Nashville Songwriters by DPAC

The Songwriters of 60 #1 Hits

February 16

February 16, 2024 Featuring

Lee Brice Jeff Outlaw Wynn Varble Tim Nichols

Deric Ruttan Jessi Alexander David Lee Murphy

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Songwriters Bios

Special Guest: Lee Brice

When Curb Records recording artist Lee Brice isn’t selling out arenas, writing and recording songs, or building new brands like American Born whiskey, you’ll find the family man with his wife Sara, two young boys, and daughter. Meanwhile, with over 3 billion on-demand streams, and over 3.6 billion spins on Pandora, Lee continues to enjoy massive success at country radio, digital streaming services, and on the road. He recently reached #1 at Country Radio with “Memory I Don’t Mess With,” which consecutively follows three prior #1s: ASCAP’s 2021 Country Song of the Year “One of Them Girls,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Carly Pearce, and “Rumor,” which was nominated in the category Single of The Year at the 55th Annual ACM Awards. One of the mostplayed country artists of all time on Pandora, he was the second country artist behind Keith Urban to receive the Pandora Billionaire plaque. Lee is also a GRAMMY nominee, a CMA and ACM award winner, and he’s taken nine radio singles to Number One: “A Woman Like You,” “Hard to Love,” “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Drinking Class,” “Rumor,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “One of Them Girls,” and “Memory I Don’t Mess With.” Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney and others have recorded his songs, and he’s performed on numerous TV shows, including NBC’s Today, ABC’s The Bachelor, NBC’s The Voice and FOX’s Miss USA 2018. Lee performed as part of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoring Garth Brooks, aired on PBS March of 2020. At the 54th Annual CMA Awards, Lee took home the prize for Musical Event of the Year for his song with Carly Pearce, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” At the 56th ACM Awards, “I Hope You’re Happy Now” won Single of the Year and Music Event of the Year, and Lee and Carly Pearce performed the song live. Lee’s latest album, Hey World, features new radio single “Soul.” Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Songwriters Bios

Jeff Outlaw

Wynn Varble

Jeff Outlaw is a published songwriter of 13 years and signed a worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In addition to collaborating with many of the artists participating in this show, Jeff has worked with Phil Vassar, Troy Cartwright, Matt Nathanson, John Legend, Plain White T’s, Kip Moore, Drake White, and Brothers Osborne. His hits include “She’s On Her Way” by Phil Vassar and “Still Ain’t Made It Home” by Casey Donahew. He has created numerous video treatments for music videos with Vassar and served as Creative Advisor for Vassar’s popular show, Songs from the Cellar. He lives in Bahama, NC, with his family. Wynn came to love country music at a very young age when he discovered his father’s collection of classic country vinyl records. Around the age of 14, a neighbor showed Wynn a few chords on an old guitar. Before long, Wynn was playing on his own and writing his own songs. After years of performing in honkytonks and bars, Wynn decided to make the move to Nashville. His first radio single was “Fit To Be Tied Down” by Sammy Kershaw. Since then Wynn has had many hits including three number ones: “Have You Forgotten” by Darryl Worley, “Waitin’ On A Woman” by Brad Paisley, and “I’m A Little More Country Than That” by Easton Corbin. In addition to his number ones, Wynn has had songs recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Trace Adkins, Mark Chesnutt, Willie Nelson, Kellie Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, and many others. In 2009, Wynn received the Nashville Songwriters Association’s Songwriter of the Year Award. He made his Grand Ole Opry Debut in 2011. Additionally, Wynn has appeared on several tv shows and was featured weekly on the Joey & Rory Show for several years.

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Songwriters Bios

Tim Nichols

David Lee Murphy

With nearly two dozen smash hits, multiple BMI songwriting awards, a Grammy for Best Country Song, as well as being inducted into the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2017, Tim Nichols has earned his place among Nashville’s most elite and respected tunesmiths. In 2004, along with Craig Wiseman, Nichols wrote Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying.” Other Nichols’ hits helped launch the careers of Jo Dee Messina (Heads Carolina, Tails California) and Dustin Lynch. (Cowboys and Angels) Sony Music artist Chris Young stayed at the top of the charts for 3 weeks with the Nichols composition, “The Man I Want To Be.” When not on Music Row in pursuit of his next hit or entertaining crowds with his songs and stories, Tim can be found on keynote stages across the country, sharing what chart-topping songwriters know about creativity, collaboration, and teamwork—so that companies, corporations, and businesses can be at the top the charts in their own industries. David Lee Murphy has written over 30 charting country singles and as well as #1 songs including “Til It’s Gone” by Kenny Chesney, “Anywhere With You” by Jake Owen, “The Only Way I Know” by Jason Aldean, “Hell Yeah, I Like Beer” by Kevin Fowler, “Live a Little” by Kenny Chesney, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square, “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean, and “Living In Fast Forward” by Kenny Chesney. Murphy released an album “No Zip Code” produced by Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney with many popular songs including the number one hit single and duet with Kenny Chesney, “Everything is Gonna Be Alright.” Murphy’s songs “Dust on the Bottle” and “Party Crowd” continue to be staples at country radio.

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Songwriters Bios

Deric Ruttan

Jessi Alexander

Deric Ruttan is a Grammy ® -nominated, Nashville-based singer/songwriter and a Canadian country music artist. The writer of multiple #1 country songs, Deric has had over 90 songs recorded by other artists, including cuts by Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Justin Moore and David Nail to name a few. Bentley’s chart-toppers “What Was I Thinkin’”, (Billboard #1), and “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do” (Radio & Records #2) are Ruttan co-writes, as are the Eric Church hits, “Guys Like Me” and “Hell On The Heart” (Mediabase #8). In November 2013, Deric celebrated a multi-week #1 when “Mine Would Be You,” recorded by country superstar and The Voice judge Black Shelton, was a three-week number one (Billboard) for the artist. “Mine Would Be You” was also nominated for a Grammy ® Award for Best Country Song, and an ACM Award for Song of the Year. In 2016, Deric celebrated his second Blake Shelton #1 hit with the introspective “Came Here to Forget.” In 2017, Country music superstar, Jason Aldean took Deric’s song “Any Ol’ Barstool” to the top of the Billboard and Mediabase charts to become the songwriter’s fourth #1 country single, and in 2020, “Die From A Broken Heart,” by Mercury Nashville duo Maddie & Tae, climbed the charts to become Deric’s fifth #1 song. He lives just outside Nashville, TN, with his wife. Jessi Alexander has written four #1 songs, including “I Drive Your Truck,” recorded by Lee Brice and winner of Song of the Year at the 2013 CMA Awards, 2013 NSAI Awards, and 2014 ACM Awards. A few of her other hits include Blake Shelton’s “Mine Would Be You” and “Drink On It.” Jessi also co-wrote Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb,” which topped the charts and won Best Song from a Movie at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Tonight’s Silent Auction Join tonight’s auction and bid to win exclusive items and experiences. To register for the Silent Auction, please text SONGWRITER to 99192. (not case sensitive)

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

Special Thanks to Anthony Nunn Scott Dorsett Enzo DeVincenzo Anthony DeVincenzo Kay Hess & Aloft Hotel Bahama Road Veterinary Hospital Jay Harris

Great Shows. Good Times. Celebrating 15 Seasons

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