Writers
Rory Feek:
Rory was born in Kansas around country music and cornfields. After high school and two tours in the Marine Corps, Rory moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area where he worked playing in clubs at night, and wrote songs during the day. In 1995, he showed up in Nashville in a '56 Chevy and began hitting the streets with his songs. After a chance meeting with legendary songwriter Harlan Howard, he became Harlan's lone staff-writer for the next five years. He then spent writing for Clint Black's company, Blacktop Music Group, and in 2004, formed Giantslayer Publishing, a co-venture with New York-based Dimension Music Publishing, with Tim Johnson.Rory has written three No. 1 records in the last few years (Blake Shelton's "Some Beach," Clay Walker's "The Chain of Love" and Collin Raye's "Someone You Used To Know") and Blaine Larsen's heart-wrenching 2005 Top 15 single, "How Do You Get That Lonely." A compelling storyteller that weaves unforgettable slices of American life, Rory has written songs that have been recorded by such artists as Kenny Chesney, Randy Travis, Terri Clark, Mark Wills, Reba McEntire, Waylon Jennings, Lorrie Morgan, Buck Owens, John Michael Montgomery and Charlie Pride.
Rory found, self-funded, and co-produced Blaine Larsen's debut album with Johnson, independently creating and releasing a single, video and album that received major airplay and resulted in a major label co-imprint deal with RCA Records -- an unheard of accomplishment in Country Music at the time. He is half-owner of independent label Giantslayer Records, with new artists Blaine Larsen, JOEY MARTIN , Danny Green and Dustin Evans on its roster. In 2005, Rory and four partners founded storybehindthesong.net, an interactive website providing the stories behind the biggest hits in country music. He also co-wrote the story "The Chain of Love" that was published in the wildly popular Chicken Soup book series in the CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE COUNTRY SOUL volume.
A dedicated family man, Rory and his wife, Joey, live 40 miles south of Nashville, raising their two teenage daughters, Heidi and Hopie, in an 1870's farmhouse in Columbia, along with some chickens, ducks, dogs and a big garden.Visit his website: Rory Feek
Tim Johnson:
Tim Johnson grew up in a small logging community in western Oregon, and it's evident his rural roots run deep in his words and his approach to music. His musical tastes and interests vary widely, but country music was and always will be his first love. Tim's early influences include artists such as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings.Tim's first cut was "The Struggling Years" recorded by the late, great Chris LeDoux. Over a decade later, Tim has scored an extraordinary 100+ major label cuts, including such hits as "I Let Her Lie" (Daryle Singletary), "Someone You Used To Know" (Collin Raye), "Thank God For Believers" (Mark Chesnutt), "She Misses Him" (Tim Rushlow), "The Truth About Men" (Tracy Byrd) and Diamond Rio's latest single -- the moving "God Only Cries." Tim's song, "To Do What I Do," was recorded by Alan Jackson and inspired the title of Jackson's 2004 release, WHAT I DO. Tim also wrote the song, "When I Think About Leavin'," on Kenny Chesney's quadruple platinum album, WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN. George Strait's version of Tim's song, "He Must've Really Hurt You Bad," will be released on King George's new CD, IT JUST COMES NATURAL, on October 3, 2006. Tim, Don Poythress, and Wynn Varble also have KELLIE PICKLKER'S newest single "Things That Never Cross A Man's Mind."
Tim recently finished producing Blaine Larsen's sophomore CD, ROCKIN' YOU TONIGHT, on Giantslayer / BNA Records with co-writing credits on four songs, including the title cut, which is slated to be the follow-up single to the current hit, "I Don't Know What She Said." Johnson also co-produced Blaine's first album, OFF TO JOIN THE WORLD, with Giantslayer co-owner Rory Feek.
Jamie Teachenor:
In a small town in southeast Missouri, Jamie Teachenor began playing the piano and singing. His musical influences came from Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and his father, Jim Teachenor. His father was a river boat first mate who frequently made trips to Memphis and Nashville pursuing his love of great music.The same love for music that Jamie saw in his father was bound in Jamie from an early age. By age nine, Jamie was fronting bands to play country and boogie-woogie in local bars. His indescribable talent to sing and play the piano often drew crowds from the surrounding area and landed him in local papers.
While Jamie loved to perform, he also gained a strong passion for writing songs. Creative, yet rootsy songs with meaningful lyrics poured from him at the age of 17. The day before his 21st birthday, he moved to Nashville. After attending Belmont University for one semester, he signed his first staff writing deal with Murrah Music in 2002. In November 2004, Jamie signed a publishing deal with Giantslayer Publishing. Jamie co-wrote Blaine Larsen's debut hit single, "How Do You Get That Lonely" with Rory Feek. The song has proven to be one of the most touching and true pieces to emerge out of Nashville in years
Jamie is currently in the process of working on his debut project. His new country love and rockabilly roots are sure to bring a retro-fresh breath of air to the country music scene. It's been a long time coming.Visit his website: Jamie Teachenor
Blaine Larsen:
One of the most respected young talents on the country scene, Giantslayer/BNA Recording artist Blaine Larsen established himself as a voice and presence to be reckoned with by releasing the poignant "How Do You Get That Lonely," a searing look at teen suicide that has brought countless thank-you's from people comforted or strengthened by the song.His breakthrough debut CD, OFF TO JOIN THE WORLD, produced by fellow Giantslayer Publishing writers/producers, Rory Feek and Tim Johnson, launched Blaine's career and made him one of the best-selling new artists of 2005.
Blaine's second CD, ROCKIN' YOU TONIGHT (released June 13, 2006) fulfills all the promise of OFF TO JOIN THE WORLD, with songs that range from the hit single "I Dont Know What She Said" -- a fun and energetic look at romance and language barriers in Old Mexico -- to "Lips Of A Bottle" -- a duet with Gretchen Wilson that Blaine wrote with his high school math teacher, David Bleam -- to the hard-driving title cut, which will be the next single release. Blaine co-wrote four of the album's 12 songs.
With a rich baritone voice and desire for authenticity that goes back to his childhood appreciation for George Strait and Merle Haggard, Blaine seems poised to have a successful career graced by longevity. The Washington state native has already appeared in scores of media outlets, including ABC'S GOOD MORNING AMERICA and USA WEEKEND and has twice been selected as one of AOL's "21 Under 21," the only country artist among a Who's Who of the music world that includes Hilary Duff and Panic! At the Disco.
Blaine has toured with Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts before becoming part of the Redneck Revolution Tour with Wilson and Van Zant. Blaine has also played several times at the Grand Ole Opry. He recently earned a pilots license and married his longtime girlfriend, Sammie.Visit his website: Blaine Larsen
Helen Darling:
Helen Darling scored a crossover 1 hit song with “Bring On The Rain,†recorded by Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw, in 2002. The song was subsequently nominated for a Grammy, an ACM Award and a CMA Award. In October 2002, Darling was honored by NSAI members with a Superior Creativity Award and by BMI with a Citation of Achievement Award for “Bring On The Rain.â€Darling started her career as a Chicago jingle singer on television and radio commercials for such clients as McDonald’s and 7-Up. Her voice sang the familiar query, "Have you driven a Ford lately?" After moving to Nashville in 1993, Darling began singing song demos as well as background vocals for artists such as Garth Brooks. Next, Darling signed a country music recording contract with MCA/Decca Records. On her debut album, she invited Brooks to sing back-up on her track of “Even God Must Get The Blues.†Delbert McClinton and Lee Roy Parnell also made cameo appearances on this freshman effort. In 1998, Darling moved back to Austin, Texas to pursue family and songwriting. Reba McEntire recorded Darling’s “The Angels Sang†on her 1999 Christmas album. Extreme Writers Group signed Darling in 1999 as a staff writer, and she has since had cuts with Mindy McCready, Niki Horner, Bering Strait and Amanda Wilkinson.
She currently divides her time between Montana and Texas with her husband Dennis and sons, Cameron, and Carson.Visit her website: Helen Darling