The 13th Annual Hog's Breath Key West Songwriters Festival looms enticingly on the horizon. Presented by Cherry Heart Music and proudly supported by charter sponsor BMI, the event is slated for April 30 through May 4 in Key West, Florida. The festival revolves around five days and nights of more than 20 free shows, staged at an array of the island's most popular drinking holes and hot spots. Informal adaptations of Nashville's signature in-the-round acoustic showcases dominate much of the schedule, while this year, a street concert Saturday, May 3 featuring the Jeffrey Steele Band and Robert Earl Keen adds a Mardis Gras fillip to the mix.

BMI songwriters dominate the diverse lineups. Americana trendsetters including Robert Earl Keen, Raul Malo, Kim Richey and John Oates will perform alongside Nashville's most engaging and prolific hitmakers, including Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most"), John Scott Sherrill (Steve Wariner's "Some Fools Never Learn"), Wendell Mobley (Rascal Flatts' "Fast Cars & Freedom"), Jamey Johnson (George Strait's "Give It Away"), Scotty Emerick (Toby Keith's "As Good As I Once Was"), David Lee (Tim McGraw's "I Need You," featuring Faith Hill), Keith Follese (Tim McGraw's "Something Like That"), Jim Beavers (Gary Allan's "Watching Airplanes"), Heather Little (Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead"), Steve Bogard (Dierks Bentley's "Every Mile A Memory"), Bobby Pinson (Sugarland's "Want To"), Doug Johnson (Randy Travis's "Three Wooden Crosses"), Chas Sandford (John Waite's "Missing You"), Chuck Cannon (Toby Keith's "How Do You Like Me Now"), Max T. Barnes (Diamond Rio's "That's How Your Love Makes Me Feel"), Chuck Jones (Chris LeDoux's "Cadillac Ranch"), Rodney Clawson (Jason Aldean's "Why"), Gary Hannan (Joe Nichols's "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off"), Billy Yates (George Jones's "Choices"), Jerrod Niemann (Garth Brooks' "Good Ride Cowboy") and Dallas Davidson (Trace Adkins's "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk"), with Curb recording artist Lee Brice (Garth Brooks' "More Than A Memory"), singer/songwriters Heather Morgan, Stephanie Chapman and Lauren Lucas and Orange County rock outfit Lit's Jeremy Popoff.

For a complete list of sponsoring hotels, local businesses, schedules and participating songwriters, please visit www.keywestsongwritersfestival.com or call 305.296.4222.

In addition to sponsoring the event, BMI will present a stage both days featuring honky-tonk singer/songwriters pulled from Texas' rich musical landscape and a crew of Nashville up-and-comers.

Saturday, October 13

Monte Warden, 11:15am - 11:45am www.myspace.com/montewarden Austin singer/songwriter Monte Warden drummed up early accolades with bands Whoa Trigger! and the Wagoneers, later finding success penning hits for a slew of artists including Patty Loveless, George Strait, George Jones, Travis Tritt, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis.

Ginn Sisters, 12pm - 12:30pm www.myspace.com/theginnsisters Sisters Tiffani and Brit Ginn put an Americana spin on familial harmonies and flute-playing, successfully creating a novel niche for their sound; longtime Austin residents, the Austin Chronicle dubbed the Ginn Sisters "cool countrified tonic for the summertime blues."

Rodney Hayden, 1pm - 1:45pm www.myspace.com/rodneyhayden Rodney Hayden attacks vintage country cool with innate contemporary awareness; a lonesome voice and unshakeable fondness for crying steel guitars prompted Billboard to explain, "For anyone who may be vague on the subject, this is country music."

The Barbwires, 2pm - 3:15pm Chef Dean Fearing and his crew of culinary artists moonlight as rock band The Barbwires; fondly referred to as the "Father of Southwest Cuisine," Chef Fearing is a bona fide barbeque expert with an encyclopedic knowledge of southwestern cuisine - a fitting judge for the Big State Festival's barbeque competition.

The Gougers, 3:30pm - 4:30pm www.myspace.com/thegougers The Gougers bounce between dreamy reflections and wry observations; with their new offering, A Long Day for the Weathervane, the quartet dropped "Sidehill" from their name, went electric and added a rhythm section, breathing new life into the Gougers' already refreshing sound.

Drew Kennedy, 5pm - 6pm www.myspace.com/drewkennedy Drew Kennedy's songs snag his audience without any pain - this unaffected singer-songwriter is too smart to be pompous: Catchy hooks do the snagging, and Kennedy's dry baritone does the heavy lifting.

Sunday, October 14

Colin Gilmore, 11:15am - 11:45am www.myspace.com/colingilmore Promising pop twanger Colin Gilmore's 2007 release Black Wine showcases more of the young singer/songwriter's jaunty melodies and colloquial observations; the son of Flatlander Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Colin's roots are solid, his future: rosy.

Mark McKinney, 12pm - 12:30pm www.myspace.com/markmckinney Texas native Mark McKinney's music aims to whisk his audience far away from daily headaches. Screaming guitars and McKinney's energetic vocals call for rowdy exploits, good friends and hometown pride.

Blue Mother Tupelo, 1pm - 1:45pm www.myspace.com/bluemothertupelo Blue Mother Tupelo's music emits southern swamp, gospel, hills and passion, punctuated with fervent tambourine and soaring vocals; the steady recipients of giddy critical praise, the pair prompted Paste to proclaim, "Blue Mother Tupelo is quite possibly the best husband and wife duo you've never heard of."

Jerrod Niemann, 2pm - 3:15pm www.myspace.com/jerrodniemann The past year has been good to Nashville singer/songwriter Jerrod Niemann: The Category Five recording artist is currently watching his debut single, "I Love Women (My Momma Can't Stand)," climb the charts, after co-writing the Garth Brooks No. 1 single and Chris LeDoux tribute, "Good Ride Cowboy."

Sunny Sweeney, 3:30pm - 4:30pm www.myspace.com/sunnysweeney Sunny Sweeney's disarmingly authentic honky-tonk charmed Nashville executives and diehard Texans, winning dual respect and valuable exposure in worlds often at odds with one another; the Austin360.com Best Country Artist crown is only the latest in a long trail of accolades for Texas-based Sweeney.

Granger Smith, 5pm - 6pm www.myspace.com/grangersmith Aggie Granger Smith cut his teeth on the Texas opry circuit while still in his teens, and jumped to writing his own songs and regional radio airplay while still in college; Nashville beckoned, and Smith made the move, only to realize what he really wanted was the Texas dancehalls he'd left behind. He's back home now, earning loyal fans one gig at a time.

Alison Krauss	Tim McGraw	Keith Urban

Krauss earned kudos for Vocal Event and Video for her contribution to "Whiskey Lullaby." McGraw's recording of "Live Like You Were Dying" scored Single and Song of the Year nods; writer Tim Nichols, producers Byron Gallimore and Darran Smith and Warner-Tamerlane Music Publishing claimed statuettes for the song as well. Top Male Vocalist victor Urban also won Album honors for Be Here.

Byron Gallimore	Darran Smith	Chris LeDoux

Brooks & Dunn won a fifth consecutive award for Top Vocal Duo and Rascal Flatts received their third consecutive Top Vocal Group trophy. Chris LeDoux was posthumously bestowed the Academy of Country Music Pioneer Award, and Miranda Lambert was named Cover Girl Fresh Face of Country Music.

Brooks & Dunn	Miranda Lambert

BMI's 2005 Academy of Country Music Award winners:

Top Male Vocalist
Keith Urban

Top Vocal Group
Rascal Flatts

Top Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn

Single Record of the Year
"Live Like You Were Dying"
Tim McGraw - artist
Tim McGraw, Byron Gallimore, Darran Smith - producers

Rascal Flatts	James Stroud

Song of the Year
"Live Like You Were Dying"
Tim Nichols - writer
Warner-Tamerlane Music Publishing - publisher
Tim McGraw - artist

Album of the Year
Be Here
Keith Urban

Vocal Event of the Year
"Whiskey Lullaby"
Alison Krauss

Video of the Year
"Whiskey Lullaby"
Alison Krauss

Stuart Duncan	Brent Mason	Randy Scruggs

Producer of the Year
James Stroud

Fiddle Player of the Year
Stuart Duncan

Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore

Guitar Player of the Year
Brent Mason

Specialty Instrument Player of the Year
Randy Scruggs

Celebrating at BMI Nashville are MCA Nashville's Pat Payne; Connie Woolsey of the Erv Woolsey Company, representing Strait; Big Yellow Dog Music's Carla Wallace; songwriters Jay Knowles and Odie Blackmon; Sony/ATV Tree's Woody Bomar; and BMI's Bradley Collins.

According to MCA Records, with this achievement by "She'll Leave You With A Smile," Strait sets a new record for #1 songs by a single artist in any genre, breaking Conway Twitty's long-standing tally of 49.

Jay Knowles and father John Knowles

Sony/ATV Tree's Arthur Buenahora, Trent Summar, Summar's manager John Leal, Sony/ATV Tree's Scott Johnson, BMI's Perry Howard

Jay Knowles and family celebrate his first #1

Big Yellow Dog's Kerry O'Neil, Sony/ATV's Woody Bomar, producer Tony Brown, BMI's Harry Warner

photos by Beth Gwinn ]]> 2003-02-09T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233535 Artists, Alabama, Allen, Deborah, Anderson, Al, Daniels, Charlie, Evans, Sara, James, Etta, Ketchum, Hal, LeDoux, Chris, Lonestar, Mavericks, The, McGraw, Tim, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The, Seidel, Martie, Steele, Jeffrey, Tippin, Aaron, Tucker, Tanya, Twain, Shania, Vincent, Rhonda, White, Jason, Williams Jr., Hank, Williams, Hank, Musical Styles, Country, Rock, Musicworld, Feature
Al Anderson — who, along with Shania Twain, Skip Ewing and Dixie Chick Martie Seidel, was named a BMI Country Songwriter of the Year this past fall — has in recent years emerged as one of Nashville's most dependable tunesmiths, churning out an impressive string of irresistibly catchy, organically gritty hits for the likes of The Mavericks ("All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down"), Trisha Yearwood ("Powerful Thing"), LeAnn Rimes ("Big Deal"), Diamond Rio ("Unbelievable"), Carlene Carter ("Every Little Thing") and Hal Ketchum ("Fall In Love Again").

Indeed, Anderson's compositions have been recorded by an impressively broad array of acts, including Tim McGraw, Alabama, Wynonna, Deana Carter, Lonestar, Shenandoah, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aaron Tippin, Neal McCoy, Asleep at the Wheel, Etta James, K.T. Oslin, Sara Evans, Charlie Daniels, Tanya Tucker, Chris LeDoux, Deborah Allen, Ty England, Sammy Kershaw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Confederate Railroad, T. Graham Brown, Joe Diffie, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neal McCoy, Rhonda Vincent, Stacy Dean Campbell, Lari White, Jason Sellers, Robbie Fulks and Olivia Newton-John.

Though he's risen to the level of Nashville royalty in recent years, Anderson was well known to rock fans long before he stormed the country charts. He first made his mark as singer, guitarist and main writer of the Connecticut foursome the Wildweeds, who scored a substantial regional hit in 1967 with his composition "No Good to Cry," and subsequently in a 24-year stint with the beloved cult band NRBQ. Over the course of a dozen or so NRBQ albums, Anderson contributed numerous memorable tunes, and was celebrated equally for his stellar instrumental work; in 1993, Musician magazine named him one of the Top 100 guitar players of the century.
At the end of 1993, Big Al shocked NRBQ's fans by exiting the hard-touring band to concentrate on working behind the scenes as a songwriter. Anderson says the decision to quit had more to do with embracing sobriety than any dissatisfaction with the legendarily eclectic band.

"I'll tell ya, those are very fuzzy years," Anderson laughs. "Playing with NRBQ was a great school, and I can't tell you how much I learned from those guys. It wasn't until I got clean that I realized that 24 years of the Quality Inn and Red Roof and smoky clubs and the same broken chairs in the dressing room was getting old for me. I was in the most free band in rock & roll, but I started to feel limited."

Anderson had actually begun going to Nashville to co-write in the mid-'80s, and Hank Williams Jr. recorded his "You're Gonna Be A Sorry Man" in 1988, but it wasn't until after leaving NRBQ that he began pursuing the life of a professional songwriter in earnest. His transition from road warrior to pro tunesmith began when he and Carlene Carter co-wrote "Every Little Thing," which became the biggest hit of Carter's career. Anderson followed that success with another Carter collaboration, "Something Already Gone," for the Maverick film soundtrack, and hasn't looked back since.

Anderson has also found himself in demand as a session player for the inventive guitar chops he honed during his years on the road, and his distinctively gruff vocals have been tapped for numerous commercial jingles. But it's his writing talents that are his main focus these days.
"I've learned a lot, but I still have no idea what I'm doing," he says. “I'm still a rock & roll guy, and I believe in recognizing the value of dumbness. My motto is 'Make dumb good.' 'All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down' is, like, the dumbest song ever written — the chorus is exactly the same melody as the verses — but it's the greatest record goin'."

Anderson, whose discography includes three solo releases, says that he's hoping to release a new album of his own at some point in the near future, though not under his own name. He's more interesting in making an album with his Nashville-based combo Whitey, which also includes the aforementioned Jeffrey Steele, guitarist Scott Baggett, bassist Glenn Worf, keyboardist Reese Wynans and drummer Chad Cromwell. Though the band has played some local dates and Anderson admits that he misses performing, he's quick to add that he's in no hurry to return to the road.

"I'm not getting on the bus again," he says. "Considering that I'll be 54 in July, (songwriting) is a much nicer way to be making a living in music. I like feeling good every day."