The diverse line-up scheduled for Tin Pan 2007 includes major motion picture composers, award-winning and legendary country songwriters, alt-country heroes, pop music hitmakers, rockers and progressive tastemakers. The festival will feature over 250 performers showcasing at 74 club shows over five nights of music.

Tin Pan South is America’s largest music festival dedicated to songs and songwriters. Produced by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, the festival is a legislative fundraiser in support of NSAI’s efforts in Congress. Each year, in late March/early April, several hundred songwriters perform approximately 100 shows over the course of the week. For five days and nights the festival encompasses Nashville venues, elevating songwriters and the contribution they make to the city and to the world of music. Along with raising money for NSAI’s legislative efforts, Tin Pan South underscores the rich cultural heritage of Tennessee and draws attention to the wide variety of songwriters who live and work here today.

Jim Collins (right) cracks up Marv Green and the crowd.

Green and Collins are all smiles. Pictured are (l to r): Marv Green, Jim Collins and BMI’s Jody Williams.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI’s Bradley Collins, MCA’s Bill Catino, George Strait’s longtime manager Erv Woolsey, producer Tony Brown, Marv Green, Jim Collins, Warner-Chappell’s Dale Bobo, Cal IV Entertainment’s Daniel Hill and BMI’s Jody Williams.

Photos by Steve Lowry

The group arrives in Key West. Pictured are: Front row (l to r): Wendell Mobley, Kylie Sackley, Virginia Davis, Jenn Schott, Melissa Pierce, Frank Myers, Vickie McGehee, Amber White, BMI's Bradley Collins, Cliff Cody; Back row (l to r): BMI's Mark Mason, Philip White, Fred Wilhelm, James Dean Hicks, Natalie Howard, Patrick Davis, Lee Brice, Brian Davis, BMI's Charlie Feldman and Eddy Raven. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

The festival also saw its first wedding this year, as songwriters D. Vincent Williams and Melinda Hutchings tied the knot while friends and peers looked on and wished them well.

The Key West Songwriter Festival is the brain child of Hog's Breath Saloon general manager Charlie Baur, and has grown from a weekend's worth of shows for the locals into a week-long extravaganza featuring many of the hottest writers in the country. BMI's inaugural role began in the festival's infancy and has ripened into that of devoted supporter and sponsor. The number of BMI affiliates in attendance continues to grow each year as coveted slots multiply through the addition of nearby venues. "This has become a vital event for Music Row," BMI's Mark Mason reflected. "Really, it has the feel and significance of a SXSW for songwriters."

Hog's Breath Saloon's recently opened listening room hosted various combinations of songwriters throughout the festival. Pictured are: (l to r): Jim Collins and Wendell Mobley. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Songwriting elder statesman Hugh Prestwood attended the Key West festivities for the first time this year. "This was my first time at the festival. It was one of the most delightful experiences of my musical life -- a whirlwind immersion in a tropical Oz populated with amazing, hard-partying songwriters," he mused. "I came away inspired, rejuvenated and a bit hung-over. If good fortune allows, I am determined to be there every year."

Songwriting luminary Hugh Prestwood wowed fellow songwriters and audiences alike. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

One is hard-pressed to find views that rival Key West's panorama. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Following their In-The-Round performance at the Key West Tropic Theatre are Tim Nichols, Marc Beeson, Craig Wiseman, Kendall Marvel, Jeffrey Steele and BMI's Shelby Kennedy. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

A cruise ship docks in Key West. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

BMI writers Melinda Hutchings and D.Vincent Williams tie the knot poolside at the Mango Tree Inn in Key West.

Festival organizers were presented with hand-painted mini ukuleles from their appreciative friends at BMI. Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Mark Mason, Hog's Breath owner and festival chairman Charlie Bauer, Mango Tree Inn owners Peggy and Johnny Newberry, "We've Got the Keys" event manager Nadene Grossman.

BMI's Mary Loving and writer Vickie McGehee grab some shade at the Cinco de Mayo pool party, which featured acoustic performances by Detox & the Redneck Rock Stars, Brian Davis and James Otto. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Some of the guys hang out during some down time. Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Mark Mason and songwriters Brett James, D. Vincent Williams, Chuck Jones and Jeffrey Steele. (Photo by Alan Mayor)

Jeffrey Steele	Scotty Emerick	Tim Nichols

Each spring, top Music City tunesmiths, emerging talent and country fans from all over the globe gather to enjoy the event's intimate performance settings and soak up the sun. Shows offer listeners a unique glimpse into the stories behind hit songs and the minds that create them, thrusting the often unsung heroes of the hits into a well-deserved spotlight. Numerous neighborhood venues, all within walking distance of the Hog’s Breath, host performances daily. Easy bike rides and casual strolls to and from shows integrate participants warmly into the community.

Jedd Hughes	Vicki McGehee

The eleventh year of the festival boasts yet another stellar line-up. Nearly 50 BMI songwriters are scheduled to perform, featuring today's hit songs and over two decades' worth of favorites. "The people in Key West are what make this festival special," says BMI's Mark Mason. "The entire community adopted the event, and it has catapulted from under the radar to one of the most highly anticipated annual festivals. Tons of hit songs have actually been written in Key West-it's a hotbed for creativity. Our writers simply love to attend."

BMI songwriters and artists scheduled to perform this year include Eddy Raven, Cliff Cody, Chuck Cannon, Jeffrey Steele, James Dean Hicks, Vicky McGehee, Wendell Mobley, Hugh Prestwood, Andi Zack, Kris Bergsnes, Phillip White, D. Vincent Williams, Randy Houser, Robert Lee Castleman, Jim Collins, Tim Nichols, Frank Myers, Keith Stegall, Cory Morrow, Scotty Emerick, Max T. Barnes, Arliss Albritton, Wayd Battle, Dallas Davidson, Brian Davis, Rob Hatch, Chuck Jones, Tammi Kidd, Scott Kirby, David Lee, Jim McCormick, Steve McEwan, Jon McElroy, Shane Minor, Jerrod Niemann, James Slater, D. Tox, Billy Joe Walker Jr., Chad Warrix, Fred Wilhelm, Patrick Davis, Jenn Schott, Lee Brice, Dillon Dixon, Kylie Sackley, Amber White, Jason Michael Carroll, Jedd Hughes and Kendell Marvel.

Tickets are on sale for the Friday and Saturday night concerts in the Hog's Breath Writers Room. Advance tickets are $25.00 per person, per night; prices rise to $30.00 per person each night at the door. Please call 305.296.4222, Monday through Friday between 10:00am and 3:00pm to purchase tickets in advance. An official $5.00 Festival Pass entitles participants to discounts on Budweiser and Bacardi brand beverages and more throughout the week.

For the complete festival schedule, ticket information, performer profiles and line-up, please visit www.kwswf.com or call 305.296.4222.

Hit songs written by BMI songwriters performing at the 11th Annual Key West Songwriters' Festival:

Chuck Cannon
"Dreamwalkin'"
"How Do You Like Me Now"

Jeffrey Steele
"The Cowboy in Me"
"Hell Yeah"

Scotty Emerick
"Beer
for My Horses"
"As Good As I Once Was"

James Dean Hicks
"National Working Woman's Holiday"
"Goodbye Time"

Vicki McGehee
"When I Think About Cheatin'"
"All Jacked Up"

Wendell Mobley
"Fast Cars and
Freedom"
"How Forever Feels"

Hugh Prestwood
"Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart"
"Ghost in This House"

Robert Lee Castleman
"The Lucky One"
"Restless"

Jim Collins
"The Good Stuff"
"She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"

Tim Nichols
"Live Like You Were Dying"
"I'll Think of a Reason Later"

Frank Myers
"I'm Already There"
"My Front Porch Looking In"

Keith Stegall
"Dallas"
"I Hate Everything"

Among the friends gathered at BMI Nashville were BMI Vice President Paul Corbin, songwriter Frank Myers, Oakland Raiders special teams coach Joe Avezzano, IMMI Records President Lisa Starbuck, Bill Anderson, Con Hunley, Norro Wilson and Dean Dillon.

The 15-song collection -- Hunley's first studio project since the 1980s -- is produced by Norro Wilson, who also produced many of his 25 top 10 hits. Sweet Memories features new songs by Dean Dillon and Jim Collins, plus classics by Hank Cochran, Vince Gill, Dickey Lee, and Mickey Newbury (the title track).

Con Hunley and Charlie Douglas

Randy Layne and Con Hunley perform "Still"

Photos by Alan Mayor

Tellingly, though, it took him a mere three months to get a publishing deal.

He’d been writing songs and having them become his most requested material while playing the Texas dancehall circuit, but he thought it was because they were just “different.”

But when searching for songs for his debut album, he wasn’t satisfied. “All the songs I was being pitched had been passed on by…everybody important!” he says with a laugh. “So I started writing to see if I could beat what I was being pitched. When I took them to the label, maybe they thought it was too aggressive or wasn’t the direction they saw me going in, so I’d let the songs go, and I started having hits with other artists.”

The first was with John Michael Montgomery, “Love Working On You,” and another with Ty Herndon, “Hands Of a Working Man,” soon followed. The record deal dematerialized about this time, so Collins made an astute observation: “Maybe I was meant to do something else.”

Indeed he was. He’s had 50 cuts to date — six top 10s and two of those multi-week #1's (“Yes,” four weeks for Chad Brock, and “The Good Stuff,” with Kenny Chesney — a seven-week #1 and Billboard and ACM Song of the Year). He also penned another big hit for Chesney, “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” and the recent Trace Adkins top 10 “Then They Do.”

With all that success, four BMI Million-Air awards to date, and nine new cuts in the first two months of 2004 with artists as varied as Tim McGraw, Trick Pony and Keith Urban, we wondered if he had any advice for other writers. “Yeah,” he says slyly with that unmistakable jest in his voice. “Stop writing. Everybody else just chill out for a while,” he chuckles. “I’ll handle it from here.”

Craig Morgan, Kris Kristofferson, Doug Johnson, Paul Overstreet, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Jeffrey Steele, Jim Collins

Songwriters Jim Collins and Rory Lee performed favorites from Overstreet's catalog: "When You Say Nothing At All," "A Long Line Of Love," and two CMA Songs of the Year: "On the Other Hand" and "Forever and Ever, Amen." Randy Travis, via videotape, led the tribute to the five-time BMI Country Songwriter of the Year (1987-1991).

Doug Johnson, Paul Overstreet, BMI's Frances Preston, John Prine, Jeffrey Steele

After an introduction of Prine by longtime friend Kris Kristofferson, Cowboy Jack Clement, Roger Cook and Bonnie Raitt treated the audience a sampling from his unique collection of songs, including "Paradise," "I Just Want To Dance With You," "Angels From Montgomery" and "Hello In There."

Dennis Morgan, Paul Overstreet

In conjunction with the Hall of Fame inductions, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) conferred a series of Songwriter Achievement Awards, with both top songwriter prizes won by BMI affiliates. Jeffrey Steele was named NSAI Songwriter of the Year, placing three songs among the top 40 vote-getters: Montgomery Gentry's "My Town," Rascal Flatts' "These Days," and Faith Hill's "When The Lights Go Down." Toby Keith was proclaimed Songwriter/Artist of the Year on the strength of his songs "Beer For My Horses" and "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)," from his DreamWorks album Unleashed.

Manager Al Bunetta, John Prine, Dawn Bunetta

The writer members of NSAI's Professional Songwriters Division also honored 10 songs with 2003 Achievement Awards (dubbed "The Songs I Wish I'd Written"). "Three Wooden Crosses," by BMI writer Doug Johnson and co-writer Kim Williams, was named Song of the Year. Other BMI winners were Bill Anderson and Dean Dillon for "A Lot Of Things Different," Craig Morgan for "Almost Home," Donny Kees and Skip Ewing for "I Believe," Keith Urban for "Somebody Like You," Billy Kirsch for "Stay Gone," Lee Thomas Miller for "The Impossible," Jim Collins and Sunny Russ for "Then They Do" and Bruce Robison for "Travelin' Soldier."

Past NSAI President Chuck Cannon, Jeffrey Steele, NSAI President Bob Regan

Photos by Kay Williams]]> 2003-11-09T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233966 Artists, Bogard, Steve, Buffett, Jimmy, Collins, Jim, Smith, Anthony, Stegall, Keith, Musical Styles, Country BMI helped songwriter Don Rollins celebrate the success of his first #1 hit, " It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," with a rooftop party and hurricanes a-plenty at BMI Nashville. Other honored revelers included co-writer Jim Brown, publishers Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and R. Joseph Publishing, and producer Keith Stegall. The CMA Award-nominated song was recorded by Arista artist Alan Jackson with Jimmy Buffett and is featured on Jackson's album Greatest Hits Volume II.

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere: BMI's Bradley Collins, Warner-Tamerlane's Kos Weaver, Keith Stegall, Don Rollins, R. Joseph Publishing's Richard Orga, RCA's Joe Galante, Jim Brown

Don Rollins, Tim Wipperman

Tim DuBois, R. Joseph Publishing's Richard Orga, BMI's Perry Howard, Anthony Smith

Warner/Chappell's Cris Lacy, Don Rollins, Steve Bogard

Don Rollins, BMI's Bradley Collins, Jim Brown

Pictured are (l-r) BMI's Mark Mason, Bradley Collins and Patsy Bradley, Jim Collins, BMI's Mary Templeton and Perry Howard. photo by Brian Tipton

Collins previously wrote the Chesney hit "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and won BMI Country Awards for "She Said Yes!" (Chad Brock) and "Hands Of A Working Man" (Ty Herndon). Among the party attendees was RCA Label Group security officer Rusty Martin; his story, of his wife's death from cancer, inspired the song.