News

Two of country music’s most accomplished songwriters will join host Richard Leigh for his ninth annual Richard Leigh and Friends Singer-Songwriter Concert at Martin Methodist College.

The Della Clayton Lee Cultural Arts Series event, featuring guests Even Stevens and Leslie Satcher, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in Martin Hall Auditorium. Admission is $7, and all students (kindergarten through college) are admitted free of charge. Call 931-363-9882 to reserve your seats.

Leigh – a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the composer of such legendary hits as “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” by Reba McEntire, “Somewhere In My Broken Heart” by co-writer Billy Dean, “Life’s Highway” by Steve Wariner, “Cold Day In July” by the Dixie Chicks and his iconic signature megahit, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” by Crysal Gayle – began bringing his songwriting colleagues for a yearly concert at Martin Methodist College in 2005, and this year he’ll introduce the audience to two more remarkable artists.

Even Stevens has enjoyed a 30-year songwriting career. Having received 55 BMI Awards, he was designated as one of BMI’s “Songwriters of the Century.” He has written 29 Top 10 songs and 14 that have reached number one. His most prolific success came as a co-writer with the late country artist, Eddie Rabbit, who charted 10 of those number one hits, including five in a row in 1980-81: “Gone Too Far,” “Drivin’ My Life Away,” “I Love a Rainy Night,” “Step by Step” and “Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight.” Among his other number one songs were “When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman” by Dr. Hook in 1979, “Love Will Turn You Around” by Kenny Rogers in 1982, “Lovin’ Only Me” by Ricky Skaggs in 1989 and “No Matter How High” by The Oak Ridge Boys in 1990.

The eclectic mix of major artists who have recorded his songs include Joe Cocker, Tim McGraw, Englebert Humperdinck, Martina McBride, Mac Davis, Roger Miller, George Jones, Ronnie Milsap, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Brenda Lee, Marilyn McCoo, Blake Shelton, Marie Osmond, Glen Campbell, Alabama, Barbara Mandrell, Julio Iglesias, the London Symphony and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Leslie Satcher remembers arriving in Nashville on a Saturday and the next morning, she was in the same church service as the Judds – Naomi, Wynonna and Ashley – who gave her the best welcome to Music City she could have imagined. She came to town to be a recording artist, but her gift for songwriting quickly became apparent to all those around her, and the Texas native eventually had songs recorded by such major artists as Joe Diffie, Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack, Wade Hayes, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Vince Gill, and Willie Nelson. Among her biggest hits have been “I Said a Prayer” by Pam Tillis in 1998, “When God-Fearin’ Women Get the Blues” by Martina McBride in 2002 and “Troubadour” by George Strait in 2008. Merle Haggard and Gretchen Wilson’s duet of her song, “Politically Uncorrect,” earned her a Grammy nomination in 2006.

For more information about this event and other cultural events on the Martin Methodist College campus, call 931-363-9815.