Ep. 47 - GARY WRIGHT ("Dream Weaver") | Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters Podcast

Ep. 9 - BILL GAITHER ("Because He Lives"): Gospel music legend Bill Gaither is best known to general audiences for penning “He Touched Me,” which earned Elvis Presley a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance in 1972. Gaither and his wife Gloria virtually pioneered the “Inspirational” genre by applying traditional theological themes to the struggles and realities of everyday life. The pair was jointly honored with the Christian “Songwriter of the Century” award by the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) in 2000. Additionally, Gaither has received a half dozen Grammy awards, and more than thirty Gospel Music Association “Dove” Awards, including the “Songwriter of the Year” honor for 1969, 1970, and every year from 1972 through 1977. Many Gaither songs are staples of church hymnals, including “Because He Lives,” “There’s Something About That Name,” “Gentle Shepherd,” “Get All Excited,” “Jesus, We Just Want to Thank You,” and “The Family of God.” Gaither’s songs have be by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

58 min listen

Ep. 4 - SPOONER OLDHAM ("I'm Your Puppet"): Legendary keyboardist Spooner Oldham was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame for his work as a sideman on classic Muscle Shoals recordings, including "Mustang Sally," "When a Man Loves a Woman," and Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." As a songwriter, however, Spooner landed 25 different titles on Billboard's R&B, Pop, and Country charts, including many co-writes with partner Dan Penn, such as the Top 10 classic "I'm Your Puppet" by James and Bobby Purify, "It Tears Me Up" by Percy Sledge, and "Cry Like a Baby" which the Box Tops took to #2 on the Pop chart in 1968. The pair additionally scored with Bobby Bare's Top 40 country hit, "In the Same Old Way," and R&B hits such as Solomon Burke's "Take Me (Just As I Am)," Percy Sledge's "Out of Left Field," and Laura Lee's "Up Tight, Good Man." They also continued to find pop success with "I Met Her in Church" by The Box Tops and "Sweet Inspiration" by The Sweet I by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

49 min listen

Ep. 3 - DALLAS FRAZIER ("Elvira"): Dallas Frazier first appeared as a recording artist on Capitol Records in 1954. He moved from California to Nashville in 1963, eventually placing 42 songs in the Top 20 on Billboard’s country singles chart. Ten of those songs climbed to the #1 position. His music has been recorded by George Jones, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Charley Pride, Ferlin Husky, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, and countless others. He wrote "There Goes My Everything," the Country Music Association single of the year in 1967, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976. But there was more to Dallas Frazier than country music. His first hit was the #1 pop smash “Alley-Oop” in 1960, and he appeared on the Billboard country, pop, and R&B charts an astounding 152 times. In addition to his country recordings, Dallas’ songs have been covered by Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Beach Boy by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 18B - MAC DAVIS ("In the Ghetto") - 2 of 2: Part 2 of 2: Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, Mac Davis began his music career working for Vee Jay Records and Liberty Records in Atlanta. Relocating to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he became a staff songwriter for Nancy Sinatra’s music publishing company. His early songwriting success came when Elvis Presley recorded several of his songs, including “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” “Clean Up Your Own Backyard,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “In the Ghetto.” Soon his songs were being recorded by O.C. Smith, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Glen Campbell, Ray Price, and Bobby Goldsboro, who enjoyed a major hit with Mac’s “Watching Scotty Grow” in 1971. Thanks to his success as a songwriter, Davis signed an artist deal with Columbia Records, and later Casablanca Records, scoring thirty-three charting singles between 1970 and 1986. Most of those hits were written by Davis himself, including “I Believe in Music,” “One Hell of a Woman,” “Sto by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

51 min listen

Ep. 8B - SWAMP DOGG ("She's All I Got") - 2 of 2: PART 2 OF 2: R&B cult favorite Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams is best known as the co-writer, with Gary U.S. Bonds, of the cross-genre classic, “She’s All I Got,” which became a Top 10 R&B single for Freddie North and a #2 country hit for Johnny Paycheck in 1971. Tracy Byrd recorded it in 1996, hitting #4 on Billboard’s Country rankings and introducing the song to a new generation of fans. Williams’ career began in 1954 when, at the age of 12, he made his first record, “HTD Blues.” He found success in the 1960s, recording the Top 40 R&B hit “Baby You’re My Everything” under the name Little Jerry Williams, and writing songs for other artists, including Gene Pitney’s Top 20 Pop single, “She’s a Heartbreaker.” He became Atlantic Records’ first African American staff producer in 1968, but left the following year to pursue independent projects in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. By the 1970s he was an in-demand producer and songwriter, penning Top 40 R& by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

45 min listen

Ep. 25 - JIM LAUDERDALE ("King of Broken Hearts"): Known as a respected “songwriter’s songwriter,” Jim Lauderdale is a versatile and highly prolific artist who is equally comfortable writing country, bluegrass, soul, or pop. His 1991 debut, Planet of Love, was packed with original songs that went on to be covered by George Strait, The Dixie Chicks, Gary Allan, Lucinda Williams, Mandy Barnett, and others. Since then, Lauderdale has recorded nearly thirty albums, including the Grammy winning releases Lost in the Lonesome Pines and The Bluegrass Diaries. Patty Loveless has recorded five of his songs, including the Top 10 single “Halfway Down” and her hit duet with George Jones, “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me.” Likewise, George Strait has covered well over a dozen Jim Lauderdale compositions, including the Top 5 hits “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This,” “What Do You Say to That,” and “I Gotta Get to You.” Others who have recorded Jim’s songs include Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, Tracy Nelson, by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 17 - DESMOND CHILD ("Livin' on a Prayer"): One of the most successful and prolific writers and producers of all time, Desmond Child’s songs have resulted in nearly six dozen Top 40 singles on Billboard’s pop, rock, country, and R&B charts. His band Desmond Child & Rouge attracted the attention of Paul Stanley. He partnered with Child to write “I Was Made For Loving You,” which became a major hit for KISS in 1979. Desmond first collaborated with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora for Bon Jovi’s 1986 album, Slippery When Wet. That partnership resulted in the #1 hits, “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Desmond has appeared as a co-writer on every Bon Jovi album since, co-writing additional hits such as “Bad Medicine,” “Born To Be My Baby,” “This Ain’t a Love Song,” and “(You Want To) Make a Memory.” He formed a similar alliance with Aerosmith, with whom he wrote the hits “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Angel,” “What It Takes,” and “Crazy.” He co-wrote Joan Jett’s “I Hate M by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 7 - JOHN OATES ("I Can't Go For That"): Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates is one half of the team that both Billboard magazine and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) dubbed the most successful duo in rock history. Oates and longtime collaborator Daryl Hall signed with Atlantic Records in 1972, but didn’t break through with a major hit single until they moved to RCA and scored a Top 5 Pop hit with “Sara Smile” in 1974. Penned by Hall and Oates, it was the beginning of a long string of Top 40 hits. As a songwriter, John Oates is best known for co-writing classic titles including “She’s Gone,” “You Make My Dreams,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” “Maneater,” “Adult Education,” and “Out of Touch.” He is also the co-writer of “Electric Blue,” a 1988 Top 10 hit by Icehouse. Additionally, his songs have been covered by Nancy Wilson, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Shirley Manson, Nelly Furtado, The Bird and the Bee, Rumer, and many others. Daryl Hall and John Oates by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 20 - JOHN SEBASTIAN ("Do You Believe in Magic?") by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

59 min listen

Ep. 1 - JIM PETERIK ("Eye of the Tiger"): Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist Jim Peterik is best known as a founding member of the band Survivor and the co-writer of their Grammy-winning double platinum #1 hit single, “Eye of the Tiger.” But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Thirty-five of Jim’s songs have appeared on the BillboardPop chart, including seven Top 10 singles. His first major success came when his original band, Ides of March, took the Peterik-penned “Vehicle” to the #2 position on the Pop chart in 1970, spawning cover versions by Chet Baker and Shirley Bassey. After a stint as a solo artist with Epic Records, Jim formed Survivor in 1979, penning a string of hits for the band, including “I Can’t Hold Back,” “High On You,” “The Search is Over,” “Burning Heart,” and “Is This Love.” While still writing hits for his own group, Jim forged a successful partnership with the members of 38 Special, co-writing classic songs, including “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Hold On by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 15 - JAREN JOHNSTON ("Raise 'Em Up"): Nashville native Jaren Johnston co-founded the rock band American Bang which released one album for Warner Bros. He went on to form the Cadillac Three, a Southern rock-infused trio that was named one of the “10 New Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone Country in 2014. While finding success with his own self-described “country fuzz” sound, Johnston forged a second career as a behind-the-scenes songwriter for top country artists. Since 2012, he has seen more than a half dozen of his songs hit the country Top 10, four of which have climbed to the #1 position. He has co-written the songs “You Gonna Fly” and “Raise ‘Em Up” for Keith Urban, “Southern Girl” and “Meanwhile Back at "Mama’s” for Tim McGraw, “Days of Gold” and “Beachin’” for Jake Owen, “Sunshine and Whiskey” for Frankie Ballard, “Don’t It” for Billy Currington, and “The South,” a Top 40 hit for his own band, which featured guest appearances by Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, a by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

54 min listen

Ep. 47 - GARY WRIGHT ("Dream Weaver"): Launching his professional career as a child actor on Broadway, Gary Wright eventually moved to Europe to pursue post-graduate studies in Psychology. While there, he co-founded the group Spooky Tooth as keyboardist and primary songwriter. He departed in 1970 to launch a solo career and, during this era, began working as a studio musician, playing on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy,” Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” and other notable recordings by legends such as B.B. King and Jerry Lee Lewis. His work with George Harrison led to a lifelong friendship, resulting in Wright appearing on every Harrison solo album in the 1970s. George recorded several of their co-written compositions, including “If You Believe” from his 1979 self-titled album and “That’s What It Takes,” which the two composed with Jeff Lynne for the acclaimed Cloud 9 album. After a second stint with Spooky Tooth from 1972-1974, Gary’s comme by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

59 min listen

Ep. 18A - MAC DAVIS ("In the Ghetto") - 1 of 2: Part 1 of 2: Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, Mac Davis began his music career working for Vee Jay Records and Liberty Records in Atlanta. Relocating to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he became a staff songwriter for Nancy Sinatra’s music publishing company. His early songwriting success came when Elvis Presley recorded several of his songs, including “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” “Clean Up Your Own Backyard,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “In the Ghetto.” Soon his songs were being recorded by O.C. Smith, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Glen Campbell, Ray Price, and Bobby Goldsboro, who enjoyed a major hit with Mac’s “Watching Scotty Grow” in 1971. Thanks to his success as a songwriter, Davis signed an artist deal with Columbia Records, and later Casablanca Records, scoring thirty-three charting singles between 1970 and 1986. Most of those hits were written by Davis himself, including “I Believe in Music,” “One Hell of a Woman,” “Sto by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

49 min listen

Ep. 6 - MELISSA MANCHESTER ("Midnight Blue"): Grammy winner Melissa Manchester signed her first publishing deal at the age of 17, before going on to work as a backup singer for Bette Midler. She first came to prominence as an artist with the 1975 single “Midnight Blue,” which climbed to #6 on Billboard’s Pop chart and hit the #1 spot on the Adult Contemporary rankings. Co-written with Carole Bayer Sager, it was the first of nine Manchester-penned compositions to hit the Top 40. Of those, a half dozen reached the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition to writing her own hits as a performer - including “Just Too Many People” and “Just You And I” - she also found success writing for other artists, including the Top 10 hit “Come In From the Rain” for Captain & Tennille and “Whenever I Call You Friend,” which was a Top 5 Pop hit for Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks in 1978. Her songs have been recorded by Roberta Flack, Dusty Springfield, Alison Krauss, and Barbra Streisand. by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 8A - SWAMP DOGG ("She's All I Got") - 1 of 2: PART 1 OF 2: R&B cult favorite Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams is best known as the co-writer, with Gary U.S. Bonds, of the cross-genre classic, “She’s All I Got,” which became a Top 10 R&B single for Freddie North and a #2 country hit for Johnny Paycheck in 1971. Tracy Byrd recorded it in 1996, hitting #4 on Billboard’s Country rankings and introducing the song to a new generation of fans. Williams’ career began in 1954 when, at the age of 12, he made his first record, “HTD Blues.” He found success in the 1960s, recording the Top 40 R&B hit “Baby You’re My Everything” under the name Little Jerry Williams, and writing songs for other artists, including Gene Pitney’s Top 20 Pop single, “She’s a Heartbreaker.” He became Atlantic Records’ first African American staff producer in 1968, but left the following year to pursue independent projects in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. By the 1970s he was an in-demand producer and songwriter, penning Top 40 R& by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

43 min listen

Ep. 10 - HOLLY KNIGHT ("Love is a Battlefield"): Holly Knight’s songs have earned three Grammy awards and garnered more than a dozen ASCAP performance awards. She is the writer or co-writer of a seemingly endless list of hits, including “Love is a Battlefield” and “Invincible” for Pat Benetar, “Better Be Good to Me” and “Simply the Best” for Tina Turner, “The Warrior” for Scandal, “Obsession” for Animotion, “Rag Doll” with Aerosmith, “Just Between You and Me” with Lou Gramm, and many more. Additionally, her songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Bon Jovi, Chaka Khan, Hall & Oates, KISS, Bonnie Tyler, Heart, Ozzy Osbourne, John Waite, Aaron Neville, Dusty Springfield, and the list goes on and on. In 2013, her remarkable songwriting accomplishments earned Knight a well-deserved induction to the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 2 - BRANDY CLARK ("Follow Your Arrow"): Singer-songwriter Brandy Clark’s 2013 debut album 12 Stories landed on the year end “best of” lists ofRolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter, and New York magazine before earning her a nomination for Best Country Album and Best New Artist (in any genre) at the 2015 Grammy awards. Clark’s meticulously crafted “drinking and thinking” songs, as she described them to “All Things Considered,” reflect a new brand of progressively-minded traditional country that has been enthusiastically embraced by both the honky-tonk crowd and public radio audiences. Before stepping into the spotlight as an artist, however, Clark put in more than a decade as a hard-working Nashville-based tunesmith whose songs were recorded by Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, and Sheryl Crow. She co-wrote the Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” which hit #1 in early 2013. That same year, she was nominated for a CMA, AMA, and Grammy a by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

54 min listen

Ep. 30 - BILLY MANN ("Stupid Girls"): Two-time Grammy nominee Billy Mann released a couple of solo albums as an artist via A&M Records in the mid-1990s before finding success as a songwriter in the European market. He eventually returned to the US and began getting his songs recorded by artists such as Celine Dion, Dakota Moon, and Daryl Hall & Joan Oates, who made “Do It For Love” Billy’s first #1 Billboard single as a songwriter in 2002. Other artists who charted with Billy’s songs in this era include Michael Bolton, Art Garfunkel, and Jim Brickman. He soon began finding hits with a new wave of pop stars, beginning with Jessica Simpson’s Top 20 single, “With You.” Around the same time he became a frequent collaborator with Pink, who has included many of Billy’s compositions on her albums, including “God is a DJ,” “Stupid Girls,” "Dear Mr. President," "I'm Not Dead," "Glitter in the Air.,” and "The Truth About Love." Additionally, Mann co-wrote and produced Teddy Geiger’s platinum sel by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 19 - JOHN MAYALL ("Find a Way to Care"): Find a Way to Care is John Mayall’s 64th official album, and the most recent release from the 81-year-old singer, keyboardist, guitarist, harmonica player, and composer who’s been dubbed the “Godfather of British Blues.” The Grammy-nominated Mayall is a renowned band leader, with several veterans of his group, the Bluesbreakers, going on to find success in their own right. A short list of those who passed through his band includes Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, who went on to form Cream; Peter Green, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood, who later formed Fleetwood Mac; Andy Fraser, who formed Free; and Mick Taylor, who went on to join the Rolling Stones. Other notable guitarists who’ve spent time in Mayall’s band include Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, Sonny Landreth, Buddy Whittington, and former Canned Heat member Harvey Mandel. Between 1966 and 1971 Mayall released eleven albums that hit the Top 40 on the UK chart, three of which also reached the Top by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

56 min listen

Ep. 13 - JACK TEMPCHIN ("Peaceful Easy Feeling"): Best known as the writer of classic Eagles hit such as “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone,” Jack Tempchin is a prolific Southern California troubadour. Emerging from the San Diego folk scene, Tempchin became a fixture in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon music community in the late 60s and early 70s where he formed personal and musical alliances with Jackson Brown, J.D. Souther, Glenn Fry, and others. Following his songwriting success with the Eagles, Jack’s band The Funky Kings scored with “Slow Dancing” a Tempchin-penned composition that went on to become a Top 10 pop single for Johnny Rivers and a Top 10 country hit for Johnny Duncan. In the 1980s he and former Eagle Glenn Frey collaborated frequently, co-writing Glenn’s hits “I Found Somebody,” “The One You Love,” “Smugglers Blues,” "You Belong to the City," and more. In the 1990s he found success in the country field when his songs were recorded by artists such as George Jones, Sammy Ker by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 44 - GORDON KENNEDY ("Change the World"): Gordon Kennedy is a Nashville-based songwriter, producer, and guitarist best known for co-writing “Change the World,” which Eric Clapton took to the top of the charts and kept in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary rankings for an unprecedented 81 weeks. That success won Kennedy a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and turbocharged his commercial songwriting career. After scoring a #3 Billboard country hit with “You Move Me” in 1998, Garth Brooks went on to release 10 more Kennedy-penned songs on his 1999 Chris Gaines album. These included the Top 5 pop hit “Lost in You” and “It Don’t Matter to the Sun,” which fell just shy of the Top 20 on the country chart. Kennedy has enjoyed additional charting singles, such as Faith Hill’s “It Will Be Me;” the Clark Family Experience’s “Meanwhile Back at the Ranch;” Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s “Love Will Always Win;” Carrie Underwood’s “The More Boys I Meet;” and Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’ by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 32 - SHELLY PEIKEN ("What a Girl Wants"): Shelly Peiken is a multi-platinum songwriter best known for co-writing Christina Aguilera’s #1 hits “What a Girl Wants” and “Come On Over Baby (All I Want is You).” She was nominated for a Best Rock Song Grammy for penning “Bitch” with Meredith Brooks, who took the song to #2 on the Billboard pop chart in 1997. Additionally, she’s penned songs such as “I Wanna Be With You” for Mandy Moore and “Out From Under” by Britney Spears. Celine Dion has recorded four of Shelly’s songs, while Miley Cyrus, NSYNC, David Archuleta, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Plain White T’s and Gladys Knight have each recorded two or more songs from the Peiken catalog. Others who have covered Shelly’s music include Jessie J, the Divinyls, the Pretenders, Reba McEntire, Lisa Loeb, Jennifer Lopez, Expose, Aaliyah, Backstreet Boys, Vanessa Hudgens, Smash Mouth, INXS, Keith Urban, Michelle Branch, Natasha Bedingfield, and the cast of the hit TV show, Glee. Shelly is a regula by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

55 min listen

Ep. 22 - TOM DOUGLAS ("The House That Built Me"): After a successful career in commercial real estate, Tom Douglas scored his first charting single as a songwriter when Collin Raye took "Little Rock" to the top of the charts in 1994. "Little Rock" earned Tom a CMA Song of the Year nomination and marked the start of a long string of Top 10 singles that has stretched for more than two decades. His catalog of hits includes "The Gift" for Jim Brickman; "Love's the Only House" and "God's Will" for Martina McBride; "Grown Men Don't Cry," "My Little Girl," "Let it Go," "Southern Voice," and "Meanwhile Back at Mama's" for Tim McGraw; "Something Worth Leaving Behind" for Lee Ann Womack; "I Run to You" and "Hello World" for Lady Antebellum; "I Got a Car" for George Strait; "Raise 'Em Up" for Keith Urban and Eric Church; and Miranda Lambert's recording of "The House That Built Me," which was nominated for two Grammy awards, and won Song of the Year honors from the Country Music Association, the A by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

57 min listen

Ep. 11 - AL KASHA ("The Morning After"): Bobby Peterson's R&B recording of "Irresistible You" became Al Kasha's first charting hit in 1960. It was soon covered by Bobby Darin, and Al went on to land more than twenty additional titles on the Billboard Pop, R&B, Country, and Adult Contemporary rankings. His songs have been recorded by Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Etta James, Peggy Lee, Roy Orbison, and Donna Summer, just to name a few. He has been nominated for two Tony awards, two Grammy awards, an Emmy, four Golden Globes, and four Academy Awards - two of which he won when he and songwriting partner Joel Hirschhorn took home the Oscar for Best Song in 1973 ("The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure) and again in 1975 ("We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno). by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

58 min listen

Ep. 5 - JEFF SILBAR ("Wind Beneath My Wings"): Though best known as the Grammy-winning co-writer of the contemporary standard “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Jeff Silbar has appeared in the Top 40 on Billboard’s Pop, Country, and Adult Contemporary charts a total of 28 times. With deep roots as both a songwriter and a music publisher in Nashville and Los Angeles, his songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists, including John Cougar Mellencamp, Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Dolly Parton, Gregg Allman, Leon Russell, Lou Rawls, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, and many others. In addition to winning Song of the Year awards from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, and the Recording Academy, he has received more than thirty ASCAP performance awards. by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

45 min listen

Ep. 21 - CHIP TAYLOR ("Wild Thing"): Though a prolific singer/songwriter in his own right, Chip Taylor’s music has been covered by a wide range of artists, including Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Nina Simone, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, The Pretenders, Jackie DeShannon, Ronnie Spector, Cheap Trick, and many others. He has written 39 songs that have appeared on Billboard’s pop, R&B, country, or adult contemporary charts, with many of them appearing on multiple charts simultaneously. Chip was born James Wesley Voight in Yonkers, New York, He joined a country band in high school, started writing songs, and signed a contract with King Records while still a teenager. As a songwriter he began finding success in the early 1960s with recordings by Johnny Tillotson, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson. In 1966 The Troggs took Taylor’s “Wild Thing” to the #1 spot, which caught the attention of Jimi Hendrix, who covered it the following year by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 34 - TOBY GAD ("All of Me"): After finding early success with international pop acts such as Milli Vanilli, the German-born hitmaker Toby Gad went on to write and produce a string of international #1 singles, including Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy,” Selena Gomez’s “A Year Without Rain,” and Nicole Scherzinger’s “Don’t Hold Your Breath.” He has twice been the recipient of the prestigious ASCAP Song of the Year award, first in 2008 for Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and again in 2015 for John Legend’s “All of Me.” Toby’s contributions to officially certified Gold and Platinum album releases alone represent sales of more than 73 million units worldwide. Other artists who’ve recorded his songs include Ricky Martin, Miley Cyrus, Donna Summer, Brandy, Jordan Sparks, Robin Thicke, Alicia Keys, Demi Lovato, Jazmine Sullivan, Jessie J, One Direction, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepson, Leona Lewis, and Madonna. by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

51 min listen

Ep. 38 - BOBBY HART ("Last Train to Clarksville"): The legendary songwriting team of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart found early success with songs such as “Lazy Elsie Molly,” which was a Top 10 R&B hit for Chubby Checker, “Come a Little Bit Closer,” which was a Top 5 pop hit for Jay & The Americans, and the instrumental theme song for the long-running soap opera, Days of Our Lives. The pair are best known, however, for writing and producing more than 20 songs for The Monkees, including “Last Train to Clarksville,” “(Theme From) The Monkees,” “I Wanna Be Free,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “She,” “Words,” and “Valleri.” As artists, the Grammy nominated duo found success in the late 1960s with the self-penned Top 40 hits “Out & About,” “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight,” and “Alice Long (You’re Still My Favorite Girlfriend).” Bobby Hart wrote a number of hit singles apart from Tommy Boyce, including “Hurt So Bad,” which was a hit for Little Anthony & The Imperials in 1965 before finding by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

55 min listen

Ep. 26 - MARS BONFIRE ("Born To Be Wild"): Canadian singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mars Bonfire began his professional music career with the Sparrows, a 1960s rock group that eventually morphed into the band Steppenwolf. Though he’d departed by the time they released their first album, Steppenwolf made Bonfire’s “Born to be Wild” a massive hit in 1968. The song was prominently used in the film Easy Rider the following year, cementing its place as a classic American anthem of free-spirited rebellion. The lyrics introduced the term “heavy metal” to the music world, and Rolling Stone magazine named “Born to be Wild” one of the Top 500 Songs of All Time. Steppenwolf went on to record five additional Bonfire compositions, including “Faster Than the Speed of Life” and “Ride With Me.” All Music called Mars’s 1968 self-titled psychedelic solo album a “lost masterpiece,” and in 2015 he was honored with the first ever Cultural Impact Award given by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

Ep. 16 - BILL WITHERS ("Lean on Me"): Pop and R&B legend Bill Withers released nine albums between 1971 and 1985 that included such classic songs as “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Use Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Just the Two of Us.” Though he stepped away from the limelight in the mid-1980s, his songs have become classics that have withstood the test of time and been covered by iconic artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Ike & Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson, Al Green, The Staple Singers, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Sting, Linda Ronstadt, Roberta Flack, Buddy Guy, Barbra Streisand, and George Benson. Additionally, his music has been sampled by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, L.L. Cool J, Tupac Shakur, R. Kelly, and Kanye West. Withers was in the inaugural class of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, and is a nine-time Grammy nominee. He won three Grammy awards for Best R&B song for “Ain’t No Sunshine” in 1971, by Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

60 min listen

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Ep. 47 - GARY WRIGHT ("Dream Weaver")

Ep. 47 - GARY WRIGHT ("Dream Weaver")

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