Words & Music: Most people remember when they first heard a song that touched their lives. Now, learn about how the songs were written and the stories behind them in Words & Music: The Showcase for Nashville's Songwriters. Veteran entertainment reporter Harry Chapman sits down with successful songwriters who share their music and their stories, as well as important information and insights for aspiring writers. Words & Music is produced in partnership with the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
This Month on Words & Music:
Show #210 – Sarah Darling & Jeff Dayton
SARAH DARLING
Sarah Darling was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and raised in a small Iowa town as an only child. Her earliest exposure to country music came on Sunday mornings when her grandfather would listen to the radio while driving her to church. She grew up writing poetry and eventually gravitated toward writing songs. On her 14th birthday, she received a small sound system and began singing locally at weddings, birthdays, talent shows, pageants and the Iowa State Fair. In 2002, a year after graduating from high school, she saved $5,000 and packed up everything she owned in a horse trailer to head to Nashville to pursue her music career.
In 2003, she auditioned for The Entertainer, an E! Entertainment Television reality series hosted by Wayne Newton. After spending eight weeks living at the Las Vegas Hilton while competing for a performing contract, she finished in the Top 3. Newton took her aside one day to say she was his favorite singer on the show -- but added that she didn't belong in Las Vegas. He suggested returning to Nashville to concentrate on country music. She spent the next three years writing songs and performing in local clubs. While supporting herself with a job as a waitress, Sarah also found work as a model and appeared in several music videos, including Kellie Pickler's "Red High Heels," Joe Nichols' "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" and Big & Rich's "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)."
Sarah was discovered via her MySpace music page where producer Jimmy Nichols heard one of her songs, "Stop the Bleeding," and signed her to his label, Black River Entertainment. Sarah went into the studio in the summer of 2008 to record her debut album, Every Monday Morning, which was released on June 16, 2009. Her single "Jack of Hearts" successfully made its debut on Country Music Television's top 20 countdown.
A second album, Angels & Devils, was released on February 15, 2011, following its lead single "Something to Do With Your Hands" and a digital single release of the U2 cover "With or Without You." To promote the single, Black River Music Group arranged for Darling to sing the national anthem for a Buffalo Sabres game in place of usual singer Doug Allen; the Sabres and Black River are both owned by Terrence Pegula.
On Words & Music, Sarah performs "Before the Color Dried" and "Whenever It Rains."
www.sarahdarling.com
JEFF DAYTON
From the White House to the Wildhorse Saloon, Jeff has been playing guitar and performing all his life. He's been a Nashville writer for over a decade and thrives on the concentrated creative scene in Music City. His hometown roots in Minnesota and years in Arizona earned him a music degree, regional hit records and the honor of backing artists like Vince Gill, Buck Owens, Bo Diddley, Dizzy Gillespie, Willie Nelson, Gene Autry, Toby Keith and many more.
Dayton is the pro mentor for the Nashville Songwriters Association in Hawaii, Arizona and Minnesota. He is also a pro writer with the Country Music Hall of Fame's Words and Music program.
His residency program "Making Music-Nashville Style" is a real-time, interactive school program to teach songwriting to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. He's been a staff performer and instructor for the BMI sponsored Kauai Music Festival since 2008.
Dayton was born and raised in Minnesota where he worked with musicians from Bob Dylan and Prince's bands as well as jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie. In AZ he got his BA Music degree at ASU, had a #1 country hit record and became Glen Campbell's bandleader for the next 15 years.
He has been a Nashville writer, session guy and producer since 2000.
On Words & Music he performs "Never Been Better" and "Any Old Time."
www.jeffdaytonmusic.com
Show #211 – Casey Kelly & Leslie Ellis
CASEY KELLY
Casey Kelly's performing and songwriting career spans 3 decades from sideman to Tom Rush on tour to headliner upon the release of his two solo albums (Casey Kelly and For Sale) on Elektra Records. Kelly's years of playing with artists such as The Neville Brothers, America, the Beach Boys, BB King, Boz Scaggs, and Loggins & Messina gave him the forum to hone his skills as a singer and guitarist and songwriter. A two-time Grammy®-nominated songwriter for "Soon" (Tanya Tucker) & "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight" (Kenny Rogers/Dottie West) Kelly's had a successful hit-songwriting career.
Some of his other hits include: "That Road Not Taken" (Joe Diffie), "Somewhere Down the Line" and "Cowboy Rides Away" (George Strait). Currently Casey is working on his first book, as he was recruited by the "Idiot's Guide Publishing Company" to write "The Idiot's Guide to the Art of Songwriting"
On Words & Music Casey perform "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight" and "That Road Not Taken."
www.caseykelly.net
LESLIE ELLIS
Leslie Ellis is a Grammy® Award winning vocalist, actress and singer.
Leslie has sung with many artists including Celine Dion ("My Heart will Go On") and Thomas Dolby. Her self penned "The Flyer Song" was adopted by the US Navy and made into a video as a tribute to the troops and their families.
As an actress, Leslie has appeared on television and the Broadway stage and in 2007 starred in an independent film called, "My Name Is Wallace," which was invited to the Cannes Film Festival. Since then she's appeared in featured roles in "The New True Charlie Wu" in a feature film called "Unconditional".
6 years ago, she teamed up with Kelly Ellis and together they have taken their show around the US and to Norway. Together Kelly and Ellis make an energetic duo that performs hit songs with exciting vocals, emotion and humor.
On Words & Music Leslie performs "You Don't Get to Say That Anymore" and "You Never Know."
www.leslieellis.com
The show airs at the following times:
Saturday
3:00am
Sunday
3:00am
Tuesday
1:00pm
Wednesday
12:30pm
