2010 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony

L-R Pat Alger, Steve Cropper, Frances Williams Preston, AT&T Tennessee President Gregg Morton and Roger Murrah, Hall of Fame Chairman

October 17th found the Nashville Convention Center filled with hit songwriters, artists, musicians and Music Row VIP’s during an evening that celebrated songs covering many genres, a multitude of styles and spanning centuries as hit songwriters Pat Alger and Steve Cropper, the late pop/country star Paul Davis, and America's first professional songwriter, Stephen Foster joined the honored list of names inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.


The Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Professional Songwriter’s Division kicked off the evening by presenting plaques to award winners for achievements over the past year.

In a special tribute, Foundation Board Member Layng Martine, Jr. presented the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation Mentor Award to longtime BMI CEO Frances Preston, which, in her honor, was named the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award. "When it comes to music industry executives, Frances is an icon," said Murrah. "She's loved and respected around the world and has certainly done more than her share of mentoring others, so it is only fitting that this award be named for her."

Mayor Karl Dean and Steve Bogard, President NSAI

A President’s Choice Award went to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, in recognition of his support for the songwriting community and dedication to songwriters.

Ten songs, informally dubbed "The Songs I Wish I'd Written" is always a favorite part of the evening, but because of a tie this year, 11 songs were honored. Presented by Bart Herbison Executive Director and Steve Bogard, President of NSAI the Recipients included A Little More Country Than That (Rory Lee Feek, Don Poythress, Wynn Varble / recorded by Easton Corbin); Big Green Tractor (Jim Collins, David Lee Murphy / recorded by Jason Aldean); I Run To You (Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott / recorded by Lady Antebellum); Need You Now (Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott / recorded by Lady Antebellum); Red Light (Dennis Matkosky, Melissa Peirce, Jonathan Singleton / recorded by David Nail); Southern Voice (Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas / recorded by Tim McGraw); The Climb (Jessi Alexander, Jon Mabe / recorded by Miley Cyrus); The House That Built Me (Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin / recorded by Miranda Lambert); Use Somebody (Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill / recorded by Kings Of Leon); White Liar (Natalie Hemby, Lambert / recorded by Miranda Lambert); You Belong With Me (Liz Rose, Swift / recorded by Swift).



Steve Bogard & Taylor Swift

 The Songwriter/Artist of the Year was presented for the third time in four years to Taylor Swift, who scored self-penned hits of her own. “Since I can remember, my favorite thing in the world was a good story,” she said. “Then I discovered this town called Nashville, where they tell the coolest stories, and in my opinion they tell them in the most magical ways. I’m having a blast telling stories.”

Chris DuBois who is responsible for the mega-hits by Brad Paisley (“Then” and “Welcome To The Future,” )Craig Morgan (“This Ain’t Nothin’”) and many other songs was the recipient of the songwriter of the year award.

Roger Murrah, Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF), presided over the special evening which celebrated the 40th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony. A few of the artists who helped pay special tribute to the legendary writers included Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, Jim Lauderdale, Garth Brooks, Paul Overstreet and Jimmy Wayne. "How fitting it is for us to recognize these incredibly gifted songwriters in this manner. If there was a way to calculate the emotional effect their songs have had on our lives, it would boggle our minds," said Roger Murrah,


Stephen Foster, with songs from as far back as the 1800s include the well known tune “Camptown Races.” Mockingbird Sun created and performed a medley of some of Foster's most recognizable songs, including “Oh Susanna”, “Farewell My Lilly Dear”, “Beautiful Dreamer “and “My Old Kentucky Home”. Grammy-winning Americana singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale sang with “Hard Times Come Again No More”. Stephen Foster has been called the father of American music and was inducted by Tamara Saviano, Grammy winning producer of "Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster." Accepting for Foster was Blair School of Music Professor of Musicology Dale Cockrell.



Paul Davis wrote hits including “Ride 'Em Cowboy”,” '65 Love Affair”, “Cool Night,” “Bop,” “I Go Crazy” and “Love Me Like You Used To.” His songs often featured sophisticated, pop-leaning lyrics and storytelling country lyrics. Paul Overstreet a Hall of Fame songwriter himself, inducted Davis, who passed away in 2008. Longtime friends J. Fred Knobloch, Kyle Lehning, Ed Seay, Ronn Price, Anthony Martin and Jennifer Kimball performed a medley of hits including: “Cool Night”, “I Go Crazy”, “Bop” and “Sweet Life”. Tanya Tucker closed the performance with “Love Me Like You Used To”. Davis' son Jonathan, accepted for his father.



Pat Alger, Jimmy Wayne, Garth Brooks and Allen Reynolds



Garth Brooks, whose version of “Unanswered Prayers” became a signature hit and who called Alger “a great, great writer,” not only sang “The Thunder Rolls” and “That Summer” for Alger on Sunday but praised him with accolades, as did contemporary country hit-maker Jimmy Wayne who was handpicked by Pat Alger to sing a three-song medley of 'Goin' Gone,' 'True Love' and 'Small Town Saturday Night,' all of which were written by Alger.

Allen Reynolds, another Hall of Fame songwriter, inducted his longtime friend



During his moment on stage, Pat Alger proclaimed, “I remember doing ‘Unanswered Prayers’ for the first time, at the Bluebird (Cafe), and there was an ovation after the first chorus. That was a special one.”



Steve Cropper



Musician and producer Tony Brown provided Cropper’s formal induction into the Hall. Young Nashville singer/guitarist Tyler Bryant performed a medley of Cropper’s hits, and T. Graham Brown delivered “(Sittin’ On) the Dock Of the Bay.”, which also included an audience “whistle along.”



Often applauded for his remarkable electric guitar work , Cropper remarked “The feel was the thing,” of the hits he co-wrote. “We weren’t trying for poetry.”





A very special moment on Cooper's Kitchen with Cooper Boone and Julie Roberts

Cooper's Kitchen started off as a silly video that Hollywood Music Award winner Cooper Boone and his buddy Will Knox put on YouTube. When he won the Hollywood Music Award in 2008, he was asked by several agencies about "that cooking show". A light went off in his head and now two years in the making and with a great team put together, it has evolved into where his two loves live...music and food. There is cooking, singing, and laughter. It's where you get served up some down home cooking with a side of music!

Cooper Boone has shared the stage with Craig Morgan, Trace Adkins, Angela Kaset, Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors), The Bacon Brothers and has co-written two albums worth of award winning songs. He's now combining his two passions of music and cooking and has created the hit webisode series, Cooper's Kitchen,

Cooper started cooking as a latchkey kid in his Midwest home of hot-dish country. As he grew, so did his list of ingredients - from rice and Velveeta, to the more nuanced flavors of Artisan butter, rosemary, grass-fed beef and chipotle peppers. His cooking leaves the barn doors open for inspiration while resting on tried and true family recipes.


In the kitchen and in life, Boone always has more than a few pots cooking on the range. Born in the Mississippi River valley in southern Minnesota to a family of teachers, he earned his doctorate and practiced psychology with the New York City poor for many years. In his late 30's, Boone circled back to his long-standing passions of music and food.


While Nashville was recovering from the devastation of the flooding in May, Cooper organized a fundraiser which was held on May 24th at The Bitter End in NYC. Fans came from all over and the ones who could not come in person also donated. It was a very memorable evening. He chose to give the money raised directly to another country singer-songwriter that was affected by the flood; one who’s story really touched his heart.” I was raised with the value of being a community steward...giving to others is in my chemistry....it's just something I do." says Cooper.

 On a recent special taping of Coopers Kitchen in Nashville, Cooper invited country star Julie Roberts and her mom, Lucy, to join him on the show and presented her with a check from the fundraiser. “I had such a great time with Julie and her Mom Lucy. We laughed so much my face hurt by the end of the taping. Julie has such a great sense of humor coupled with deep deep sincerity. My new goal in life is to get Lucy's meatloaf recipe!"

Julie responded with “Meeting Cooper Boone and cooking with him and Mama was one of the most memorable moments in the kitchen for me! We made two appetizers that Mama and I are definitely going to use for our Christmas gatherings this year! We are very thankful for Cooper inviting us on his show and also for the gift he gave to us to help rebuild our home. He is a true blessing and we hope to cook with him again!! Yes, Mama is going to teach him how to make meatloaf next time!!!”

During this episode the two country crooners cooked up some special and tasty bacon appetizers..... Devil's on Horseback and Sweet Piggies. (you can find the recipe’s by following these links: http://cooperskitchenusa.com/devils-on-horseback-recipe  and http://cooperskitchenusa.com/sweet-piggies-recipe )

The special webisode program which has become known for cooking and singing would not be complete without a tune or two, and they chose to perform Julie’s hit song “Break Down Here” for this show.

Please make sure you visit: http://www.cooperskitchenusa.com/  and look for this special show, but also check out past episodes as well.

For more information on Cooper Boone visit http://www.cooperboone.com/

For more information on Julie Roberts visit http://www.julieroberts.com/  

INTERVIEW: Jett Williams for Hank Williams Mother’s Best

Hank Williams recorded songs for his Mother’s Best shows that he never recorded elsewhere, like “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” “Cool Water,” “Lonely Tombs,” “On Top of Old Smoky,” and many more. He also sung some of his hits for the first time anywhere. What about “Cold, Cold Heart” just days after it was written? Hank and the Drifting Cowboys were so unsure of the arrangement that steel guitarist Don Helms came in late! Other songs date back to the 1700s and 1800s. Hank had rarely if ever recorded old songs or songs by his favorite artists. Here, he not only sings them but often talks about them. Truly a treasure trove!


I sat down with Jett Williams, daughter of the late Hank Williams, and visited with her about the music and the new box set that is available through TIME LIFE. The shape of the box is that of a vintage radio just like the ones that filled the homes of our grandparents. The box comes complete with a knob on the front that when pushed, plays a sampling of the music; looking at it from the back you see the lights and wiring, you feel like you have taken a step back in time.



Bev: Can you tell me how you came up with the idea for the box set or who came up with it?



JW: What we wanted to do with the box set is come up with a type of packaging to take the buyer and the listener back to that era that’s contained within the set; vintage 1951. This is a replica of what the standard model radio probably was in every home in that particular era. I think it is more like 1930-ish but this would have been the model if we walked in someone’s front door. This is the one they would have listened to the Grand Ole Opry on and the one they turned on in the morning. This is the median that people had their communication, their entertainment and their recreation on. The detail that Time Life has done on the box set from the back to the front, if this was in the home, it would look like this. As you open the box set, it takes you into that period. The information that should be noted is these recordings came from acetate. Acetate is a metal disc that they would put down, in the infancy of recording.



My Dad did a 15 minute radio show at WSM five days a week at 7:15 am. His touring schedule was so intense he couldn’t be there. What they did is they put this in the can so to speak. There were 72 shows of that year that he was not in the studio. Even when this played over the radio, probably 99.9% of the people believed he was in the studio because many people didn’t understand that things were duplicated. One thing that is fascinating about this box set is if you are listening to show 52, there is also a poster in there and a map of the country and it lists the shows. You can actually go on the map and find where he was at when the show aired. The acetates were designed to play only one time. They would record them and after that show played, the acetate was discarded. Acetate is very fragile also so they are not made to play over and over. The fact that they were saved from the dumpster and they were in the condition they were in for us to make the transfer was a miracle in itself. I actually have physical possession of the acetates. The CDs in the box set are actual pictures of the hub of the acetate with the engineer’s grease pen writing from the show. The jackets the original acetates are in are like a paper sack. We tried to duplicate baby acetates to create that “flavor”. The book is not a booklet, it is a book. Over the years there has been some repetition, but we tried to put in photos people hadn’t seen, stories and things like that so that the buyers are not buying just another piece of “slice and dice” type work.



Another fascinating thing is that unless you heard him sing that morning in 1951, you never heard him sing this version of this song and there are 143 songs on here. My dad emcee’s the show; so you are talking about 80 hours plus of him talking, setting the songs up, telling you why he wrote a song, what his favorite songs are, talking about current events, bantering with the band, so you actually meet the guy; Hank Williams. Before, for the most part, he was either an 8x10 glossy photo that we’ve all seen or you have heard him on an MGM master, but the fidelity of these recordings, the experts say, are as good if not better than the MGM masters. If you look at the box set you can almost smell those biscuits, feel that coffee and you think he is in the kitchen with you singing to you.



Bev: What inspired you to do a box set? How much input did you have as far as the concept for it all to come together?



JW: When the estate signed with Time Life, it was not a licensing type agreement, it was a partnership. Time Life partnered with the estate and we had a complete say so on every picture, every detail. For the most part, the people at Time Life would come up with ideas, they would send it, we would say yes, no, great idea, what about this, what about that. This is what Time Life does, this is their forte. I grew up with Time Life and Reader’s Digest. What we wanted to create is something that will eventually be downloadable. The only thing is you can’t download this map and this book, the CDs and the packaging. We didn’t want to create something that was just the same packaging. I think this is very innovative in the fact that it is a concept as opposed to just a box set. It is also interactive in that you turn the radio on, you pick up the map and then you can trace this as opposed to just putting it in there with another book.



Bev: Have you had an opportunity to talk to any of his fans or anyone that has it to get their reaction?



JW: The interviews that I have done, the reviews that have come out, the fans that have come to wherever I am at and have the set, they are in awe. We have put out two other box sets that are a part of this collection and people that have bought them have been blown away by the fidelity and by what comes with the complete set. This is a complete set in that it even has the demo that my Dad did with Aunt Jemima. In the studio, they did a pitch to Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup. My Dad along with Owen Bradley and the Beasley Sisters did a demo to pitch to them; I guess they didn’t get the sponsorship but, it is really cool to hear Aunt Jemima say “Good mornin’ honey”. Another really unique thing is my Dad did a public service announcement that is about 14 to 16 minutes long for Venereal Disease. It is funny because they blamed the woman way back then. The point is the set has the radio shows in the fifteen minute format but also has some of the other things that were done during that 1951 year in that studio. There have been other complete box sets on Hank Williams but, they only had what they had. Hank Jr. and I had to go to court for over eight years to get clear title and ownership to this material so this is the complete set of the “mother’s best”. This has been in the works since 1951—that’s 60 years.



Bev: As you were going through all the songs, stories and so forth, was there anything that really hit you hard more so than something else?



JW: A couple of things. Most of the songs he does, he sets up on the radio show. He sets up one of them and tells he is going to do one of the top tunes in country but, I am not going to sing it the way it’s out now, I’m going to sing it the way my Grandmamma put me to bed. The song is “On Top Of Old Smokey”. For me, as his daughter, gave me just a little slice of the family history. When I hear it now, I can imagine him as a little boy going to bed, his Grandmother tucking things down and then singing the song in this more Appalachian type, Alabama, grass roots version as opposed to what would have been the pop style. Another thing I find endearing is that because it is live even though it was on a disc, back then if you made a mistake, they would have to start over from the beginning with a new disc. They said that how many discs you used reflected on how much they would use you in the show. Every time you wasted a disc, you wasted money. They kept the mistakes there so my Dad made some mistakes and they kept them. One is he tells the band that he wants to play “I Saw The Light”, it’s a song I wrote and I would like to do it so kick it off. They kick it off, playing “I Saw The Light” but he starts singing “Precious Memories”. Then he realizes he really messed up, how he handles it and gets out of that dilemma. For me as an entertainer, it is interesting in the fact that there is an old saying that says “it’s not what happens but how you handle it.”

There are other things. He had had back surgery and one of the things that had been written about him was how much pain he was in. On the recordings he is doing the shows, but he is sitting in a chair and as he is talking, you can hear the pain in his voice as he is trying to get up out of the chair to get over to the microphone. He tells the listeners that he has had the operation and you hurt for him; being able to hear him be “human”, I guess, as opposed to that 45 or that cassette or CD that we’ve had; to actually experience the pain, to hear him laugh. The other thing I find fascinating is a lot of people prefer the dark side. Here you have a guy at 7:15 in the morning, 72 shows, sharp as a tack, he’s laughing, he’s cracking jokes and you see this light hearted Hank Williams-professional but there isn’t any “boohooing” or so down he can’t make the shows. It shows you a side of Hank Williams, a dimension that I don’t think that we’ve ever had the privilege of being able to hear or know that side of him.



Bev: What store shelves will you find the boxes sets on? Online?



JW: Right now you can buy it online at www.HankWilliamsmothersbest.com which is direct from Time Life or from the Ernest Tubb Record shop where you can order online or call. The reason for that is not everyone has the internet and we wanted to make sure that people that don’t have the internet can still purchase this set.



Bev: Will we see a lot of advertisements from Time Life in the different magazines and such?



JW: I have not seen anything scheduled for television ads or things like that. I guess it will hit the market on the internet which is different than the other box sets that we did. Right now they are keeping it in house. Maybe later there will be more media such as radio ads and television.



Bev: Besides yourself and Time Life, who else was involved with this?



JW: My husband Keith Adkinson and I were the executive producers with Time Life and that was the sole team of putting together the whole project. Janet Bozeman has done a superb job on the publicity. It has been a really close knit group of people that have worked on this project. I would say we have been on this with Time Life for four years. The thing is when you look at the packaging and the detail; it is so much more than just a product. You can see pride; you can see that it is a labor of love. The other thing that concerned my husband and I was that this is so rare; this treasure trove of material has never happened before and I don’t think it will ever happen again. We wanted to make sure the way it was presented to the world, because my Dad’s music supersedes country, and it is universal is that this is something that if he was alive today, he would say “that’s the way I would have liked it done”. It is easy to take the easy path and just take a check with whatever amount on it, let someone license it and they can either put it on the shelf or throw it out there in hopes that someone may or may not like it. They would say Hank doesn’t need any help, he can sell himself. He deserves the best and his music needs to have the embodiment of the presentation to compliment what is inside this box.



Bev: When I look at it, it takes me back immediately to my Grandmother’s kitchen. Both my Grandmothers had a radio like that and I remember walking in and that was the first thing we did; turn on the radio.

JW: We need to go back to our roots. As for his music, people ask me why I think it has lasted. It is generational and what you just said, people say “I was your Daddy’s biggest fan”; “My Momma just loved your Daddy”. I am pleased and in awe of the young people; I call it getting in the “Hank zone”. I ask them why they are listening to Hank and they say they heard Hank and he is the real deal. This one kid told me “he’s authentic”. I think where we are at in the world and in this country, is everyone has had too much of everything, too many options and too much whatever to where everyone is starting to say they want to pick and choose how they spend their time. People are starting to focus on things they want, not just in country music either. I think people are looking to go back to more basics and more grass roots.



Bev: Was there anything that scared you about putting this together?



JW: When I first heard old radio shows, I thought “Oh good Lord”, I didn’t want to struggle through the gramophone or whatever. As I said before, the experts all say that the recordings are as good if not better than the MGM masters. I think they are better because in that point and time in my Dad’s career he was at his zenith. They are not masters, no filtering, and no tweaking. These are a one time take on that microphone in their purest form and he is “take your breath away” good.



Bev: What emotions did you experience the first time you heard these recordings?



JW: It makes me feel fantastic. The thing about it is I would dare anyone to stand in front of a microphone with that type of technology and come out with that kind of vocals and that intensity and that phrasing. There is a guy in the music industry that I played this for and he said he had always heard Hank Williams, but he didn’t think he have ever really sat down and listened to Hank Williams. I had a friend that was listening to this the other day and was going to turn the television on and she stopped and said she didn’t; she didn’t want to leave 1951. Another thing is this is a snapshot of our American history because they are talking about current affairs, what the weather is like, what’s happening in the country, what’s happening in the world. The jingles on the shows are scripted, but the actual talking and bantering on the show is “free”. You can tell how intelligent my Dad is; he is talking about Napoleon Bonaparte, the President and all of these things that are happening. Also, and this is my belief, he wasn’t handed a list of songs he was suppose to do. He sings all kinds of songs and it shows you what Hank Williams liked.



This product is something that you can put in your record collection. This is something you can hand down to your children. If people come to Nashville, they need to go down on Broadway to the Ernest Tubb Record shop and visit. My Dad performed there and they have the box sets there.

Bev: Jett, I think you and I could talk for hours about this, because my passion for the music goes way back and I love your dad’s music. Thank you for sharing the personal memories and feelings and giving such an insight to this project.

JW: My pleasure, this has been a wonderful visit and I look forward to seeing you again real soon.

For more information on this amazing set of music visit http://www.hankwilliamsmothersbest.com/





transcribed by Pam Stadel

INTERVIEW: Kevin Skinner “Long Ride”

Kevin Skinner began playing the guitar when he was 12 years old. He has been playing, writing, and singing
his songs ever since he learned the art of music from his musician father, Joe. He was temporarily employed as a "chicken-catcher" at Pilgrim's Pride, a poultry factory located on Highway 45, right outside of Mayfield, Ky. His genuine southern appeal and honesty touched the audience with his audition on the fourth season of America's Got Talent, singing "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks and went on to win the season finale.


I spoke with Kevin recently to catch up with him and visit about how his life has changed and if it had changed him since the win and more importantly where he is headed.


Bev: It is wonderful to talk to you and congratulations on the big win on America's Got Talent and also your new album; all that has to be very exciting for you. Let me back up just a bit and talk about the show. What

made you audition for the show in the first place?


KS: I have always loved to play music, even as a young child. It’s in my blood; music goes way back in my family. I have been going to Nashville and singing some of my original music around town. I guess I thought “America’s Got Talent” would broaden my horizon and put me out in front of a lot of people. I think that is why I took the step and went for it.


Bev: As the show progressed, I am sure the first couple of times you sang you were nervous. Did it get easier or harder for you?


KS: I was a little nervous when I first walked out on stage, but once the judges started talking to me about things; it took the edge off the situation. Once I started singing, I wasn’t nervous at all. It got easier each time and knowing the people liked me helped.


Bev: After you won, you have your record deal now, how has your life changed overall? I imagine financially

it has made a big difference, but how has it changed you or on the other side, how has it kept you the same?


KS: As a person, I am the same old guy I have always been. When I was in L.A. and Las Vegas, the people there came to me and my band after the shows and told me to not let anyone change me, because I am from the country. I always tell them that they are going to have a hard time changing me. I would like to keep writing music and keep doing the same things that I am doing and let the fans hear my music. I get a lot of emails from people that have heard my music and like it and that always makes me feel good.


Bev: Let’s talk about the album you have out right now. Did you write all the songs on the album?

KS: Yes, I wrote all the songs on there. It was just released for download world-wide this past Tuesday. It brought a lot of emails from fans that tell me they have been hearing my songs on the radio. My first song off that CD Long Ride was “Last Goodbye” and it went well on the radio. We did a music video for that song and it’s on CMT. The fans really liked the first one and I hope we can do more of the same.


Bev: Were these songs you wrote specifically for this album or are they songs you have been writing over the years and you just had the opportunity to get them out on an album?


KS: There are some songs that I had written for this album; I guess you could say there is a mixture. I have been a songwriter for at least 12 years and I went back through the songs I had written and tried to decide if they would go good with the rest of them on the album. You have to put them together like a story when you are putting together an album. You also have to choose songs that people are going to relate to and I think I

did more than a fair job on that.


Bev: On the video, is this the first time you have done something of this nature?


KS: Yes, this is the first time I have shot a video. The guy that did it also shot some of Garth’s videos. We were about ten minutes into the shoot and he chuckled and asked me if I was ever going to do something wrong so he could give me some pointers? He said it was like I had been doing it all my life. I was glad to hear that and it made the video shoot go a lot smoother.

Bev: What was the one thing about the video process that surprised you the most?


KS: When they do the video, they use a track; the same track you have on the CD and they have the camera on a set of tracks. You are singing but it is actually the CD track when you see the video. I always wondered how they did that. It is so strange to sit there and watch it. The artist is actually singing but their voice is not being heard. They are singing under the music.

Bev: You are doing the normal promotional things but what else are you doing to let fans know about your music?


KS: I have a Facebook page but I am maxed out on the number of people there. I go on there and tell all the fans the news. Plus, we have the album available for download worldwide.


Bev: I assume it is available for download on CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon and your own website, all the customary places? Are you doing radio and TV promotions as well?


KS: Yes, they are on those sites. Lately we have been doing a lot of concerts and I have done a few interviews; mostly over the phone. I did a cooking show for CMT with Hazel Smith and I was on Roger

Raglin Outdoors on a hunting trip and I am getting ready to go do another one with him.


Bev: Are you involved with any charity work right now?


KS: After I won the show, we worked with St. Jude and we have done a benefit concert for the local church here. Any time I can get involved with something for charity, I am the first one there.


Bev: Going back to the album, is there any one song in particular that you find is closest to your heart or is more personal to you than another?

KS: There is one song, “Her Stone” that I wrote for my Grandmother. She was always the one that kept my fire burning for the music. She passed away a few years ago. She always said that someday someone would hear my music and like it. “Her Stone” is the most personal song on the CD.


Bev: As you have done concerts and met with your fans, has there been any one thing that you hear over and over, whether it is a song people like or something about your personality or something you did on the show? Something that keeps popping up over and over?

KS: We did two concerts last week and I noticed a lot of people, while I was onstage singing, their lips were moving right along, they knew all the words. We opened for Charlie Daniels and you wonder when you open for someone that big, how many people came to see “me”. When they are singing along with your song, that really makes you feel good.


Bev: So what is next? A new album?


KS: Yes, that is what we are planning on doing a lot more of, writing good songs that people can relate to and love. We are going to be out doing as many concerts as we can also.


Bev: You have mentioned Garth’s name and I know you like him, but is there any other person that you are

hoping that you can do a duet with or perform with?


KS: That is a good question. I have never really thought about that. I would be honored to sing a duet with Garth, that would be great.


Bev: Have you met Garth before?


KS: No, I haven’t actually met him in person but I have met a couple of people that are real close to him. He sent me a large autographed photo of him and Trisha and they both signed it. After I won the show, he sent a message that he was glad he sang that song first or he would be out of a job. That was an honor to get that. I am hoping to meet George Jones. I met Willie Nelson out in Las Vegas and I just opened for Charlie

Daniels. I have 8 x 10s of all those guys in my house.

Bev: Kevin, it has been a lot of fun visiting with you today and I am anxious to see you perform live. Is there anything else you wanted to chat about?

KS: Just let the fans know that I appreciate their time and I just want to say thank you! It has been my pleasure to visit with you too.

For more information on Kevin Skinner please visit http://www.kevinskinnertheofficialsite.com/

INTERVIEW: DJ Miller "A Little Naughty Is Nice"

According to Country singer DJ Miller, an artist’s ability to entertain a crowd is the single most important part of today’s Country music experience. Being able to deliver an unforgettable stage show for your fans is often what separates the stars from the superstars. That’s just one of the reasons why audiences shouldn’t be surprised to find the enthusiastic young singer from Idaville, Indiana, racing through the crowd during one of his sets, or hanging out on the lawn with a group of fans in the middle of a show. He’s even been known to get down on one knee and dedicate a touching love song face-to-face to one of his many female fans. At only 20 years old, there’s certainly one thing that DJ Miller learned early on in his career, and that something is how to entertain!


“You can’t be the only one having fun,” Miller explains. “You have to interact with the crowd. You want them to be wondering what’s gonna happen next. If you just stand there and sing your songs and play your music, you might sound really good, but if you don’t give your fans a real show, then they may not have a reason to come back and see you again.”

 
Bev: Tell me about the beginning of your career. I know you are still working on the album, but tell me about your childhood. How did you know that you knew you wanted to pursue singing as a career.



DJ: I grew up in the country, about twenty five minutes from town. The nearest neighbor was a mile down the road, so as a child I was real isolated and I had plenty of time for my imagination to take over. I got started in music because of my dad, who had his own country and western band for about thirty years. He was lead singer and played rhythm guitar. Any time I was able to, I went along to their shows. I started getting on the stage when I was about two. I was really big into Garth Brooks at that time and I would video tape his TV concerts so that I could watch them again and again. I studied his movements and his personality and how he bonded with the crowd. I even tried to apply that when I was two years old on the stage with my dad. I would take off my hat and wave to the girls, mimicking Garth Brooks. I had my cowboy hat, my cowboy boots and a little plastic toy guitar that I would plays on. My microphone stand was actually a toilet plunger with a plastic microphone duct taped to the top. I think the other guys in the band probably dreamed it up for me. So that is how I actually got my start as a kid. I also was in choir from Elementary School through High School. The dream just kept building for me. I continued to admire Garth Brooks and then when Brad Paisley became a star I also got into his singing as well. My dad took me to my first country concert when I was about fourteen at a large county fair near where we lived. Brad Paisley was performing that night. We got tickets for the middle of the ninth row, and right away I fell in love with Brad Paisley! He bonded with the crowd amazingly, and his talent on the guitar really caught my attention. I had always been really interested in guitars. So that started my admiration for Brad Paisley. I have been to about five of his shows since then. He does not have all those crazy light shows and the smoke like Garth does, but you find yourself having a great time at his shows because of the way he bonds with the audience. Therefore, I have combined the attributes of Garth and Brad and put some of theirs into myself.



Bev: You mention the guitar playing; is it self taught or did you have formal lessons?



DJ: My dad started me on the guitar so I guess you can say I had formal lessons. He got me started with the basic guitar chords and then I went off by myself and learned how to use the internet and started figuring out some stuff on my own. But I still go up to him and ask for advice on certain songs.



Bev: I know you have been out touring. Are you opening for anyone or are you doing the fairs and small circuit? Where are you performing at right now?



DJ: I do a little of both actually. I have been doing a lot fairs and small festivals this summer. I have also had the opportunity to open for some stars. In 2008 I opened for Jeff Bates, in 2009 I opened for Jason Michael Carol. In the past month and a half I have opened for Bucky Covington twice. The first time was while I was in Michigan doing a radio tour. It was not really planned, it was a last minute thing. The radio station arranged it.



Bev: When something like that happens that you are not prepared for, what goes through your mind? Is it panic mode or are you just very comfortable doing something like that at the spur of the moment?



DJ: I was thrilled. I have never let nerves get to me probably because of my being on stage at such an early age. I am used to a crowd looking at me. Even during my school years, I was the first to volunteer for solos. When I started playing guitar, I learned my first chord New Years Day of 2005; the first day of April I did my first solo for our spring concert in high school. I feel like if I am going to make a mistake then I just make a mistake. If I am going to mess up, I will mess up. I will learn from the experience.



Bev: Let us talk a little bit about the song writing. You are working on your album, getting ready to get that out. You have written some of the songs and co-written some of them. Do you have a preference?



DJ: When I started out ,I wasn’t a very strong writer. I wrote my first song three years ago. One of the songs on the album is mostly all my song, one that I wrote before I came to Nashville and then I got together with some Nashville writers and we fine tuned it. We changed a couple of words in the verses. As for the choruses and the melody, I am happy to say, they were all mine. I really get a thrill from that, especially when I perform it and can say it is mostly my song. That alone pushes me to want to write more. There are also some songs on the album that I have co-written, which I also enjoy doing. Sitting down with my writers, Don Goodman, Charlie Black and Brad Wolfe, is awesome because of their ideas. Watching those ideas come to them and pop into their heads, they take it to a new level. I learn from that.



Bev: Who are some of the songwriters that you look up to and would like to emulate?



DJ: Charlie Black is an amazing writer that has numerous hits and I would like to follow in his steps. He is in the songwriters Hall of Fame. A lot of his songs pretty much says it all. He does a lot with just ideas. For instance, we can be just sitting there talking and he takes a word out of my sentence and says we can make a song out of that. I guess that is what every songwriter tries to do but he is excellent at it and I admire that. I would like to learn to do that as well.



Bev: Do you choose songs that remind you of things you have already lived through or can relate to somehow?



DJ: There are some songs that the first time you hear it you know immediately that they are going to be a hit. To me if it is not a personal experience, then I try to make it one. I prefer songs that are a personal experience for me. For example, the song that I wrote, called “The Little Things”, talks about sitting at McDonald’s and getting a dollar meal and a Big Mac with your girlfriend; or tunes about driving around in your jacked up Chevy. That is me, all the way. Then another song, like “Snowman in Birmingham”, one that will be released in October, is about losing your father. I have never lost my father but while we were recording that song, I really had to put myself into that position in order to imagine how I would feel if I did lose my father. You basically have to have a music video in your head while you are recording it in the studio. Actually I pictured my farm in the winter time and what it would feel like to lose a father.



Bev: Have you ever had a fan come up to you after a show and tell you that something you have sang about has related to them personally?



DJ: Yes, we have had a lot of people tell us that “Snowman in Birmingham” reached out personally to them. “The Little Things” also relates to a lot of the younger crowd. Some say “that is me and my girlfriend all the way”. That song describes the common relationships. For instance the girl is afraid of a fish.



Bev: Where do you find your fan base is, male or female or a certain age span? Because you are young do you have mostly younger fans?



DJ: It is starting to even out as far as male or female. A lot of girls like to look at me. I do not want to sound conceited or anything but at our concerts we usually have fifty to seventy five girls lined up in front of the stage. So even though there also guys at the concert, I would probably have to say that we aim more at girls than guys.



Bev: When you are choosing the songs that you are going to perform, do you think about who is in the audience?



DJ: You definitely have to adapt your set list to what kind of crowd you have. If you have an older crowd you do not typically want to do crazy rocking songs. You can throw out a few to see how they are received but mostly the older crowd goes for calm and more relaxed songs. A younger crowd goes for the fun up-beat tempo rocking songs.



Bev: What about the social networks? Are you into Twitter, My Space and Facebook?



DJ: I have had a personal Facebook page for a few years now. As for Twitter, I am new to that one. My local radio station told me that I should start Twitter. So I went home and started it. I put eight tweets on it that same day and I never did it again. Recently when we were on our radio tour I kept getting asked about Twitter and I thought I should probably get into it. It is not that hard. You just have to tell what you are doing.



Bev: Are you comfortable with that?



DJ: I am. But for me, there is not really that much to tell. I am usually just sitting in a truck headed for the next radio station. I try to have fun stuff on there like “I just got Papa John’s. Tastes great!” I am kind of adapting to it. Lately I have not put much on it because we have been working on professional things. I am a big fan of Craig Ferguson’s and I started following him on Twitter. So it helped me to become adapted to it. I found myself getting on Twitter to look at his Tweets and then I started following Brad Paisley. I realized I could follow along with all these people I admire. It was exciting to get on and see what they were up to. Then I started watching how the number of people who follow me started to go up. When I have time to get into it I will no doubt do more of Twitter.



Bev: If you were to do a duet, who would you like to collaborate with? I obviously know the two males, but what female would you choose to sing with?



DJ: Taylor Swift is a big one. And not just for her looks. We are around the same age and have probably had similar experiences. We are from the same generation so we could probably relate to each other well.



Bev: Being as how you are still new to the industry side of music, what has surprised you the most or what is harder than you thought it would be?



DJ: The radio tours were a surprise to me. Getting in my truck and driving from one station to the next every day and traveling to different states, I didn’t realize that happened. I had heard of music tours, but I was not aware there was such a thing as a radio tour. Everything has happened pretty fast for me. Everyone tells you that reaching your goal is a real slow process. They say it takes years and years for an artist to get signed. But for me, things have been going great! So I was pretty surprised at how fast things have been moving along.



Bev: Has anything been extremely hard for you to adapt to? Such as being on the road a lot?



DJ: I get a little homesick at times. I am slowly having to say goodbye to my friends and not being able to see them very often. It is also tough for me being only twenty years old and all my friends are still hanging out regularly and being in college, calling and testing me, wanting me to come over and hang out. I have to tell them I cannot, I am in another state. It does not mean that I want to take my success back, I have had this dream since I was two years old. I can actually say nothing is going to hold me back from it. I think the most challenging thing is letting go of my life as I knew it. I am excited for when I do get to go home and have a day or two to spend with friends. Actually I have learned how valuable it is to be able to just sit on my own couch or sleeping in my own bed. That is probably the only challenge I have actually found.



Bev: Because I am a photographer, how about the photo shoots and that sort of thing? Are you comfortable with being in the public eye? Do you enjoy it or are you camera shy?



DJ: I am actually pretty comfortable with the camera. The photo shoot was a different experience. I have done senior pictures etc. but this was more of a purposeful shoot. It was a little overwhelming because it was for my actual music career. We went different places and had a lot of different wardrobes, and when I saw how they turned out it looked like it was a Brad Paisley photo instead of me. We did a few street shots like alleys, and I was pretty comfortable with that. Then for half of the shoot we were out in the country. That is where I am most comfortable. We went out to some old barns, and to the middle of a grass field.



Bev: Your single “A Little Naughty Is Nice” is on radio now. Is it available for download online as well?



DJ: The single is available to down load now on I-tunes and Napster. So far we are getting great feedback from it. We are promoting it on the radio stations and doing real well so far moving up the charts. Music Row and indicator charts have me labeled as new and active on Billboard. So that is really special and exciting. You can actually hear a lot of songs that are going to be on my album if you go on my website. It is www.djmillercountry.com. We have a lot of pictures, some videos and five or six songs that will be on the album. So you can actually get a sneak peek of what will be on the album.



Bev: Do you have a release date yet?



DJ: Sometime by the end of this year we will be releasing the album. By the end of October is when we will be releasing my next single, “Snowman in Birmingham”. So keep your ears open for that.



Bev: DJ, this has been the most enjoyable time getting to know you and I hope to see you again very soon.



DJ: I have enjoyed it as well and look forward to seeing you again.

REPORTER The VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Photo by Bev Moser

10/07/2010 - Arrington Vineyards and the Hoover Hope Foundation of Franklin, Tenn., partnered recently to raise funds for the foundation, which helps patients and families of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. On hand for the event were, from left, Paula Swift, Cherie Hammond, Amy Rankin, Alex Meade Gatty, Robin O'Shields, Kix Brooks, Michelle Hoover, Brad Hoover and Chad O'Shields. Brooks is one of the vineyard’s owners.

CMA Donates Nearly $3 Million From CMA Music Festival

Music industry executives and media representatives were invited to the Ford Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame for a special announcement by the Country Music Association (CMA).

The 2010 CMA Music Festival took place in June 2010; just weeks after the devastation of floods in Nashville and surrounding communities. It was noted this was the most successful festival to date. The Country Music Association donated $2,924,936 to Nashville's Keep the Music Playing educational initiative and to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee's relief program for victims of the massive flood that struck the region in May. The donation was split evenly between the two charities. CMA Chief Steve Moore, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and CMA board member Kix Brooks announced the monumental donation stating this would not be possible without the countless volunteer hours by the community, the artists and the music industry.



Duncan McPherson, a sophomore guitar student at the Nashville School of the Arts which is one of the many fund recipients, entertained those in attendance by playing the semi-classical piece, "Mood for a Day."

Brooks chronicled the CMA's use of its events income from the time the festival was called Fan Fair (and the income, as he said, "went into a black hole") until its current high-profile donations. So far, the CMA has donated $4,774,521 toward music education.

Luke Bryan and Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild unveiled the checks with assistance from Kyle Young, Director of the Hall of Fame Museum and presented them to Pam Garrett, Executive Director of the Nashville Alliance for Public Education and to Ellen Lehman, President of The Community Foundation.

Additional photos can be seen by visiting http://MomentsByMoser.zenfolio.com/cmadonationconf