The CMA Songwriters Series returned to Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Tuesday with a special showcase honoring “The 50th Annual CMA Awards.” CMA Song of the Year winners Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon were joined by Country Music Hall of Famer and CMA Award nominee Bobby Bare and special guest CMA Award nominee Barry Dean onstage for this commemorative show at the iconic Bluebird Cafe. This collaboration kicked off NSAI’s 24th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, which runs through Saturday.
“With a combined 20 CMA Award nominations and five wins, including three for Song of the Year, this group represents nominations from nearly every decade since the 1960s, making it an unforgettable Tin Pan South show honoring ‘The 50th Annual CMA Awards,’” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer.
Anderson was nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the very first CMA Awards in 1967 and won his most recent CMA Song of the Year Award in 2007 for co-writing “Give It Away.” Known as “Whisperin’” Bill Anderson, Anderson composed his first classic hit in 1958 at age 19 with “City Lights.” His songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dean Martin, Ray Price, Debbie Reynolds, Porter Wagoner, Lawrence Welk, and many others. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Bare’s first Top 10 Country hit came in the early 1960’s with his rendition of “Detroit City,” which was only the beginning of a string of hits that included “Miller’s Cave,” “Four Strong Winds,” “The Streets of Baltimore,” “(Margie’s at) The Lincoln Park Inn,” “How I Got To Memphis,” “Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends,” and “Come Sundown.” In 1999, Bare was nominated with Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, and Jerry Reed for CMA Vocal Event of the Year for “Old Dogs.” Bare was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Cannon achieved his first No. 1 in 1978 with “I Believe In You,” recorded by Tillis and Englebert Humperdink. Vern Gosdin took three of Cannon’s songs to the top of the charts during the ‘80s – “Dream of Me,” “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” and “I’m Still Crazy.” He won CMA Song of the Year for penning George Strait’s 53rd No. 1 single “Give It Away” in 2007 and has produced more than 20 of Kenny Chesney’s chart toppers, including “Out Last Night,” “Don’t Blink,” and “She’s Got It All.”
Dean received his first CMA Award nomination for Song of the Year in 2013 for his co-write on Little Big Town’s “Pontoon.” The hit song also became his first No. 1 followed by “Day Drinking” in 2014. Dean has co-written several hit singles over the past decade, including “1994,” “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools,” “Tattoo,” and more. He also co-wrote Ingrid Michaelson’s “Girls Chase Boys,” his first single on the pop charts. Dean’s songs have been recorded by Alison Krauss, Reba, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and more.
Currently in its 12th season, the CMA Songwriters Series kicked off 2016 at indigo at The O2 in London during the C2C Festival. Since 2005, the CMA Songwriters Series has presented more than 90 shows in 15 cities including Austin, Belfast, Chicago, Dublin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. at the renowned Library of Congress. Some of the artists who have been part of the series include Dierks Bentley, Clint Black, Kix Brooks, Chesney, Sara Evans, Hunter Hayes, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Underwood, Chris Young, and more.
The CMA Songwriters Series continues reaching audiences nationwide through a partnership between CMA and Public Television’s acclaimed series “Front and Center.” Check local listings.
About Tin Pan South Songwriter’s Festival:
Produced by Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Tin Pan South reigns as the world’s largest all-songwriter festival. In 2015, close to 350 talented songwriters performed 92 shows at 10 of Nashville’s top music venues. Thousands of music fans attend the event annually to hear songwriters tell stories behind hit songs they have written and perform the songs as they were originally composed. Regions Bank returns for the ninth year as the presenting sponsor of the event. Information about venues, lineups, schedules and more is available at tinpansouth.com. Updates can also be found on the Tin Pan South Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram.
**Suggested Tweet**: #CMAsongwriters honors #CMAawards50 at #TinPanSouth with @WhisperinBill, #BobbyBare,@buddycannon & @thebarrydean!