- Acoustic Guitar MySpace LayoutsI was born in Nashville, TN. I have a bachelors degree in education from Middle Tennessee State University. I am currently employed as a staff songwriter for Full Circle Music Publishing in Nashville, TN.
In 1996 my band "40 East" signed our first booking agency deal with Crecent Moon Talent in Nashville, TN. I put together a roots rock-n-roll project in 2000 called "Papa Joe". We made a record called "Storybook Ending" that can be found at iTunes, www.myspace.com/papajoe (just click on "Papa Joe" from the link in my "top friends" section below) or at stonewallrecords.com. The record is really cool, check it out for yourself! (even opened for the Derek Trucks band and the Allman Bros. band on July 4, 2002 in Nashville at the now, non-existant, Starwood Amphitheater)
In the fall of 2002, I signed my first publishing deal with House of Fame, which is based out of the "southern-soul, music-mecca" of Muscle Shoals, AL.
In the fall of 2005, Gary Allan recorded a song on his record "Tough All Over" that I co-wrote with him called "Puttin' Memories Away." The song was performed on the Oprah Winfrey show in the Spring of '07 during a heartbreaking interview about depression featuring Gary. Rolling Stone magazine called it the modern day "Grand Tour" by George Jones and gave our song the star track award on the album review, in which the record received 4 out of 5 stars.
On November 6, 2007, Hard Rock Cafe released a record called "Serve 2" to benefit the anti-hunger organization, WHY, in partnership with VH1. The record features Marc Broussard and I singing a cool version of Sam Cooke's, "Bring It On Home To Me." Other artists that are featured on the record are Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne, to name a few. Go buy the record at any Hard Rock or at hardrockcafe.com and be apart of a wonderful cause!
I have two songs on Gary Allan's current record "Living Hard," which came out on October 23, 2007. The two songs are "Learning How To Bend" and "Yesterday's Rain," which were both co-written with Gary Allan and James LeBlanc. "Learning How To Bend" was released as a single for the radio on March 17, 2008. It peaked at 12 on the Billboard chart and was a hit foe Gary, James and I.
I'm currently very busy writing and recording the songs for my new album. The record will probably sound like the stuff I dig...soulful, rootsy, feel good, bluesy, honest, gospel, rock, folky, country pie type of songs.
I have had the priviledge to record with folks like Spooner Oldham (Aretha Franklin, Neil Young, Drive-By-Truckers), Tom Bukovac (Everybody!!), Audley Freed (Cry Of Love, The Black Crowes, Peter Frampton, Jacob Dylan), Steve Gorman (The Black Crowes), Michael Rhodes (Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell & many more), Dan Dugmore (James Taylor), Marc Broussard, Billy Burnette (Bob Dylan, John Fogerty) Jake Kelly, Mike Webb (Fugitive Glue, Gary Allan, The Wreckers), Allison Prestwood (Pat Buchanan), Adam Shoenfeld (Big and Rich), Shawn Fichter (Peter Frampton, Faith Hill), Brian Sutton (Jerry Douglas, etc.) Robert Kearns (Cry Of Love), Dave Pomeroy, the Memphis Horns (Stax Records, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, "Pet Sounds"), Reese Winans (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Gary Allan), Chuck Cannon, J. T. Corenflos (Jim Lauderdale), Lari White, Kenny Vaughn (Marty Stuart, Jim Lauderdale), Jason Isbell, Brent Mason, Glen Wharf, John Hobbs, Greg Morrow, James LeBlanc, Walt Aldridge and Chad Cromwell (Mark Knopfler, Neil Young)....just to name a few (enough of the name dropping already!) Did I say Tom Bukovac already?
I'd like to think of my songs as simple and honest. I draw from influences such as Hank Williams, the Black Crowes, Ray Charles, Chuck Cannon, Tom Petty, the Band, Gillian Welch, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, John Cash, Lucinda Williams, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, Jerry Garcia, Springsteen, and Jesus.
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