The Songwriting Maestro of Country Music Dave Gibson, born on October 1, 1946, is an iconic figure in American country music, renowned for his exceptional songwriting talent. Gibson's songs, characterized by their soulful lyrics and enchanting melodies, have been performed by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Alabama, Tanya Tucker, Montgomery Gentry, Conway Twitty, Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner and many others. Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, and raised in Odessa, Texas, Gibson's roots in the heartland of America played a significant role in shaping his musical style. His journey to the hub of country music, Nashville, Tennessee, began in 1982. This marked a turning point in his career, as he was soon to leave an indelible imprint on the country music scene. In Nashville, Gibson held a publishing contract with a company owned by The Oak Ridge Boys. His songwriting prowess quickly caught the attention of prominent artists and led to collaborations that produced many chart-topping country hits.

From 1990 to 1994, Gibson showcased his musical versatility as the front man of the Gibson/Miller Band. Not only did he captivate audiences with his soulful voice, but he also penned many of the band's hits, including "High Rollin'", "Texas Tattoo", "Red, White, and Blue Collar", and "Stone Cold Country". The band received the ACM award for ‘Best New Group or duo’ in 1993. He’s also won six BMI awards, two NSAI awards, and was nominated for a Grammy. But for him, this is just the beginning. Gibson's portfolio of written songs is nothing short of impressive. His notable works include Alabama's "Jukebox in My Mind", Tanya Tucker's "If It Don't Come Easy", and Confederate Railroad's "Queen of Memphis" and "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind". Gibson's songs have a unique ability to resonate with listeners, often exploring themes of love, loss, and the quintessential country lifestyle. Among his contributions to the country music scene, Gibson also co-wrote Joe Diffie's "Ships That Don't Come In", Pam Tillis' "Do You Know Where Your Man Is", and Conway Twitty's "House on Old Lonesome Road". Montgomery Gentry had their first #1 hit with his song "Lonely and Gone", which further demonstrated his knack for creating deeply emotional and relatable music.

Whether on an intimate stage or in front of a roaring crowd, his magnetic stage presence and powerful voice command attention, creating an unforgettable experience for audiences. Dave's genuine passion for music shines through every note, and his ability to connect with listeners on a personal level has made him a beloved performer. Over his more than 40 year career, his contributions to country music have left an indelible legacy and influenced countless aspiring songwriters all through ‘the power of a song’.

Most recently, Dave’s iconic #1 song ‘Ships That Don’t Come In’, was recut and Featured on the ‘Hixtape’ collection. Hixtape: Vol 3, was spearheaded by Hardy and Morgan Wallen of Big Loud Records and is sung by hitmakers Luke Combs and Toby Keith. It was the last song Toby Keith ever recorded before passing away in February of 2024 amid his battle with cancer. “I am honored to have had my song recorded by not only one legend in Joe Diffie, but two, including Toby Keith, both of which passed too soon,” says Gibson. “Luke is surely a future hall of famer, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work they did to bring my song to a new generation of country music fans.” Dave is a force to be reckoned with in the world of country music. As we celebrate his contributions to country music, we look forward to the beautiful melodies and compelling stories that are yet to come from this gifted songwriter.

Don Poythress was born in Meridian, Mississippi, but has lived and worked in Nashville since 1986.  He has penned songs  that have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, Daryll Worley, Sir Cliff Richard, Brian Littrell(Backstreet Boys), Lincoln Brewster, Blake Shelton, Earl Scruggs, Kari Jobe, Philips Craig and Dean, Jake Owen, and Jason Crabb among many others.

His song “A Little More Country Than That” recorded by Easton Corbin went to #1 and was nominated for CMA and ACM song of the Year. And Kelly Pickler had a hit with “Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind”. Other recent singles include Jake Owen’s “Tell Me” and The Henningsen’s “I Miss You”.

His Dove Award-winning Song "The Promise" as sung by The Martins, was awarded top recorded song in the Southern Gospel Category in 2004. He also won a 2011 Dove award for Jason Crabb’s version of “Joseph” in the Inspirational Song of the Year category.  And his third Dove Award was for Karen Peck and New River’s “Revival” in the Southern Gospel Category.

Don is also known as a performer in his own right, appearing on such stages as the Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman Auditorium, The Louisiana Hayride, and a regular performer at The Bluebird Café. He has taught songwriting workshops at Vanderbilt University, Belmont University, Nashville Songwriters Association International, BMI, ASCAP, The Christian Musician Summit and many other places.

His latest album with Integrity Hossanna! Music entitled “Wash Away” included guest artist Ricky Skaggs, Paul Baloche, Susan Ashton and Jared Anderson. Don has been blessed to be the worship leader at Abundant Life Church in Mt. Juliet Tn for the last 30 years.

Jack's first publishing deal was with The Who. After that Ken Hensley the leader of rock legends Uriah Heep signed Jack to his publishing company where Jack had five of his songs recorded by Uriah Heep. Later one of Jack's songs Send me an Angel was cut by the southern rock band Blackfoot on their Siogo album. In 1988 Jack moved to Nashville where he had two of his songs Seasons & Everybody Wins recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys. Jack then co-wrote Just Before the Bullets Fly with Warren Haynes and that was recorded by Gregg Allman. A few years later blues legend Son Seals recorded the same song, and along with that it was also featured in the film Renegades.

From there Without You a song Jack wrote with Don Poythress was cut by Lance Miller, (Warner Bros).  Late in 2012, Ira Dean cut one of Jack's songs, Back That Truck Up on Kentucky Indi band, Borrowed Blue and Josh Pruno who is signed to Tracy Lawrence's label released one of Jacks songs, Cutoffs to radio and reached #1 on Nashville Renegade Radio for three weeks.  The Little River Band cut a song of Jack's, You Dream, I'll Drive and released that to country radio.  

In 2014 Jack has had his song recorded by two different major Australian artist's Adam Eckersley and Adam Brand both who have released Jack's songs as radio singles.    

Nashville producer Micheal Knox cut one of Jack's songs on a Montgomery Gentry and Black Stone Cherry rock duet. Canadian Duo of the year “The Washboard Union” recorded on of Jacks songs called I'll go mine and Canadian Country artist Aaron Pritchett took one of Jack's songs “Dirt Road in em” to number 5 in the Canadian Country Billboard Charts. Movie Legend “Kevin Costner” has also recorded 5 of Jack's songs, and one that Kevin's daughter Lily is singing called “Heaven’s Gate” featured in the TV show Yellowstone and on a Kevin Costner and Modern West EP called Tales of Yellowstone. Since the Jack has released two albums of his music and the latest “Something about Hope” featured his friends Kevin Costner, Dave Gibson, John Fusco, W. Earl Brown, Duane Allen and Ward Davis.

Lee Thomas Miller is a songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Theory/Composition from Eastern Kentucky University where, along with classical composing and arranging, he studied classical violin, guitar, piano, and voice. He was inducted into the EKU “Hall of Distinguished Alumni” in 2010.

Lee moved to Nashville in 1991 to pursue a career as a professional musician in the town with arguably the best musicians in the world. “I knew it would be nearly impossible, but I also knew if I could find a way to do it in Nashville I would be succeeding at the highest level,” says Miller. “Nashville is the big leagues.”

Lee signed his first exclusive publishing deal in 1996 and has been on the radio virtually ever since. To date, he has had 18 top 20 singles with 7 reaching #1 and has earned 13 BMI radio performance awards. His songs have reached radio play in excess of 15 million spins. His accomplishments include 3 Grammy nominations, a Teen Choice Award, and 4 titles being nominated for ‘Song of the Year’ at major industry events.

He won both a CMA and an ACM award for Song of the Year with “In Color” as recorded by Jamey Johnson. “You’re Gonna Miss This” won Song of the Year at both the ASCAP and NSAI awards and single of the year at the CMA awards. Miller has also been given 4 “Songs I Wish I Had Written” trophies as voted on by the professional membership of NSAI (the Nashville Songwriter’s Association).

Lee served as President of NSAI for 5 years and is still currently on their Legislative committee traveling to Washington D.C. representing and lobbying for the rights of the American songwriter. He has testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress as well as spending countless hours with bureaucrats reaching from the Department of Justice to cabinet level officials to federal judges.

In 2015, he was presented with BMI’s inaugural “Champions Award” for these legislative efforts. Ultimately, all of this led to the passing of the federal Music Modernization Act changing the criteria for which songwriters are paid in the digital era. Lee was at the White House to witness the President signing it into law.

Miller has had success also as a record producer, producing a pair of top 20 hits on recording artist Steve Holy including his #1 record “Brand New Girlfriend.” On a personal note, in 2010 he was awarded the Fatherhood Award from Washington D.C.’s National Fatherhood Initiative and he and his wife Jana received the Congressional “Angels in Adoption” award on Capitol Hill in 2015 having adopted 3 of their 4 children. Lee and Jana have been married 28 years and live in Brentwood, Tennessee with their 4 kids.

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Emily Henline, with one of the purest voices in Music City, Nashville, is leaving audiences wanting more every time she walks off the stage. A naturally gifted singer and songwriter, Emily has a unique ability to connect with song in ways seldom seen. Musically influenced by some of the greatest to ever take the stage, including Linda Ronstadt, Patty Loveless, Bonnie Raitt, and Sheryl Crow, the sky is the limit for this incredibly talented star in the making.

Professional Award-Winning Songwriter

Owner-Partner, Germain-Williams LLC / MirriM Entertainment

D. Vincent Williams has written songs that have landed on more than 35 million records by artists such as:

Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, John Michael Montgomery, Neal McCoy, Mark Wills, Steve Holy, James Otto, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Cagle, Billy Gilman, Ty Herndon, Jimmy Wayne, Buddy Jewel, Diamond Rio, John Berry, Craig Morgan, Brice Long, The Kinleys, Steve Wariner, Lee Ann Womack, Terry Clark, Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Rogers, Craig Morgan, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, Ronnie Milsap.

Winner of the 2002 ACM Song of the Year award for “I’m Movin’ On,” recorded by Rascal Flatts.

Winner of 2008 Billboard Most Played Song of the Year and multi-week #1 in all three country radio charts with James Otto’s “Just Got Started Loving You.”

David Vincent Williams is now partnered with Germain-Williams LLC and proud owner of MirriM Entertainment, which customizes variety entertainment for private and corporate events.

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Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Billy Montana’s talent for tapping into powerful emotions in the songs he writes has led to a string of hits and awards for him and some of country music’s biggest stars. Montana’s "Number 1" credits include Garth Brooks’ record-breaking single “More Than A Memory,” Sara Evans’ smash “Suds in the Bucket,” the Grammy-nominated “Bring On the Rain,” recorded by Jo Dee Messina with Tim McGraw, and his most recent chart-topper "Hard To Love," the title cut from Curb recording artist Lee Brice's 2012 CD.

Country radio is not the only place you'll hear Montana's compositions. ABC's hit television series “Nashville” picked up “What If I Was Willing,” a song Montana wrote with his son, Randy, and country rocker Brian Davis. The song played a major role in the script for the 2013-14 season, was performed by both Sam Palladio (Gunnar) and Chris Carmack (Will), and appears on the Music of Nashville (Original Cast) soundtrack for Season 2.

Once an agriculture major at Cornell University who dreamed of owning and operating a farm in upstate New York, Montana elected to sow seeds of a different sort: melodies and lyrics. The result has been a diverse crop of artists who've had great success with Montana-penned songs, including Garth Brooks, Sara Evans, Jo Dee Messina, Lee Brice, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, David Nail, Sister Hazel, Lee Ann Womack, Kellie Pickler, Trace Adkins, BlackHawk, Kenny Rogers, Pat Green, Bill Anderson, Randy Montana, Guy Penrod, and many others.

As a recording artist, Montana's 1995 Magnatone Records album No Yesterday garnered special recognition from USA Today, which characterized him as "a wonderful songwriter." Country Weekly described his music as "a common man's wisdom voiced in an uncommon manner." Montana draws heavily from his rural background for inspiration, resulting in music that is refreshingly eloquent, simple, and honest.

Montana fronted a group that was signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville in the mid-1980s, but Billy Montana and the Long Shots' singles deal only yielded moderate success, and a full album was never released. So, in 1989, Montana moved from upstate New York to Nashville to pursue a career in songwriting. He got his first big break when Jo Dee Messina recorded “Bring On The Rain” in 2000. The song, however, was released as a single.

On September 10, 2001, and the very next day, the events of September 11, 2001, occurred. For Montana, like most Americans, priorities dramatically shifted, and having a song on the radio became the very least of his concerns. A stunned and reeling America turned its focus from being entertained to the more important issues of national security and reaching out to those who had lost so much. Music radio, for a few days, was replaced with news, information, and talk. But the message of encouragement that speaks through "Bring On The Rain" seemed to resonate with a country in need of healing and strength, and so the song began to serve in that capacity.

“The first time I heard 'Rain' on the radio was a couple of days after the 9/11,” says Montana. “I was pulling up into our driveway under our American flag. Someone had taken the song and interwoven it with sound bites: news feeds from Ground Zero, rescue worker interviews, President Bush addressing the nation, expressing the need for all of us to keep faith and persevere through the terrible tragedy. To hear the song used in that context was completely overwhelming to me. I just broke down.”

“Bring On the Rain” went on to become both a country and AC hit, peaking at #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the fall of 2002. It was also the title of one of the popular “Touched By An Angel” episodes that aired on CBS television. Says performer Jo Dee Messina, “It’s one of my favorite songs...with hope hidden under layers of trouble...these guys [Montana and Helen Darling] put their guts on a piece of paper and it just hit home for so many people."

Montana scored his second #1 with Sara Evans’ smash “Suds in the Bucket,” the most performed song by a female artist in 2004. “My co-writer, Jenai, and I were looking to write an up-tempo, fun, traditional sounding story song. The title sort of fell out of the sky,” says Montana. "One of my favorite things about 'Suds' is that we really got inside the heads of our characters. I think we really captured their thoughts and their language."

Montana continued to showcase his writing skills with Garth Brooks’ record-breaking single “More Than a Memory,” which he wrote with Lee Brice and Kyle Jacobs. The song entered the Billboard and R&R country singles charts at #1, the only time in history that has occurred. “I don’t think in my lifetime, I will ever be part of something like that again,” Montana says as he shakes his head and grins. “Everything had to work just perfectly for that to happen.”

Lee Brice recorded Montana's fourth #1 single, “Hard To Love,” written with Ben Glover and John Ozier. “Lee already had the songs picked for his sophomore project, but he wanted a few of us to go on a writing retreat to make sure he had the strongest songs possible,” Montana.

Explains: “Ben, John, and I were in the living room writing while Lee and Kyle [Jacobs] (Brice's co-producer) were outside. They came in and asked us to play what we'd been working on. As soon as they heard 'Hard to Love,' they knew it was right for Lee. The second verse is one of my favorites of any song I've been a part of writing.”

Stephen Wilson Jr.'s journey from the hollers of southern Indiana to Nashville, Tenn. has been a winding road that's taken many detours: He's been an Indiana State Golden Gloves boxing championship finalist, a scientist, and a lead guitarist and songwriter in an indie rock band. In 2016, he ditched his laboratory 9-to-5 and signed a publishing deal with BMG Nashville where his alchemic songcraft immediately made waves, leading to cuts from Caitlyn Smith, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash, and more.

2023 proved to be Wilson Jr.'s breakthrough year, signing with Big Loud Records and releasing his debut double album søn of dad: a triumphant, genre-spanning set of 22 songs dedicated to his late father and given to the world on the five-year anniversary of his passing. The album was named the No. 1 album of 2023 by Holler, who called it “a record for the ages,” and earned a spot as one of the best albums of the year from Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country, and Rolling Stone.

In 2024, he made his network television debut on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, followed by performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's #LateShowMeMusic series and Later... with Jools Holland. Ahead of the one-year anniversary of søn of dad, Wilson Jr. was also profiled in an extensive feature for CBS Saturday Morning.

So far in 2025, Wilson Jr. released a deluxe edition of his debut album that features a moving interpretation of “Stand By Me” that has been streamed tens of millions of times. He is fresh off the heels of an entirely sold-out 2025 U.S. run of his søn of dad tour and is supporting HARDY on his Jim Bob Tour on select dates from May through September, including the final show at Madison Square Garden. This summer he made his Newport Folk Festival and Red Rocks debuts and throughout the year will perform at Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Boots and Hearts, Whiskey Moon, and more.

Country music trailblazer Lainey Wilson continues to take over the world, capturing the hearts of music fans, the excitement of the industry, and the recognition of her peers, while keeping her boots firmly planted on the ground. Her monumental rise continues with major milestones, including winning four awards at the 60th Annual ACM Awards: Entertainer of the Year (her second consecutive win), Female Artist of the Year (her third consecutive win), Album of the Year (Whirlwind), and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. Additionally, she was recently inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, co-hosted the 58th Annual CMA Awards with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, headlined the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Halftime Show, and is in the midst of her sold-out Whirlwind World Tour, which spans across Europe and North America.

Wilson’s latest studio album, Whirlwind, also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards and was hailed by The Tennessean as “the best release of her career.” Whirlwind debuted at #8 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and #13 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, marking Wilson’s first top 10 and top 15 entries, respectively. Produced by Jay Joyce, Whirlwind provides a daringly honest exploration of Wilson’s life and journey around the globe. A diverse yet sonically cohesive collection of songs, the album bends genres while remaining true to her Western roots.

The Grammy-winning, CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year is a prolific, sought-after songwriter who has scored eight No. 1 hits including “4x4xU," “Wildflowers and Wild Horses," “Watermelon Moonshine,” and the 2x PLATINUM Certified “Heart Like a Truck," in addition to award-winning collaborations with Cole Swindell (“Never Say Never”), Jelly Roll (“Save Me”), and HARDY (“wait in the truck”). Moreover, Wilson wrote and recorded “Out of Oklahoma” for the Twisters movie and has collaborated with artists such as Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Post Malone, Myles Smith, and more. She is also a triple threat as a singer, songwriter, and actor and will make her feature film acting debut in next year’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, after first acting in Paramount’s hit television series, Yellowstone.

Beyond her artistry, Wilson’s on-stage performances triumph from sold-out tours across America, Australia, and Europe to highly coveted music festivals such as Stagecoach, Lollapalooza, and Watershed. https://www.laineywilson.com

Wyatt Durrette is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Richmond, VA. Best known for his work with Luke Combs and Zac Brown Band, Wyatt’s songs have garnered a record-setting collection of hits. Most recently, Combs’ song “Even Though I’m Leaving” co-written by Wyatt, reached Number One and received SESAC’s Song of the Year in 2020 along with a CMA Nomination. Their previous collaboration, Number One hit “Beautiful Crazy” received SESAC and CMA’s Song of the Year in 2019 and has gone 4X PLATINUM, sitting at #1 for seven weeks and was one of the biggest songs of 2019.

In total, more than forty artist song collaborations have led to over 2 BILLION digital streams, 24 MILLION singles sold, 9 MILLION albums sold, 14 Numbers Ones and 17 Number Ones at Country & Rock Radio. His songs have helped secure 8 GRAMMY Awards and countless nominations.Wyatt has been presented with the incredible honor of the CMA Triple Play Award not once, but twice, as Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried,” “Whatever It Is,” and “Toes” were all chart-topping hits within a twelve-month period, followed by “Highway 20 Ride,” “As She’s Walking Away,” and “Colder Weather.” He has received SESAC’s Song of the Year award 3 times; in 2015 for “Homegrown,” in 2019 for “Beautiful Crazy,” and in 2020 for “Even Though I’m Leaving” a song Wyatt co-wrote with Luke Combs and Ray Fulcher. In 2021, Wyatt is showing no signs of slowing down, co-writing 5 songs on the new Zac Brown Band album “The Comeback.”

SHORT BIO:

Wyatt Durrette is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Richmond, VA. He has reached a staggering 2 billion digital streams, 14 #1 songs, 33 million records sold. Wyatt has written with superstars Zac Brown Band, Luke Combs, Jason Mraz, Darius Rucker, Jimmy Buffett and more and won CMA Song of the Year for “Beautiful Crazy (Luke Combs). Wyatt added 2 more Song of the Year awards with “Homegrown” and “Even Though I’m Leaving.” Wyatt performs with Levi Lowrey as “Yesterday’s Wine.”

You can learn more about Wyatt here: https://www.wyattdurrette.com/ and https://www.yesterdayswineofficial.com