producer/co-writer association with singer/songwriter Mike Dekle which includes four albums, and he has produced several other international and independent artists along the way, past and present.

Elisha Hoffman
Son of a jazz pianist, Elisha Hoffman loves creating music, no matter what genre. “Big E” has been a part of the Nashville Music scene for 15 years as a drummer, session player, producer, and songwriter. He has written with various writers around town and was a staple producer in the late 90’s producing acts such as Lori Webb and Atomic Blonde. He produced Shania Twain’s remix of “She’s All Right” and house music for the second half of the Dixie Chick’s “Fly” tour. He has recently written and produced Alana Grace, Bang Bang Bang, and Megan Sheehan to name a few. Some of his session work credits include rappers Young Buck, Juvenile, and Bar None.

Elisha was born in Philadelphia and moved to Israel when he was 11 years old. He played on his first record there when he was 14 and later formed the band “China Black”. After graduating high school in Jerusalem, Elisha met Artimus Pyle, of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who was living in Israel at the time. Artimus hired Elisha to be his drum tech and play double drums in the Artimus Pyle Band. Once the tour was complete, Elisha took root here in Nashville along with his band from Israel. “China Black” continued touring in the U.S, while attending Belmont University.

Elisha is also very active in the community and volunteers as a board member for the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and the Music City Shabbat. When he’s not creating or recruiting new acts, he spends time with his family. He lives with his wife Nicole and son Jonah in East Nashville.

::top::

Randy Houser
There never was a time that I can remember as a kid when I didn’t have something to make music with. Kind of like a toy you never get tired of playing with.

I started front’n bands pretty early, about 13 years old. I began to develop a pretty large following around the area through the High School years and that turned into a scholarship to East Central Community College. At the end of my second year of school, I put together a band called 10lb. Biscuit. We were very lucky to keep a couple house gigs and one of the bars even had to shut down and double in size to fit all the folks that wanted to come see us!

I had been trying to teach myself to write songs for years by this time and about ten years into the process I decided that it was time to see if I could play ball with the big boys in Nashville. Finally, I got my first cut on Trace Adkins’ Songs About Me Album in 2005. A song called “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” inspired by someth’n truly dear to my heart (laughs).

Recently I have put a band together and am play’n often around town and lov’n it. I’ll just drive until I run out of gas or breakdown. I’ve surrounded myself with good people and with any luck; I think we can keep this thing running for awhile.”

Natalie Howard
Natalie Howard is an Australian born singer-songwriter, she divides her time between the 'Gold Coast' Queensland Australia and 'Nashville' Tennessee USA. She received a grant through the RADF [Regional Arts Development Fund] in her home town that financed a trip to America to write and record her first demo session.

Thus, triggering a snowball effect that got her hooked on song writing. Natalie now migrates back and forth from Australia to Tennessee to continue building her catalogue of original music and developing her craft for singing and song writing. Winner of the 2005 CMC Best Country Artist Award in the 5th Annual National Musicoz Awards in Australia, and Winner of the 2006 Country Song of the Year in the IMA's (Independent Music Awards [USA]) is the latest in a string of awards presented to Natalie.

Natalie writes from her own experiences from heartache to happiness. Her candid point of view combined with her female perspective makes for straight forward lyrics. I have always preferred a direct approach over a vague message when it comes to my own music that’s why I gravitate towards country music as my main foundation even though my musical background is swamped with a mixture of pop styles as well as more traditional country classics. Co-writing has been such a great gift. I have learned so much and I have been blessed, inspired and encouraged.

Some of Nats collaborations include; Bill Chambers, James Dean Hicks, Gary Burr, James House, Rick Price, Jim McCormick, James Slater, Kevin Bennett, Brian Maher, Rod McCormack, Rob Crosby, Dean Miller, Tony Ramey, Tommy Lee James & Terry McBride. For more on Natalie Howard please go to her website: www.nataliehoward.net

Kyle Jacobs
Kyle Jacobs hails from Minneapolis, MN and moved to Nashville in 2000. He achieved pop success in 2003 with American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke's Top 10 single "8th World Wonder". Kyle collaborates with many of the industry's top songwriters including Doug Johnson, Kylie Sackley, Nicole Witt and Lisa Carver. Artists whom have recorded Kyle's songs include Craig Morgan, Lee Brice, Plumb, Clay Aiken, JoDee Messina and one of Kyle’s songs is featured in the 2007 film "Camille", starring James Franco and Sienna Miller. www.myspace.com/kylejacobsmusic

::top::

Brett James
As one of the most prominent songwriters in Nashville , Brett embodies the success most writers aspire to achieve. With his songs recorded by too various to list, Brett is the only songwriter who has appeared on Billboard magazine's year-end top-ten country songwriters list for each of the past five years. An incredible feat for any songwriter, it holds special significance for Brett—he was enrolled in medical school at the University of Oklahoma until the spring of 2000.

Today, his biggest successes have come with Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker's “When the Sun Goes Down” (No.1 for six weeks), Jessica Andrew's “Who I Am” (No. 1 for 4 weeks), Martina McBride “Blessed” (No.1 for 2 weeks), two No.1 Pop songs in Europe, and Paulina Rubio's top five Latin international pop hit, “Todo Mi Amor.” Brett's most recent success came with Carrie Underwood's debut single, “Jesus Take the Wheel,” which spent six weeks at No.1 on Billboard and received the ACM for single of the year, an the ASCAP award for Song of The Year. “Jesus Take the Wheel” also earned Brett and his co-writers 2006 CCMA/SOCAN award.

Tim James
Hit songwriter Tim James is tearing up the Nashville Music Row scene with his incredible songwriting. The Middle Tennessee native is a current staff writer at Windswept Pacific Entertainment and Jeffrey Steele’s publishing company 3 Ring Circus Music. Tim has enjoyed many major label artist cuts include the 5-week number one single “My List” recorded by Toby Keith. “My List” went on to become the R&R most played song for the year 2003 and inspired the book “My List”: 24 reflection on Life’s Priorities published my McGraw Hill also in 2003. Time has also had songs recorded by such artists as Trace Adkins, LeeAnn Womack, Jeff Bates, Tim Rushlow, Mark Wills, Josh Gracin, American Idol finalist Bucky Covington and fellow Murfreesboro native and Nashville Star winner Chris Young.

Tim started his musical career on the West Coast playing the Bakersfield style of music in clubs and dance halls in Los Angeles and up and down the coast opening for such acts as Leroy Parnell, Big House and Toby Keith. Tim later moved back to Middle Tennessee where he signed his first publishing deal with Hayes Street Music, a Don Schlitz Company. Tim James calls Middle Tennessee his home once again, where he happily resides with this wife Tara and their beautiful one-year-old daughter Tia.

::top::

Brandon Jane
Born in Mississippi, this young singer/songwriter grew up on the road playing gospel music with her family. Performing hundreds of dates from the age of 12 until she was 17, Brandon Jane is no stranger to the stage. At the age of 17 she moved to Nashville and landed a publishing deal, and for the next few years became a regular on the Music City music scene, playing every Venue in town from The Bluebird to Douglas Corner.

Combining the organic elements of Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt and Sheryl Crow her music is a sound familiar but of it's own. In, 2004 she hooked up with NYC songwriter/producer Kevin Kadish (Jason Mraz, Stacie Orrico, Willie Nelson, etc.) and decided to venture out on her own. Leaving everything she had ever known, Brandon Jane, picked up and moved to New York City and for the next two years beat the pavement writing and recording.

In 2006, when opportunity knocked again, with the chance to move back to Nashville she jumped at it. With a promising future, she has already penned a song on the already platinum American Idol, "Taylor Hicks" debut album and is performing a song in the upcoming movie "Gray Matters", starring Heather Graham and Molly Shannon.

Ken Johnson
Birmingham, AL native Ken Johnson signed as a artist/writer to Windswept Pacific Publishing in Nashville in 2006 and has already been been writing regularly with legendary hit-makers and rising stars alike... Currently cowriting and working in the studio on an artist project with famed songwriter/producer Jeffrey Steele and hit producer and songwriter Jeromy Stover.

Josh Kear
A decade into his successful songwriting career, Josh had a breakthrough year in 2006. His smash song “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood hit the top of the country charts for 5 weeks and is nominated for Single and Song of the Year at the upcoming ACM awards. It is currently still ascending the AC and Top 40 charts with heavy rotation on VH1 and MTV. It also won the Peoples Choice award for Best Country Song of the year.

This year also brought the Jimmy Buffett single, “Bama Breeze” – a tribute to the devastation the recent waves of hurricanes have left in their wake along the Gulf Coast. Hank Jr. also capitalized on Josh’s songwriting prowess with the frolicking “How They Do It In Dixie” – recorded with his honky-tonk hero friends Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich and Van Zandt. The East Tennessee native has also seen his songs recorded by a list of luminaries that includes Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Lynard Skynard, Chely Wright and Bucky Covington, to name a few.

Josh currently writes for Big Yellow Dog Publishing and many of his songs can be heard on their website: http://www.bigyellowdogmusic.com/

::top::

Chuck Jones
A native Memphis son, Chuck Jones' compositions embody the spirit and soul of that town. Since moving to Nashville some years ago, he has had his songs recorded by artists as diverse as Patti Labelle, Kenny Rogers, Shelby Lynn, Chris Ledoux, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Charlie Daniels, Deana Carter, Lari White and Peter Cetera. In 1994, John Berry's version of "Your Love Amazes Me" hit the #1 spot and also won Song Of The Year from the Country Radio Music Awards and the Music City News Country Songwriter Awards. Chuck has also had #1's with Diamond Rio's "Love A Little Stronger" and Billy Dean's "It's What I Do". He has had numerous hits on other artists as well. He started his own publishing company, Jonesin' For A Hit LLC, in January of 2000, administered by his wife Becky's company, Becky Pommer-Jones Administration, and has since had cuts on a variety of artists ranging from Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins to Rascal Flatts. Chuck and Becky live in Nashville with their daughter, Savannah Grace.

Scott Kirby
Scott Kirby spent most of the eighties working as a political consultant in his native state of New Hampshire, as well as playing a few solo gigs on the weekends. After living in Key West for 15 years, Scott finds himself splitting his time between New Hampshire, Key West and the road, where he has actively been promoting his newest release, 4 Good Dogs.

A fingerstyle guitarist and singer/songwriter, Kirby's musical style weaves from pop, to acoustic rock, to what he refers to as "beach folk." A reviewer from The Musician's Trade Journal writes, "Kirby's a storyteller. Sometimes sentimental, sometimes hilarious, but all with insight, depth and wisdom ... you can't help but like this guy's music." Frank Quatrone, of Ticket Magazine, writes, "His writing can be engagingly literate to elegantly simple ... the whole place was laughing and singing along to his sometimes outrageous lyrics."
Jimmy Buffett's online radio station, Radio Margaritaville, has broadcast a number of Kirby's live performances, in addition to including much of his material in their regular programming. Scott is also a featured artist on the Vacation Channel of Sirius Satellite Radio, which reaches over 1.3 million listeners.

Scott has released four CDs, entitled Too Damn Yankee, Grand Bar Schemes, Walkin on Thin Ice, and 4 Good Dogs.

Over the years, Scott has collaborated with a number of songwriters, including Peter Mayer and Roger Guth, of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, and drummer/producer Russ Kunkel. He has also recently written with Hugo Duarte and guitarist Bobby Donaldson.

::top::

Click here for page 2