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.

Country music sensation and last year’s Top New Female Vocalist Carrie Underwood carried her streak of success into 2007, bagging five nominations, including Top Female Vocalist, Album and Single of the Year.

2006’s top selling country artists Rascal Flatts are up for Entertainer, Top Vocal Group, Album and Single of the Year. Big & Rich scored a total of four nominations in recognition of their diverse work as songwriters, artists and collaborators.

Old friends and country mainstays Tony Brown and Vince Gill each secured three nominations. Gill’s now platinum These Days earned an Album of the Year nod, while Brown’s production work on the last albums by George Strait and Brooks & Dunn turned Academy heads in his direction.

Singer/songwriter Miranda Lambert autonomously bridges the gap between newbees and veterans, snagging nominations in both Top New Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist of the Year categories. Jason Aldean earned two nods as well for his hit “Amarillo Sky.” Little Big Town, The Wreckers and Rodney Atkins also landed two nominations each.

The Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

BMI's 2007 ACM Nominees

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Tim McGraw
Rascal Flatts

TOP MALE VOCALIST
Toby Keith
Keith Urban

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood

TOP VOCAL GROUP
Diamond Rio
Little Big Town
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts

TOP VOCAL DUO
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
The Wreckers

TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
Rodney Atkins
Craig Morgan

TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift

TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
Heartland
Little Big Town
The Wreckers

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Hillbilly Deluxe
Brooks & Dunn (Arista Nashville)
Produced by Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks
#3 Produced by Mark Wright, Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn, Kix Brooks
#6 Original demo produced by Kix Brooks, Tom Shapiro

It Just Comes Natural
Produced by Tony Brown

Me and My Gang
Rascal Flatts (Lyric Street Records)
Produced by Rascal Flatts

Some Hearts
Carrie Underwood (19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records)

These Days
Vince Gill (MCA Nashville)
Produced by Vince Gill, John Hobbs, Justin Niebank

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
"Before He Cheats"
Carrie Underwood

"Give It Away"
Produced by Tony Brown

"I Loved Her First"
Heartland

"What Hurts the Most"
Rascal Flatts
Produced by Rascal Flatts

SONG OF THE YEAR [Award to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
"Amarillo Sky"
Jason Aldean
Writers: Big Kenny, Rodney Clawson
Publishers: Big Love Music, Carol Vincent and Associates, Grinnin' Girl Music
"Before He Cheats"
Carrie Underwood

"Give It Away"
Writers: Bill Anderson, Jamey Johnson
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Mr. Bubba Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing, EMI Blackwood Music Inc.

"If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)"
Rodney Atkins

"Would You Go With Me"
Writers: Shawn Camp, John Scott Sherrill
Publishers: Sony/ATV Songs LLC/All Mighty Dog Music/Travelin' Arkansawyer Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Sony/ATV Songs LLC/All Mighty Dog Music/City Wolf Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
"8th of November"
Big & Rich

"Amarillo Sky"
Jason Aldean

"Before He Cheats"
Carrie Underwood

"Hillbilly Deluxe"
Brooks & Dunn

"Seashores of Old Mexico"
Director: Trey Fanjoy

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
"Building Bridges"
Brooks & Dunn with Vince Gill & Sheryl Crow
Produced by Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks
Arista Nashville

"I Don't Want To"
Ashley Monroe & Ronnie Dunn
Produced by Mark Wright
Columbia Nashville

"Me and God"
Featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley and Marty Roe, Dana Williams and Gene Johnson of Diamond Rio
MCA Nashville

"Politically Uncorrect"
Featuring Merle Haggard
Produced by Mark Wright
Columbia Nashville

"That's How They Do It In Dixie"
Hank Williams Jr. with Big & Rich
Produced by Doug Johnson for Curb Productions
Curb Records

I'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES (THE HOT TUB SONG)
Jon McElroy
Vince Melamed
Senor Vicente Music
Songs of Mighty Isis
Vista Larga Music
Phil Vassar
Arista Nashville

LIKE WE NEVER LOVED AT ALL
Vicky McGehee
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Faith Hill
Warner Bros.

LONG, SLOW KISSES
Jeff Bates
Gordon Bradberry
New Works Music Co.
Smith Haven Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Jeff Bates
RCA

LOT OF LEAVIN' LEFT TO DO
Brett Beavers
Run The Trotline Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Dierks Bentley
Capitol Records

ME AND CHARLIE TALKING
Miranda Lambert
Heather Little
Nashville Star Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Tiltawhirl Music
Miranda Lambert
Epic Records

MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED
Joe Diffie
Tony Martin
Tom Shapiro
Difftunes
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Mike Curb Music
Music of Stage Three
Sony/ATV Tree
Jo Dee Messina
Curb Records
MY OLD FRIEND
Steve McEwan (PRS)
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

MY SISTER
Amy Dalley
Music of Stage Three
Reba McEntire
MCA Nashville

NOBODY BUT ME
Shawn Camp
Phillip White
Big Yellow Dog Music
Murrah Music Corporation
Sony/ATV Tree
Travelin' Arkansawyer Music
Blake Shelton
Warner Bros.

PLAY SOMETHING COUNTRY
Ronnie Dunn
Terry McBride
Showbilly Music
Sony/ATV Tree
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Turn Me On Music
Brooks & Dunn
Arista Nashville

PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE THIS WAY
Tammi Kidd
Irving Music
LeAnn Rimes
Asylum-Curb

SHE DON'T TELL ME TO
Bob DiPiero
Tom Shapiro
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Love Monkey Music
Piano Wire Music LLC
Sony/ATV Tree
Montgomery Gentry
Columbia Records

SHE LET HERSELF GO
Dean Dillon
Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
Unwound Music
George Strait
MCA Nashville

SKIN (SARABETH)
Doug Johnson
Mike Curb Music
Sweet Radical Music
Rascal Flatts
Lyric Street

SOMEBODY'S HERO
Ed Hill
Shaye Smith
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sagrabeaux Songs
Shaye Smith Music
Jamie O'Neal
Capitol Records

SOMETHING MORE
Kristian Bush
Dirkpit Music
Sugarland
Mercury Nashville

SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF
Jeffrey Steele
Gottahaveable Music
Songs of Windswept Pacific
Montgomery Gentry
Columbia Records

SONGS ABOUT ME
Ed Hill
Shaye Smith
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sagrabeaux Songs
Shaye Smith Music
Trace Adkins
Capitol Records

STAY WITH ME (BRASS BED)
Jedd Hughes
Terry McBride
Still Working For The Man Music, Inc.
Terry McBride Music
Wilmington Road Publishing
Josh Gracin
Lyric Street

THE TALKIN' SONG REPAIR BLUES
Dennis Linde
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Rising Gorge Music
Alan Jackson
Arista Nashville

TEQUILA MAKES HER CLOTHES FALL OFF
Gary Hannan
John Wiggins
Chobe Music
Fiddle Stock Music
Heavy Leather Music, Inc.
Notewrite Music
Joe Nichols
Universal South

TONIGHT I WANNA CRY
Keith Urban
Coburn Music, Inc.
Guitar Monkey Music
Keith Urban
Capitol Records

WHEN I GET WHERE I'M GOING
George Teren
House of Full Circle Music
Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton
Arista Nashville

WHO YOU'D BE TODAY
Bill Luther
Aimee Mayo
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Evansville Music
Little Blue Typewriter Music
Kenny Chesney
BNA

YOU'LL BE THERE
Cory Mayo
Coburn Music, Inc.
George Strait
MCA Nashville
YOUR MAN
Jace Everett
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Josh Turner
MCA Nashville

New Hall of Famers and BMI songwriters Hugh Prestwood and Jimmy Buffett (center) celebrate their induction with Nashville Songwriters Foundation Chairman and Hall of Fame songwriter Roger Murrah, and BMI's Jody Williams, Del Bryant and Phil Graham.

Buffett's ascension from Nashville hopeful to beloved cultural phenomenon is well-known. Staples like "Margaritaville," "Son of a Son of a Sailor" and "Come Monday" skim the surface of not simply an extensive song catalog, but a way of life. This marks Jimmy Buffett's first induction into a hall of fame of any kind, but most certainly not the last.

Posing for a BMI family portrait are (l-r): songwriter and publisher Roger Murrah, Big & Rich's Big Kenny, hit songwriter and NSAI Board of Directors President Steve Bogard, BMI's Del Bryant, BMI hit songwriter Gary Hannan, NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison, Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Buffett, BMI's Phil Graham, hit songwriters Tammi Kidd and George Teren, Hall of Fame inductee Hugh Prestwood, singer Michael Johnson, BMI's Jody Williams, and American Idol finalist George Huff.

Elder statesman Hugh Prestwood's contributions include nuggets like Randy Travis' "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart," Trisha Yearwood's "The Song Remembers When" and Shenandoah's "Ghost In This House." Prestwood's soliloquies mine the depths of human experience to heartbreaking perfection.

The NSAI also named BMI's Jeffrey Steele 2006's Songwriter of the Year. The unstoppable Steele, also dubbed Music Row's 2006 Songwriter of the Year, composes hits at a mind-numbing pace; Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most" and Steve Holy's "Brand New Girlfriend" are his most recent chart-toppers.

Country superstar Toby Keith was named 2006 Songwriter/Artist of the Year, adding another songwriting honor to his impressive collection. "As Good As I Once Was," "Honky Tonk U" and "A Little Too Late" number among the latest hits written or co-written by Keith.

Songwriters also voted on their peers' Top Ten contributions to country music in the "10 Songs I Wish I'd Written" category. BMI winners were well-represented, thanks to "Believe," co-written by Ronnie Dunn, "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way," co-written by Tammi Kidd, Joe South's classic "Rose Garden," "Skin (Sarabeth)" co-written by Doug Johnson, John Wiggins' and Gary Hannan's "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off," "What Hurts the Most" co-written by Jeffrey Steele, and "When I Get Where I'm Going," co-written by George Teren.

The NSAI's 2006 President's Award was posthumously bestowed on SunTrust's Brian Williams, Music Row friend and new breed of banker, for his unrelenting dedication to and fostering of Nashville's songwriting community.

Photos: Krista Lee for Krista Lee Photography]]> 2006-10-26T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334729 Artists, Alabama, Aldean, Jason, Allan, Gary, Big & Rich, Brignardello, Mike, Brooks & Dunn, Bush, Kristian, Corenflos, J.T., Darken, Eric, Duncan, Glen, Dunn, Ronnie, Evans, Sara, Franklin, Larry, Franklin, Paul, Gallimore, Byron, Garrish, Sonny, Gentry, Montgomery, Greenberg, Kenny, Hajacos, Rob, Haynie, Aubrey, Hill, Faith, Hoke, Jim, Horn, Jim, Hughey, John, Hungate, David, Ickes, Rob, Johnson, Doug, Johnson, Mike, Keith, Toby, Lambert, Miranda, Little Big Town, Lonestar, McBride, Martina, McGraw, Tim, Morgan, Craig, Mote, Gordon, Niebank, Justin, Parton, Dolly, Paxton, Larry, Rascal Flatts, Roberts, Julie, Sugarland, Teren, George, Underwood, Carrie, Urban, Keith, Wright, Mark, Wynans, Reese, Yudkin, Jonathan, Musical Styles, Country Academy of Country Music Award nominations, announced March 8. The pair is up for Entertainer, Top Vocal Duo, Single Record, Song and Video of the Year for "Believe."

Brooks & Dunn	Sugarland	Little Big Town

In addition to the veteran duo, new faces dominated many of the categories this year, from Sugarland's Top New Vocal Duo or Group, Album, Single Record and Song of the Year nominations, to Rascal Flatt's first-ever Entertainer of the Year nod, adding to the trio's total of four ACM nominations (including Top Vocal Group, Album and Song).

Miranda Lambert	Julie Roberts	Carrie Underwood

Newcomers Miranda Lambert, Julie Roberts and Carrie Underwood are all contenders for Top New Female Vocalist, while Underwood gained an impressive Top Female Vocalist nomination as well. Comeback kids Little Big Town continue to plunge through their life-changing year with nominations for Top Vocal Group and Top New Duo or Vocal Group.

Rascal Flatts	Gary Allan	Mark Wright

BMI writers vying for the Song of the Year trophy include Sugarland's Kristian Bush for "Baby Girl," Ronnie Dunn for "Believe," Doug Johnson for the Rascal Flatts' hit "Skin (Sarabeth)" and George Teren for "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Dolly Parton.

Keith Urban	Toby Keith	Tim McGraw

Songwriter/producer/artist Gary Allan received praise for his moving release, Tough All Over, nominated for Album of the Year; he also scored a Single Record of the Year nomination for "Best I Ever Had." Mark Wright, the album's co-producer, hopes to share the spotlight with Allan.

Faith Hill	Big and Rich	Byron Gallimore

Fan favorites Keith Urban and Toby Keith earned two nods each and will face off in the Entertainer of the Year category, while Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's collaboration "Like We Never Loved at All" landed the couple a Vocal Event of the Year nomination.

Other BMI nominees included Big and Rich, who garnered three mentions, and producer Byron Gallimore, who secured yet another nomination for Producer of the Year.

The 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 23 at 8:00pm ET/PT on CBS.

BMI's 41st Annual ACM Nominees:

Entertainer of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Toby Keith
Rascal Flatts
Keith Urban

Top Male Vocalist
Keith Urban

Top Female Vocalist
Sara Evans
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood

Top Vocal Group
Alabama
Little Big Town
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland

Top Vocal Duo
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
The Warren Brothers

Top New Male Vocalist
Jason Aldean
Craig Morgan

Top New Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Julie Roberts
Carrie Underwood

Top New Duo or Vocal Group
Big & Rich
Little Big Town
Sugarland

Album of the Year
Feels Like Today
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts, producer

There's More Where That Came From
Byron Gallimore, producer

Tough All Over
Gary Allan
Mark Wright and Gary Allan, producers

Twice the Speed of Life
Sugarland

Single Record of the Year
"Baby Girl"
Sugarland

"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn
Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks, producers

"Best I Ever Had"
Gary Allan
Mark Wright and Gary Allan, producers

"Jesus Take the Wheel"
Carrie Underwood

Song of the Year
"Baby Girl"
Sugarland
Kristian Bush, writer
Dirkpit Music

"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn
Ronnie Dunn, writer
Sony/ATV Tree Publishing Co. and Showbilly Music

"Jesus Take the Wheel"
Carrie Underwood

"Skin (Sarabeth)"
Rascal Flatts
Doug Johnson, writer
Mike Curb Music/Sweet Radical Music

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
Dolly Parton
George Teren, writer
House of Full Circle Music Publishing

Video of the Year
"As Good As I Once Was"
Toby Keith

"Believe"
Brooks & Dunn

"I May Hate Myself in the Morning"
Trey Fanjoy, director

"Kersosene"
Miranda Lambert
Trey Fanjoy, director

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
Dolly Parton

Vocal Event of the Year
"I Play Chicken with the Train"
Big & Rich
Big Kenny, producer

"Like We Never Loved at All"
Faith Hill with Tim McGraw
Faith Hill, producer

"When I Get Where I'm Going"
Dolly Parton

Producer of the Year
Byron Gallimore

Audio Engineer of the Year
Justin Niebank

Musicians of the Year
Bass
Mike Brignardello
David Hungate
Larry Paxton

Fiddle
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Rob Hajacos
Aubrey Haynie
Jonathan Yudkin

Guitar
J.T. Corenflos
Kenny Greenberg

Piano/Keyboards
Gordon Mote
Reese Wynans

Specialty Instrument
Eric Darken
Jim Hoke
Jim Horn
Rob Ickes

Steel Guitar
Paul Franklin
Sonny Garrish
John Hughey
Mike Johnson

CITR MC Tom Gross; BMI VP Writer/Publisher Relations Paul Corbin; Dr. Hal Moses, Director Emeritus of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; Frances Preston, President, T.J. Martell Foundation; Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; Peter Quinn, CEO/National Executive Director for T.J. Martell

Musical highlights of the week included concerts by Steve Cropper, Clint Black, Little Big Town, John Corbett, Blue County, Hanna-McEuen, and many of Nashville's hottest songwriters including Matraca Berg, Jeff Hanna, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall, Tim Rushlow, Chuck Cannon, Doug Johnson, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Chas Sanford.

Front row: Gary Chapman, Jennifer Chapman, Equity Music Group President Mike Kraski, Equity Chief Creative Officer Tim Wipperman, Kimberly Roads (LBT), Clint Black, Frances Preston, Karen Fairchild (LBT), Jimi Westbrook (LBT); Back Row: BMI's Paul Corbin, and Phillip Sweet (LBT)

"Country in the Rockies is a magical event filled with music, fun, friendships and most importantly, the mission of raising vital funds to support cutting-edge research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS through the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center," stated Laura Heatherly, Executive Director of the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Clint Black

The inaugural "Music for Life Concert & Auction" held at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts raised $65,000. The event was spearheaded by a committee of local citizens and presented by Redden Group Realty of Crested Butte. Performers included Blue County, Suzy Boggus, Dean Dillon, Aaron Barker, Hanna-McEuen and Gary Morris.

Clint Black and Little Big Town

Since 1993, the Martell Foundation has enabled physicians and scientists of the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at VICC to conduct cutting-edge research and quickly transition promising new findings from laboratory benches to patient bedsides. To date, the Nashville division has raised $14 million in support of the VICC's pilot projects. In turn, these contributions have been leveraged to obtain additional funding - totaling more than $100 million - from public and private sources to further advance ongoing efforts to alleviate suffering from cancer.

Jaime Hanna and Jonathan McEuen "busk" on the top of Mt. Crested Butte

The Frances Williams Preston Labs of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center are named in honor of former BMI President and CEO Frances Preston. Preston is the founder of Country in the Rockies and also serves as President of the Martell board and as a VICC board member.

(Front) Big & Rich's John Rich and Big Kenny, (back) Chevrolet's Phil Caruso, T. J. Martell Foundation Board member Greg Oswald, Gretchen Wilson, CITR founder Frances Preston and Nashville Martell Foundation Executive Director Roxanne Johnson

Former BMI President & CEO Frances Preston, who serves as president of the Foundation's board and as a Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center board member, hosted the event she founded 11 years ago. Proceeds support innovative research at the VICC's Frances Williams Preston Laboratories.

Preston Labs Director Dr. Hal Moses, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Director Dr. Ray DuBois, Kevin and Linda Martin, Frances Preston, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Board chair Orrin Ingram

Musical highlights included concerts in the Club Med Theater by Charlie Daniels, Kenny Loggins, Kathy Mattea, 2004 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year Casey Beathard, Jamie O'Neal, and MuzikMafia members Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, James Otto, Jon Nicholson, Cowboy Troy and Rachel Kice. Other writers and artists who performed were Deborah Allen, Aaron Barker, Suzy Bogguss, Chuck Cannon, Gary Chapman, Doug Crider, Dean Dillon, Bob DiPiero, Scotty Emerick, Doug Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, Crosby Loggins, Gary Morris, Frank Myers, Paul Overstreet, Leslie Satcher, Jeffrey Steele, Jon Vezner and Lari White.

CITR participants saw first-hand the impact that cancer has on families ñ and the importance of the research that their generosity supports ñ as they got to know Don and Margaret Darnell and Kevin and Linda Martin, guests of the event. The Darnells' daughter Katie, who died of brain cancer in 2003, gained fame for her song "Rescue Me," recorded by John Rich of Big & Rich and Wynonna Judd. Kevin Martin has advanced colon cancer as the result of an inherited condition called FAP; one of the Martins' five children is known to have inherited the condition.

The week was punctuated by emotional highlights surrounding the Darnell and Martin families. Chevrolet presented Katie Darnell's parents with a new Silverado. The Darnells also joined Big & Rich on stage as part of Performances by Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson Presented by Chevrolet. (To learn more about Katie's story, see the VUMC Reporter's Feb. 9, 2001; April 13, 2001; and June 20, 2003 online issues).

As for the Martins, they embraced all that Country in the Rockies has to offer -- skiing, riding snowmobiles, horseback riding, cocktail social hours, concerts and late-night guitar pulls -- with the same tenacity and enthusiasm with which they are attacking Kevin's cancer. (Click here to read the Martins' first-hand account of their trip).

Since 1993, the Martell Foundation has enabled physicians and scientists of the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to conduct cutting-edge research and quickly transition promising new findings from laboratory benches to patient bedsides. To date, the Nashville Division has raised $13 million in support of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's pilot projects. In turn, these contributions have been leveraged to obtain additional funding ñ totaling more than $100 million ñ from public and private sources to further advance ongoing efforts to alleviate suffering from cancer.

Big & Rich	Gretchen Wilson

Known as "The Ultimate Backstage Pass," Country in the Rockies offers guests opportunities to ski and socialize not only with these MuzikMafia standouts, but also with Charlie Daniels, Kenny Loggins and Jamie O'Neal, who will appear in concert at the Club Med Theater. Many of the industry's top artists and songwriters, including Jeffery Steele, Paul Overstreet, Aaron Barker, Chuck Cannon, Robert Earl Keen, Doug Johnson, Casey Beathard, Scotty Emerick, Leslie Satcher, Doug Crider, Harley Allen, Bob DiPiero, Gary Chapman, Deborah Allen, Suzy Bogguss, Lari White, Kathy Mattea and Jon Vezner, are also slated to perform.

Charlie Daniels	Jamie O'Neal	Kenny Loggins

The event has alpine skiing/snowboarding and music at its core, but offers something for everyone. Outdoor activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and horseback riding. Indoors, participants enjoy all-star concerts, late-night fireside "guitar pulls," a celebrity-hosted happy hour in downtown Crested Butte and auctions that feature travel, artwork, jewelry and celebrity memorabilia.

The all-inclusive package provides guests with five days/nights at Club Med Crested Butte, lift tickets, meals and hospitality, as well as transportation on charter flights between Nashville and Gunnison, Colo. Guests also receive a gift bag with Fischer skis or a Nidecker snowboard, ski clothing, CD's and other items. Country in the Rockies is the signature fundraiser of the T.J. Martell Foundation's Nashville Division. Since 1993, the Martell Foundation has enabled physicians and scientists of the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to conduct cutting-edge research and quickly transition promising new findings from laboratory benches to patient bedsides. To date, the Nashville Division has raised $13 million in support of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's pilot projects. In turn, these contributions have been leveraged to obtain additional funding - totaling more than $100 million - from public and private sources to further advance ongoing efforts to alleviate suffering from cancer.

The Frances Williams Preston Labs of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center are named for event founder Preston, former President & CEO of performing rights organization BMI. She also serves as president of the board for the Martell Foundation and as a Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center board member. Country in the Rockies XI is sponsored by BMI, Chevrolet and Club Med.

BMI's Joyce Rice, Tim Nichols, Tim McGraw, Darran Smith, Curb Records' Carson James

"Live Like You Were Dying" earned two Grammy nominations for Nichols and co-writer Craig Wiseman in the Song of the Year and Best Country Song categories; McGraw received a nod for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. The song has already been named Song of the Year at 2004 ceremonies presented by the Country Music Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and Nichols and Wiseman became New York Times best-selling authors with the success of their companion gift book, published by Rutledge Hill Press.

Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.'s Dale Bobo and Cris Lacy, Tim Nichols, Tim McGraw

Also recognized during the #1 celebration were publisher Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and co-producers (with McGraw) Byron Gallimore and Darran Smith.

Patsy Nichols, BMI's Patsy Bradley and Patsy Wells

Among Nichols' other hits are the #1s "Girls Lie Too," "I'm Over You," "Brotherly Love," "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" and "I'll Think Of a Reason Later," as well as "I Wanna Do It All," "That'd Be Alright," "Heads Carolina, Tails California," and "That's the Kind of Mood I'm In."

BMI's Paul Corbin, Doug Johnson, Nichols, BMI's Joyce Rice, Tim McGraw, Bobby Braddock, Kathy Locke

The Nichols Family - Landon, Patsy, Tyler and Tim - with Tim McGraw

Photos by Steve Lowry