BMI (BROADCAST MUSIC, INC.)
I am a BMI writer…especially grateful for the support I’ve received
from Harry Warner, VP/Nashville. For over a decade he has believed in me and
helped me with advice and encouragement. BMI steps up to the plate for its
writers. One of my favorite life moments: the BMI Bus Trip from Atlanta to
Nashville, set up by Catherine Brewton. I was on the bus with heroes Angie
Aparo and Butch Walker, to name but a few. Nothin’ cooler. And the trip
to the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum was truly a high point. With an organization
like BMI supporting songwriters, we are assured that our craft will continue
and the greatest music and greatest artists will rise to the top.
THE LOWERY GROUP
What can I say about the Lowery Group…I was lucky enough to meet the
great Bill Lowery before he passed away in 2004. These are the nicest people
I’ve met in the music business, and I’ve received the most heartfelt
encouragement from Butch Lowery, his wife Pam, and Ed Pucko, Director of Licensing.
Mike Clark, co-owner of Southern
Tracks Studio, is also absolutely amazing and a great guy!
THE SONGWRITERS
GUILD
Another great friend who has been there with encouragement and support: Rundi
Ream of the Songwriters Guild. It’s a non-profit organization with all
the information you need to get your songwriting career going. One of the
coolest things they do is remaining politically involved in our behalf and
they make an easy opportunity for our own advocate voice to be heard. By special
arrangement between The Songwriters Guild of America and the National Music
Publishers Association (NMPA), members have access to a very cool service
that allows members to contact their federal and state representatives via
email, letter, phone call or fax. It also allows members to view key bills
and follow votes on issues important to The Guild and to songwriters, overall.
A very good thing…
THE BIGGEST LITTLE
SMALL TOWN IN AMERICA/”MOBY-IN-THE-MORNING
A dear friend, confidant, and co-writer, Jim “Moby” Carney has
believed in me and my music for a decade now. He was the top (and highest
paid) DJ in Metro Atlanta for over ten years at Kicks 101.5 and has moved
on to bigger and better things: his own company and syndicated radio show
called “The Biggest Little Small Town in America.”
ROMO
FILMS, INC.
Have you seen our DVD? Enjoyed our website video footage? Michael Wheeler
at Romo Films, Inc./Atlanta is the guy to call for filming, editing, and creating
the perfect film for absolutely any event. He does an amazing thing for people
about to celebrate a wedding or anniversary: he collects pictures from them,
scans them, then creates a DVD that rivals the footage I see on “Biography.”
Since he’s a musician (with the largest collection of music I’ve
ever seen), he sets all of it to beautiful music. I’ve personally seen
the joy-tears from many of his clients.
WRITESIDE
STUDIO
David Leonard has been my friend since I was 15 years old. We went to high
school and college together in Tallahassee (Leon HS, then FSU), and we worked
for many summers together in a band called “the Sunshine Season”
as part of the Live Show Department at Six Flags Over Georgia. After he moved
to Nashville, he helped me to produce my second album, and almost every song
demo since then. Now he owns one of the top studios in Metro Atlanta. If you’ve
got a song going, he’s the one to call.
THE NASHVILLE
MUSE/DOAK TURNER
I met Doak during the winter of 2004 when I was at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville,
waiting to meet with one of my favorite songwriters, Lari White. Doak invited
“The Harringtons” to the regular, 3rd Sunday Get-Together-Pot-Luck
at his house, and I enjoyed some of the best home-made, spicy soup I’ve
ever tasted, and met—and heard—great songwriters in every room.
Ya’ gotta love his slogan: “Friends don’t let friends play
to an empty room.”
WHIPPOORWILL SOUND
STUDIO/WIL HODGE
I absolutely love Wil Hodge. Friend extraordinaire, studio owner, and an amazing
songwriter. I have been privileged to write with him, and to get to know his
amazing wife and daughter. If I am ever blue, this man always lifts me up.
I highly recommend his studio, his friendship, his sound production. His wife,
Karla, is one of the directors of youth programs at Unity
North Atlanta Church…an interdenominational church that I absolutely
love! She puts on shows featuring the kids that rival the shows on Broadway.
SHOBUD MUSIC/Bruce
Burch
Bruce Burch is from Gainesville, Georgia. His songwriting is legendary, and
I am proud to call him my friend. He always made time for me at his EMI office
on my regular trips to Nashville and he was a major support to me while I
was president of the Georgia Music Industry Association, 2001-2004. I could
always count on him for our songwriter contests and he could always pick a
winner. Bruce is now Vice President of Sho-Bud Music, Inc.'s publishing division.
He comes to Sho-Bud Music Publishing from EMI Music Publishing, where he was
the Creative Director for seven years. As a songwriter, check out his success
story: He had two #1 hits with Reba McEntire ("Rumor Has It" and
"It's Your Call"), in addition to cuts with Faith Hill, George Jones,
Aaron Tippin, T. Graham Brown, Billy Joe Royal, Wayne Newton, the Oak Ridge
Boys, John Anderson…and the list goes on.