BMI Writers Take Center Stage at Key West Song Fest

Posted in News on June 1, 2004

The 9th annual Key West Songwriters Fest - one of the country's premier celebrations of performing songwriters - featured top Nashville writers during four days of top shelf entertainment (May 12-16). Nine-year sponsors Hogs Breath Saloon and BMI presented returning BMI superstars Chuck Cannon ("How Do You Like Me Now", "American Solider"); DreamWorks Nashville recording artist Scotty Emerick ("Beer For My Horses," "I Love This Bar"); 2003 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year Jeffrey Steele ("Hell Yeah," "The Cowboy In Me"); and Jason White ("Red Rag Top").

Pictured at the Hog's Breath are (front row) Key West festival founder Drew Reid, Jason Sellers, James Dean Hicks, (back row) BMI's Bradley Collins, Phillip White, Dillon Dixon, Amber White, Wendell Mobley, Susan Haynes, Patrick Davis, Scotty Emerick, D. Vincent Williams, Jenn Schott, Vicky McGehee, Chuck Cannon and BMI's Mark Mason.

BMI KWSF first-timers included Patrick Davis, Dillon Dixon, Sony Nashville recording artist Susan Haynes, James Dean Hicks ("Sweet Kisses," "Jesus and Mama"), Vicky McGehee (six Gretchen Wilson cuts), Wendell Mobley ("There Goes My Life," "I Melt"), Australian CMA winner Kylie Sackley, DreamWorks Music staff writer Jenn Schott, James Slater ("In My Daughter's Eyes"), Phillip White ("I'm Movin' On," "I'm a Survivor"), singer/songwriter Amber White and D. Vincent Williams ("Hands of a Working Man," "I'm Movin' On").

Next year's festival is set for May 11-15, 2005.


Jeffrey Steele	Jason White


James Slater	KWSF coordinator Charlie Bauer of the Hog’s Breath Saloon, Chuck Cannon


BMI’s Mark Mason and Scotty Emerick with Million-Air certificate for “Beer For My Horses”	BMI's Mark Mason presented Rivers Rutherford with Million-Air honor for “Shut Up and Drive”