In addition to the traditional no. 1 accolades and awards, Miller received a surprise presentation prepared by his wife, Jana: A video montage featuring various photos of the Millers' four children played, as "You're Gonna Miss This" served as the fitting soundtrack.

The Miller family enjoys the unique video montage of photos.

Co-writers Ashley Gorley (left) and Lee Thomas Miller (right) field questions from CMT.

Pictured are (l to r): Ashley Gorley, Trace Adkins and Lee Thomas Miller.

Pictured are (l to r): BMI's Bradley Collins, Sea Gayle Music's Chris DuBois, EMI's Gary Overton, producer Frank Rogers, Lee Thomas Miller, Trace Adkins and BMI's Jody Williams.

Photos by John Russell

Luckily, it didn’t come to that. Miller instead became a top-rank songwriter whose hits include chart-toppers for stars like Terri Clark (“I Just Wanna Be Mad”) and Trace Adkins (“You’re Gonna Miss This”).

But when the classically trained multi-instrumentalist headed south from his native Nicholasville, Kentucky, he didn’t think of himself as a songwriter. He discovered his true calling with the encouragement of associates like BMI’s Thomas Cain. “He said, ‘You’re not reinventing the wheel as a musician or singer, but you might be able to write songs’,” Miller remembers.

Ken Mellons recorded two of his songs, and soon Miller was getting cuts regularly. BlackHawk took his “Days of America” to the Top 40 in 2002, and a few months later Joe Nichols’s rendition of “The Impossible” went all the way to the top. “That changed everything,” Miller recalls. “It was suddenly easier to get people to listen — and honestly, I think it gave me more confidence.”

That breakthrough began a hot streak that continues today. Miller has branched out into production work with artists including Steve Holy and Amy Dalley, but songwriting remains his top priority.

“I’m living a fantasy,” he declares. “I’m a father of four with a wife I’ve been married to for 16 years, and I make stuff up for a living. I’m the happiest person in the world.”

Pictured are Curb's Drew Alexander, Lee Thomas Miller, Amy Dalley and BMI's Mark Mason.

photo by Brian Tipton]]> 2005-01-25T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234144 Artists, Clark, Terri, Dalley, Amy, Miller, Lee Thomas, Musical Styles, Country Lee Thomas Miller recently added two more songwriting honors to his catalog during a lunch hosted by BMI Nashville. He and publisher Mosaic Music saw their #1 hits "The Impossible" (Joe Nichols) and "I Just Wanna Be Mad" (Terri Clark) each certified as a BMI Million-Air, signifying one million broadcast performances. Based on an average length of three minutes, two million spins is the equivalent of 100,000 hours or 11.4 years of continuous airplay.

Miller's latest single is "Men Don't Change," which he co-wrote with Curb artist Amy Dalley and also produced.

Pictured are Mosaic Music's Lionel Conway, BMI's David Preston, Lee Thomas Miller, and Mosaic Music's Tim Hunze and Lisa Ramsey.

Photo by Caroline Davis

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/233884 Anderson, Al, Anderson, Bill, Berry, Chuck, Brown, James, Diddley, Bo, Dixie Chicks, Dozier, Lamont, Gentry, Montgomery, Gill, Vince, Hayes, Isaac, Holland, Brian, Holland, Edward, Keith, Toby, Kristofferson, Kris, Lee, David, Little Richard, Martin, Tony, McGraw, Tim, Miller, Lee Thomas, Nesler, Mark, Nicks, Stevie, Parton, Dolly, Rascal Flatts, Shapiro, Tom, Sillers, Tia, Steele, Jeffrey, Verges, Troy, Wagoner, Porter, Country, Pop, BMI Country Awards Special Tribute Honors Dolly Parton as BMI ICON

BMI presented its Country Awards last night (11/4), recognizing the songwriters and publishers of the past year's 50 most performed country songs. Ultimate honors went to the Stevie Nicks-penned "Landslide" as Song of the Year; to Jeffrey Steele as Songwriter of the Year; and to Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville as Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the evening was the tribute to Dolly Parton, who was honored as a BMI ICON. The BMI Country Awards -- country music's oldest awards celebration -- were hosted by President & CEO Frances W. Preston and Vice President Paul Corbin at the company's Music Row offices.

"Landslide" earned songwriter Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac the 35th Robert J. Burton Award as Most Performed Country Song of the Year. This distinction is given to the song tallying the most feature US broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Nicks is also publisher of the song, through her company Welsh Witch Music. Included on the Dixie Chicks' platinum Monument album Home, "Landslide" was a Country, Adult Top 40, Hot 100 and AC Billboard charts smash. Nicks previously collected a Pop Award in 1998 for Fleetwood Mac's recording of the song, which has achieved Million-Air status with over three million airplays.

Stevie Nicks | Bio

Jeffrey Steele | Bio

Dolly Parton | Bio

Jeffrey Steele claimed the title of Songwriter of the Year by placing four songs on the list of 50: "Chrome" (Trace Adkins), "The Cowboy In Me" [2nd Award] (Tim McGraw), "My Town" (Montgomery Gentry) and "These Days" (Rascal Flatts). Steele's BMI Awards total now stands at 14, with 11 Million-Air songs [16 million performances total].

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville claimed BMI Country Publisher of the Year by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. President & CEO Donna Hilley accepted on behalf of the publisher, which placed 12 songs on the most-performed list [through its companies Sony/ATV Tree and Sony/ATV Acuff Rose]: "Brokenheartsville," "I Keep Looking," "I Miss My Friend," "Living and Living Well," "A Lot Of Things Different," "Man To Man," "My Heart Is Lost To You," "Red Rag Top," "She'll Leave You With A Smile," "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo," "These Days," and "What If She's An Angel."

Dolly Parton was saluted as a BMI ICON for her "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." After a video tribute, Kris Kristofferson and Porter Wagoner took the stage to share reminiscences. Closing the program were performances by Lee Ann Womack, who sang "Jolene," and Vince Gill, who performed "I Will Always Love You."

With her first solo hit "Dumb Blonde" in 1967, Parton launched a career that helped revolutionize the world of country music for women and, through her songwriting, performing, film & television projects and entrepreneurial ventures, has made her one of the most successful and recognizable artists in history.

She has scored with more than 100 charting songs -- including 24 #1s -- and has collected 37 BMI Country and Pop Awards for such classics as "I Will Always Love You," "9 To 5," "Jolene," "Two Doors Down," "To Daddy," "Here You Come Again" and "Love Is Like A Butterfly." A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1999, she is nominated as Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2003 CMA Awards. Parton enters the elite company of previously honored BMI ICONs: James Brown, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard, Isaac Hayes, Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, and last year's Country ICON, Bill Anderson.

Of the 64 songwriters recognized, nine joined Steele as multiple winners: Tony Martin and Tom Shapiro with three songs each; Al Anderson, Toby Keith, David Lee, Lee Thomas Miller, Mark Nesler, Tia Sillers and Troy Verges with two each.

Additional publishers with three or more awards were Songs of Windswept Pacific; Universal Music Publishing Group; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.; Mosaic Music; Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc.; EMI Music Publishing; Steele's companies Gottahaveable Music/My Life's Work Music; and Shapiro's company Wenonga Music.

Among this year's honorees, 24 songs have reached the status of BMI Million-Air (accumulating at least one million broadcast performances) for a total of over 32 million performances. Based on an average length of three minutes, one million airplays is the equivalent of 50,000 hours or 5.7 years, continuously; Million-Airs on the 2003 Country list translate into 1.6 million hours or 185 years of continuous airplay. In addition to "The Cowboy In Me," songs cited for the second consecutive year were Million-Airs "Blessed," "Bring On the Rain," "I'm Movin' On" and "Young."

BMI's Citation of Achievement awards are given annually in recognition of popularity in the field of country music, as measured by feature broadcast performances on American radio and television; the 2003 Country Awards eligibility period ran April 1, 2002 through March 31, 2003.

BMI represents approximately 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all areas of music. It collects license fees on behalf of American creators, as well as for thousands of creators from around the world who haven chosen BMI for American representation. The fees for the public performances of its repertoire are then distributed as royalties to the writers and copyright holders BMI represents. These performances include radio airplay, broadcast and cable television carriage and live and recorded performances by other music customers, including but not limited to the Internet, cell phone ring tones, restaurants and clubs, retail outlets, and music-on-hold.

Among those in the lineup are BMI talents Jeffrey Steele, Harley Allen, Stephony Smith, D. Vincent Williams, Sara Evans, Jeff Bates, Lee Thomas Miller, Richie McDonald of Lonestar, Merle Kilgore, Brenda Lee and Delbert McClinton.

In a career that spanned six decades, Howard penned more than 100 Top 10 hits, including such classics as "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down," "I Fall To Pieces," "Heartaches By The Number," "Tiger By The Tail," "Busted," "Why Not Me," "Above And Beyond," "Somebody Should Leave" and "Blame It On Your Heart." A BMI writer for over 45 years, Harlan Howard provided hit songs to several generations of stars, from Kitty Wells to Patty Loveless, from Patsy Cline to Reba McEntire, from Mel Tillis to Pam Tillis. A who's-who of the country music world has sung his compositions: George Jones, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, the Judds, Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price and Conway Twitty, to name just a few. But his songs have also enjoyed R&B and pop interpretations by a variety of artists such as Ray Charles, Joe Simon, Shirley Caesar, Brenda Lee, The Kingston Trio, Kay Starr and Burl Ives.

Howard was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and, in 1997, to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Among his numerous accolades were 45 BMI Country Awards, four BMI Pop Awards and two BMI R&B Awards. His presence on Music Row was such that that for a dozen years (1983-95) the community celebrated the "Harlan Howard Birthday Bash," an all-star concert staged in the BMI Nashville parking lot as a benefit for songwriter organizations. Declining health forced him to discontinue these events after 1995, but, with his wife Melanie, he continued to run his song publishing business. Howard died in 2002.

Tickets for the 2003 Harlan Howard Birthday Bash are on sale now at all Ticketmaster at 615/255-9600 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. General Admission tickets are $25. In addition, premium tables for $1,000 can be purchased through Harlan Howard Songs at 615/321-9098. The table for 10 includes a stainless steel flask etched with Harlan Howard's familiar face, Birthday Bash memorabilia journals, table service and commemorative poster signed by the performers. For more information, please visit www.harlanhoward.com.]]> 2003-09-14T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/200050 Artists, 3 Doors Down, Aaliyah, Adams, John, Aguilera, Christina, Arnold, Brad, Bacilos, Baltimore, Charli, Bedingfield, Daniel, Big Tymers, Blind Boys of Alabama, The, Bowie, David, Branch, Michelle, Brandy, Busta Rhymes, Cachao, Carlton, Vanessa, Christy, Lauren, Christy, Lauren, Creed, Crow, Sheryl, Daniels, Charlie, Dirty Vegas, Dixie Chicks, Elfman, Danny, Eminem, Enya, Evans, Faith, Flaming Lips, The, Floetry, Foo Fighters, Gabriel, Peter, Garza, David Lee, Golijov, Osvaldo, Green, Al, Green, Pat, Hammond, Fred, Hancock, Herbie, Hargrove, Roy, Harris, Jesse, Henley, Don, Hill, Faith, Intocable, James, Etta, Jars of Clay, John, Elton, Jones, Norah, Juanes, Kelly, R., Kenny G, King, B.B., Kinky, Knapp, Jennifer, Korn, Krauss, Alison, Lauderdale, Jim, Lonestar, Maines, Lloyd, Mardin, Arif, McBride, Martina, Metheny, Pat, Miller, Lee Thomas, Moby, Nappy Roots, Nelson, Willie, Neptunes, The, Newman, Thomas, Nickel Creek, Nickelback, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The, Parton, Dolly, Queens of the Stone Age, Roberts, Matt, Santos, John, Scruggs, Earl, Shorter, Wayne, Slutsky, Allan, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Spears, Britney, Spock, Scott, Stanley, Ralph, Sting, Stone, Angie, Tedeschi, Susan, Temptations, The, Tesh, John, Trick Pony, Williams, Lucinda, Winans, Bebe, Musical Styles, Blues, Country, Jazz, Pop Sheryl Crow, Eminem and Norah Jones lead the list of nominees for this year's Grammy Awards with five nods each. Nominees were announced today (1/7) at a press conference at New York's Madison Square Garden. The 45th Grammy Awards will be held on February 23 at the Garden, and will be broadcast live on CBS from 8-11:30 (ET/PT).

Sheryl Crow

Eminem

Norah Jones

Other BMI writers who received multiple nominations included four each for country darlings the Dixie Chicks, producer Arif Mardin and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger (including Record of the Year for the Nickelback smash "How You Remind Me"). Newcomer Vanessa Carlton picked up three. Fellow BMI pop divas Pink, Britney Spears and Michelle Branch garnered two nominations each, as did blues legend B.B. King, film composer Thomas Newman and gospel giant Fred Hammond.

BMI's 2003 Grammy nominees:

FIVE NOMINATIONS

Sheryl Crow
Eminem
Norah Jones

FOUR NOMINATIONS

Dixie Chicks
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)

THREE NOMINATIONS

Vanessa Carlton
Floetry (Marsha Ambrosius, Natalie Stewart)
Arif Mardin
Pat Metheny

TWO NOMINATIONS

Michelle Branch
Michael Brecker
The Chieftains
Madukwu Chinwah
Natalie Cole
Dirty Vegas (PRS)
Foo Fighters
Carlos Franzetti
Kenny G
Pat Green
Herbie Hancock
Nellee Hooper (PRS)
B.B. King
Diana Krall (SOCAN)
Rashid Lonnie Lynn
Nappy Roots
Willie Nelson
Thomas Newman
Nickel Creek
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Dolly Parton
Pink
Britney Spears
Ralph Stanley
3 Doors Down (Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson, Matt Roberts)
Doc Watson
John Williams

SINGLE NOMINEES

Aaliyah
Will Ackerman
John Adams
Christina Aguilera
Darol Anger
Audio Adrenaline
Bacilos
David Balakrishnan
Charli Baltimore
Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga
Jeff Bass
Daniel Bedingfield (PRS)
Big Tymers
Eddie Blazonczyk
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Kevin Bond
Ryan Bowser
David Bowie (PRS)
Brandy
Norman Brown
Solomon Burke
Burning Sky
R.L. Burnside
Gary Burton
Gary Calamar
Michel Camilo
Cam’Ron
The Canton Spirituals
Capleton (PRS)
Caribbean Jazz Project
Cee-Lo
Lauren Christy
The Clinch Mountain Boys
Andy Colver (PRS)
Commissioned
Common
Creed
Bill Cunliffe
The Charlie Daniels Band
Diamond Rio
Michael Doucet
Dave Douglas
Don Edwards
Danny Elfman
Enya (PRS)
Faith Evans
Tommy Flanagan
The Flaming Lips
Béla Fleck
Michael J. Fox
Allison Brewster Franzetti
The Funk Brothers
Peter Gabriel (PRS)
David Lee Garza y Los Musicales
Osvaldo Golijov
Gov’t Mule
Al Green
Grits
Dave Grusin
Deitrick Haddon
Fred Hammond
Roy Hargrove
Jesse Harris
Don Henley
Faith Hill
Dave Holland Big Band
David Holt
Intocable
Etta James
Jars of Clay
JaRule
Jay-Z
Maxi Jazz (PRS)
Little Joe & La Familia
Elton John (PRS)
The Jordanaires
Juanes
John P. Kee
Salif Keita (PRS)
R. Kelly
Kinky
Kitaro
Jennifer Knapp
Knoc-Turn’Al
Korn
Dave Koz
Jeff Koz
Alison Krauss
Femi Kuti (SACEM)
kd lang
Jim Lauderdale
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Don Letts (PRS)
Lonestar
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
The Light Crust Doughboys
Limi-T 21
Israel “Cachao” López
Taj Mahal
Lloyd Maines
Maraca
Martina McBride
Delbert McClinton
Freddie McGregor (PRS)
Lee Thomas Miller
Mingus Big Band
Moby
Charlie Musselwhite
Meshell Ndegeocello
The Neptunes
Newsong
Nickelback (SOCAN)
*NSYNC
The Oak Ridge Boys
Makoto Ozone (JASRAC)
Lee “Scratch” Perry
Pharrell
Queens of the Stone Age
Busta Rhymes
Riders In the Sky
Peter Rowan
Nancy Rumbel
Nicky Ryan (PRS)
Roma Ryan (PRS)
Mingo Saldivar y Sus Tremendos Cuatro Espadas
Santana
John Santos and the Machete Ensemble
Al Schmitt
The John Scofield Band
Earl Scruggs
Wayne Shorter
Jon Sidel
Siggno
Allan Slutsky
Arthur Smith (PRS)
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Scott Spock
Ralph Stanley II
Sting (PRS)
Angie Stone
Omar Sosa
Luciana Souza
Jimmy Sturr
Take Six
Susan Tedeschi
John Tesh
The Temptations
Eric Tingstad
Tobymac
Trick Pony
Kathy Troccoli
Los Tucanes De Tijuana
McCoy Tyner
Jai Uttal
Bebo Valdés
Carlos “Patato” Valdés
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Scott Wenzel
Kenny Werner
Lucinda Williams
Robin Williams
Dean Wilson (PRS)
BeBe Winans
The Roland White Band
Pete Woodruff
Yellowjackets
Joe Zawinul