This August, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) proudly partnered with the Ohio Craft Brewers Association for the BMI Nashville Songwriters Tour that brought six Nashville songwriters to breweries in 11 cities and towns across the Buckeye state. The purpose of the tour was to give back to the many breweries in Ohio that support BMI songwriters through the licensing fees they pay, to shine a light on the craft of songwriting and to show the power of live music in driving business. The participating BMI songwriters included Hugh Mitchell, Jason White, Even Stevens, Aaron Barker, Will Bowen and Earl Bud Lee, who collectively have written # 1 songs for country superstars including Garth Brooks, Eddie Rabbitt, Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and Lonestar.
“Having [BMI songwriters] Aaron and Earl Bud at Railroad Brewing Company was fantastic! Our sales for the night more than doubled what we normally do on a Tuesday night,” said Thomas Wagner, President of Railroad Brewing Company in Avon, Ohio. “We are so thankful for the support BMI has shown the local breweries who depend on music to help with the overall experience of the taproom.”
The tour made stops to Ohio breweries: Rivertown Brewing Co, Brewdog, Royal Docks Brewing, Crooked Handle Brewing, Warped Wing Brewery, Grove City Brewing, Zaftig Brewing, Combustion Brewing, Roundhouse Depot Brewing, The Laird Arcade Brewery, Railroad Brewing and Lockport Brewery.
Additional support provided by the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association.
Aaron Barker has recorded music for George Strait including, “Baby Blue,” recorded by on the If You Ain’t Lovin’, You Ain’t Livin’ album, which went #1 on the Billboard charts. Barker also wrote “Love Without End, Amen.” George Strait recorded it and it stayed at the number one on the Billboard charts for five consecutive weeks. Barker also wrote Strait’s # 1 song “Easy Come, Easy Go” and Lonestar‘s “What About Now”. His other songs have also been recorded by Doug Supernaw, Clay Walker, Neal McCoy, Aaron Tippin and Willie Nelson. Barker was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2007.
Will Bowen is a Grammy nominated singer/songwriter signed to Little Extra Music. As an artist, he has opened for such legends as Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, John Mayer, Maroon 5 and Train. With numerous credits as a songwriter, the Ohio native reached platinum status internationally with a song by Latin pop star Soraya Arnelas. Most recently, Will wrote the Casey James single Fall Apart, and has had cuts recorded by Devin Dawson, Kelleigh Bannen, Due West and others.
Earl Bud Lee was born and raised in Ohio, but has been writing songs for over 35 years in Nashville. From “Friend in Low Places” by Garth Brooks to “One Night At A Time” by George Strait, to more recent hits like “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” by Blake Shelton, Lee continues to write hitmaking songs. His songs are still enjoying regular radio play over twenty-five years after they debuted, proving the timelessness of his work. Most recently, Randy Rogers Band covered his 34-year-old song, “Look Out Yonder,” with Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski.
Hugh Mitchell: Since his debut album Heartbreak Radio, Mitchell has discovered a style and voice all his own. Conscientious and intentional, he experiments with unique sounds to fulfill the smooth and intimate melodies. He recently recorded his next album with former Wilco drummer, Ken Coomer. Hugh plays solo, as well as with his trio made up of New Orleans musicians.
Even Stevens has a songwriting career that spans many years and stylistic borders from the multi- platinum international hit, “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman” by Dr. Hook, to the three week running #1 Pop hit, I Love A Rainy Night by longtime partner and superstar, Eddie Rabbitt. The Ohio native and Grammy nominated songwriter has accumulated an unprecedented 53 BMI Awards, which includes: 14 Pop Awards – 26 Country Awards – 1 Five Millionaire Award – 1 Four Millionaire Award – 1 Three Millionaire Awards – 4 Two Millionaire Awards – and 6 One Millionaire Awards. Some of the major artists who have recorded his songs include Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Mac Davis, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, Marie Osmond, Crystal Gayle, Glen Campbell and Julio Iglesias to name a few.
Jason White, raised in Cleveland, Ohio, is a man who defies typecasting, a restless artistic spirit who refuses to be pigeonholed. If pressed to describe his music, he calls it “American Hash,” a hodgepodge of the styles spawned in the U.S. that forever changed the world’s listening habits: the blues, country, jazz, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. The songs that make up White’s American Hash have been recorded by a fittingly eclectic group of artists: country legends Tim McGraw and Diamond Rio; alternative stylists Swan Dive and Liam Titcomb; soft-rock crooner Russell Hitchcock; string-band icons Old Crow Medicine Show; and pop/rock divas the Muddy Magnolias, to name a few.