Friends of Pegram Park: Writers Nights

November 22^nd will be an evening filled with incredible music and songwriters at the Fiddle & Pick, 456 Hwy 70 in Pegram. Artists scheduled are Kim McLean, Devon O’Day & Mark Elliott; Joe Doyle; Steve Leslie; Karen Angela Moore + K Squared; Laurie McClain; and Jim Miller.

Direct from Big Sky Heaven Blue House Concerts, Kim McLean, Devon O’Day and Mark Elliott will join the lineup. Individually, they are exceptional artists with incredible talents. Together they are a step beyond. Kim McLean is a career songwriter with songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack, Billy Gilman, Jennifer Hanson, and more. She won Gospel Song of the Year at the Dove Awards for "Count Your Blessing" recorded by the Martins. McLean has over 200 songs recorded by other artists and heard on TV shows like West Wing, JAG, and Hope & Faith.

Devon O’Day is a broadcaster, songwriter and author. After almost 30 years in professional broadcasting, and songwriting, O’Day decided to write a book about the beloved animals that have blessed her life. "My Angels Wear Fur" is a book that “…opened my life to my dream of writing for a living.” She is still on the radio in several different forms, and has a new book out, that includes a CD of original music by award-winning songwriter/singer, Kim McLean. "Goodbye My Friend: Celebrating the Memory of a Pet", is an endearing book to help in the passage of “our furry angels.”

Mark Elliott rounds out this trio with his masterful songwriting, guitar expertise and warm vocals. His journey to Nashville has followed many paths but this travels have always brought him closer to his roots. From folk to bluegrass, from country to Americana, Elliott will warm your soul and open your eyes to life and times long forgotten. He has played at the Kerrville Folk Festival, held staff-writer positions at Cherry Lane Music, Maypop Music Group, Sony and has worked with folk legends including Tom Paxton.

Joe Doyle grew up in Rhode Island and studied at Berklee in Boston. After Berklee, Doyle moved to Nashville, signed a publishing deal with BMG before moving on to Tom Collins, Acuff-Rose, Murrah Music, and now writes for Amylase Entertainment. His 20-years on Music Row produced hit songs that include the #1 Country Single "In Pictures" by ALABAMA and the Top 10 Single "She Said Yes" by Rhett Akins. Jason Aldeen recorded a song co-written with Mike Mobley called "Back In This Cigarette" on his latest CD, "Relentless" and Luke Bryan’s debut release includes their song "Tacklebox". Others to record Doyle’s songs include Reba McEntire, Dan Seals, Joe Diffie, Deryl Dodd, Daryle Singletary, Linda Davis, Robert Ellis Orrall, and more.

Graduating from Morehead State University in KY with a BM in Jazz Studies/Guitar, Steve Leslie moved to New England, Tallahassee and then to Nashville where in 1992 he signed as a staff writer to EMI Music Publishing for eight years. Leslie is now an independent publisher/songwriter, and his songs have been cut by Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Neal McCoy, Rhonda Vincent and Mark Chesnutt, to name a few. He has over twenty songs on Darryl Worley records and had the honor of receiving a Grammy Award Certificate for the title cut on the 2004 Best Bluegrass Album of the year; Brand New Strings - Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Karen Angela Moore celebrates her 21^st year as part of the Nashville scene and is bringing her jazz, blues, and big swing music to Pegram. Throughout her years in Nashville, Moore has been writing and producing nearly all styles of music for 12 years. Moore produced, wrote for, performed on, licensed, marketed, and published a Football Album with the GREEN BAY PACKERS 10 years ago – a project that sold an amazing number of units. One of the songs was just released in September 2008 Packer’s music compilation entitled, TAILGATE TUNES II!

Laurie McClain’s songwriting style has been hailed throughout the U.S., Folk & Roots Magazine in the U.K., Rambles Magazine in Ireland, Dirty Linen Magazine and many others. Suzy Bogguss comments, “Her songs go deep and they stay with you” and Singer Magazine states, "Laurie's voice has a raw, genuine classic folk resonance that pulls you into every song.” McClain has traveled far and wide and continues to delight audiences with her earthy lyrics and music.

After getting his degree from Berklee, Jim Miller moved back home to Pittsburgh, then to Nashville. Three solo albums (and an EP) later, Miller is still playing music. He plays over 150 shows a year throughout the East Coast and Midwest. His music has received impressive airplay in the U.S. and abroad. His latest effort, Seesaw, was co-produced by Matt Mangano and The Pittsburgh Tribune raves, “Miller’s music is timeless. The songs on Seesaw are infectious delights.”

Join Friends of Pegram Park and these award-winning songwriters at the area’s finest music hall, the Fiddle & Pick, located at 456 Hwy 70 on Saturday, November 22 at 7pm. Requested door price is $7 for adults, $5 for children and senior citizens. Funds collected help support Pegram Park development. Additional information can be found at www.friendsofpegrampark.org or calling 615-646-2447.

2008 Events...
October 18^th...once again provided a great evening of music. The line up included Wood Newton, Ron Hellard, Joe Scutella, Linda McRae and Clay Rigdon with special guest Don Rollins. These singer/songwriters have dozens of #1 hit songs and awards credited to their names.

Wood Newton performed some of his biggest hits including “Bobbie Sue”, “What I Didn’t Do”, “Riding With Private Malone” and “Lillie’s White Lies”. He also sang several of his personal favorites, “Hard Times in the Big Easy”, “Wave On Old Glory, Wave On” and a song he wrote about his father, “Daddy Went To Heaven In A Pickup Truck”.

Ron Hellard brings his own list of #1 hits to an evening and packed in as many as time would allow. He kicked off his segment with “I’m A Country Song” followed by “I’m No Stranger To The Rain”, “Velvet Chains”, “I Tell It Like It Used To Be” and “Rock & Roll Money” a Jerry Lee Lewis hit. Hellard dedicated a song he wrote for his wife Karen “If There Hadn’t Been You” (Bill Dean), and finished up with “Rock On” and Keith Whitley’s hit, “Quittin’ Time”.

Don Rollins (r) joined 2008 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year winner, Clay Rigdon (l) for a fun set of stories and music. Clay Rigdon’s rich and melodic voice combined with his original material has garnered him with several Male Vocalist of the Year awards. Rigdon’s songs are personal and reflect events in his life. His most poignant song of the evening, “Off The Beaten Path” chronicles spousal abuse and survival of a long and painful relationship. Don Rollins’ tongue-and-cheek outlook is reflected in how his ‘almost cuts’ derailed several artist’s careers. Amid all the diversity, laughter is always his friend. Two co-writes with Jim Brown include “That’d Be Me” and their song, “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere” – a Grammy winning song eight weeks at #1.

Joe Scutella always brings great songs to the FOPP Writer’s Nights, and this night was no exception. He delighted the crowd with new and familiar tunes. He opened the night with “Blue Rodeo” and followed it up with a song he wrote for his wife, “She’s My Girl” (complete with a trumpet solo). Scutella also performed “Better Hang In There” recorded by Roz Falzone, “West of Nowhere” and by special request, “Love is A Train”.

From Canada, Linda McRae recently moved to Kingston Springs and delighted everyone with a diverse style of music jam-packed with strong melodies and intriguing lyrics. From Americana, “The Station” to country, “One Teardrop In The Bottom Of A Glass”, she holds an audience spellbound. Although claw-hammer style banjo is a lost art, McRae resurrects the instrument. She played this instrument for the majority of her set singing, “Carvin' To The Heart”, “I’ll Let Your Love Light Shine” and had the audience singing along on “Really & Truly” – one of the most beautiful songs of the evening.
September 13^th...A great evening of music filled the Fiddle & Pick in mid-September with music by some of the area’s best singer/songwriters. There was a little of something for everyone – Cajun, folk, country, bluegrass, and even a touch blues.

Pam Daley, Patty Mitchell and Steven Farmer have a beautiful blend of harmonies and pure sound like no other. Pam Daley’s keen insight is heard in her songs “I Won’t Be Looking Back”, “Flowers Of The Field”, “Wastin’ Away” and “Out In The Fields” – a song that chronicles a family’s plight during the potato famine in Ireland. Recently touring with Gail Davies, Patty Mitchell performed Davies’ tune, “I’m Hungry, I’m Tired” and the duet she recorded with Ralph Stanley, “You’re Still To Blame”. Patty also performed “After The Storm”, which was cut by Claire Lynch. Steven Farmer is also a noted songwriter and performed two of his originals, “Three Sides To Every Story” and “Nothin’ But Good”.

Les Kerr

joined Everett Brown on stage for a great set of music. Because they often perform together, they easily set into a natural rhythm. Everett began his set with “Bell Buckle”, “No Sadder Day Then Saturday” and “All Roads Lead To Ireland”. He finished up with his tribute song to all aspiring songwriters, “Tonight Is Writer’s Night”. He then turned his attention to harmonica as he played on several of Les Kerr’s songs, adding that special sound to Kerr’s New Orleans style music. From his opening tune, “Magnolia Springs” and “The Camellia Grill”, Les had the audience’s attention. A little audience participation is always welcome, and he got everyone singing along on “If I Live to Be A Hundred”. Co-written with Jim Sparks, “Pray for New Orleans” was used as a fundraiser for victims of hurricane Katrina. Les finished up with “Hillbilly Blues Rock ‘n’ Roll”.

From Kingston Springs and Red Tree Coffee, Cole Bruce was joined by his wife Amy Bruce on

harmony vocals and brother Adam Bruce, on percussion. This dynamic trio is captivating, energetic and passionate. Cole performed “I’m Waiting On You”, “Private Universe”, “Michael Angelo”, “My Dear Someone” plus several others. However, the sultry-blues song, “Cotton Dress” was by far the most enticing song of the evening. If you missed it or want to hear it again, stop by Red Tree Coffee on a Friday evening and put in your request.

Dave Parks and Chase Foster closed out the evening with nothing short of a brilliant performance. Parks toured this summer throughout the U.S. and has several videos receiving airplay. He performed “She Can”, “I Ain’t Lookin’ Back” and the tongue-and-cheek song, “I Kissed Her Lips and Left Her Behind For You”. Although Chase Foster is a freshman at Belmont, his talents far exceed his youth. He is an accomplished musician and singer/songwriter. He has incredible insight that is evident in his lyrics – “He Won’t Love You Like I Do” and “I Just Want To Wake Up Next To You”. His adaptation of “Whatever Happened To Us”, written by Dave Parks, was in a word – amazing.

September 13th Photos by Tom Salter

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We all miss Joyce's Coffee Shop where we made lots of friends and ate even more delicious treats! We miss seeing you and your family. We miss your smiling face, friendship, great food, and the wonderful venue you provided for our writer's nights that benefited Pegram Park. Thank you for sharing and inviting us into your world! ~ Marilee Chipoletti

2007 Events...
October 6^th...Friends of Pegram Park finished the 2007 season with an incredible evening of singer songwriters that included Deborah Allen, Gary Culley, Carrie Mills, Lisa Dotolo, Bat McGraff and Mason Douglas.

Deborah Allen is a masterful songwriter with a presence that absorbs all who hear her sing. Her list of hit songs is endless, and this night she performed close to a dozen of her biggest chart stoppers, including “Rock Me” and “Hurt Me” (LeeAnn Rimes), “Hurt Me Bad” (Patty Loveless), “I’m Only In It For The Love” (John Conlee), “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby” (Janie Frickie) and her signature hit, “Baby I Lied”. Deborah sang some of her most touching songs to close the evening and held the crowd in the palm of her hands with “Natural Tears”, “At The Feet of Jesus” and a brand new song, “This Is My Naked Prayer”.

Pegram resident, Gary Culley, got everyone rockin’ with songs from his latest CD, There Are Times. From “Counting Down Exits” to “Tell Me Mississippi”, “South Carolina Love” and “There Are Times”, Gary took the audience through a journey of life and times. His song, “You Made Love”, expresses the love and dedication his mother continues to bestow to others to this day. Gary’s ultimate praise for his life and times was reflected in his closing song, “I Wanna’ Thank You Lord”.

From Brooklyn, NY, Carrie Mills finds herself in Pegram singing songs that accentuate her life and times growing up in NYC. Written after 9-11, “I Am New York City” is a tribute to New York; and “Looking Through Windows” (sung a Capella) mirrors a little girl growing up in Brooklyn. Carrie also performed “A Simple Day”, “Just A Dream”, “Beauty That Still Remains” and the melancholy song, “Dance For A Dollar”.

Lisa Dotolo was joined by Johnny Lake on guitar and harmony vocals and Sandy Dotolo on harmonyvocals. Lisa has a strong and powerful voice – clear, melodic and angelic. You can her soul cry out to you on her songs, “I Believe”, “My Only Wish” and “Angels On The Corner”, a song she wrote for her brother. The trio also performed “Lonely Nights”, “Lora Li”, “Corner Of The Universe” and the upbeat song, “Live In Harmony” with incredible harmonies.

Bat McGrath was in rare form and donated his talents for another fun evening with Friends of Pegram Park. He began his set with “It’s Love Still”, a song devoted to his wife, Tricia, and “Give My Love A Try”. In addition, Bat also included “Come Some Rainy Day” (recorded by Wynona), “That’s My Sam” and “World Without Mirrors”, a song co-written with Joy Doyle.

Mason Douglas opened the evening with the sultry jazz-blues tune, “The Blues Never Looked Good On You” followed by “You Didn’t Say You’d Say Goodbye”. Calling for some audience participation, Mason invited the crowd to join in the fun with “Fiesta Today” - and the audience responded in great voice. Mason’s insight to the happy and sad times in life echoes throughout his songs; however, the most haunting encounter is the song, “Home Free” – a song he wrote and dedicated to his father who served in the military. It is a touching ballad reflecting a soldier’s allegiance to service, freedom and sacrifice.

Thank you for joining Friends of Pegram Park for their 35^th show! In addition, FOPP extends a special thanks to Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop for many enjoyable nights and the many songwriters who have donated their time and talents for the 2007 Writer’s Night series.

August 25^th...Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop Rocks! From country to jazz to blues and rock, the August 25 Friends of Pegram Park Writer’s Night had a little bit of something for everyone.

Local favorite, Dave Parks, co-writes all his songs with someone very special – his dad. Many people know Dave as a teacher at Harpeth High School, but his talents are far reaching. In January, his band performed at Cabin Fever in support of Harpeth’s Band of Blue, and in August, he delighted the audience with some of his best original songs including “I Ain’t Lookin’ Back”, “De Ja Vu Rain”, and “You Make It So Easy”. He also performed “King Of Heartaches” which is on the soundtrack of an independent film that was shot in Dickson. Dave finished his set with “American Dream” and “Rhythm Of The Road”.

Jazz/blues singer, Karen Angela Moore, is the torch singer of Nashville. Her trio consists of some of the finest musicians this town has to offer, including Kent Gunnerson on lead guitar, Matt Josephson, on drums, and Jon Young on bass. Karen’s sultry voice entices the audience from the very first note. She entertained the crowd with “Every Time The Moon Turns Blue”, “I’ll Always Be In Love With You”, “Is There Ever A Right Time For Love?”, “All The Wrong Things To Do”, “The Same Blues” and “De Ja Blue”. Yes, she can sing!

If your style is more country, then Jean Ann Hand and her husband/guitarist, Joe Hand, will bring you home. Jean Ann’s voice is as inviting as is her personality. She opened the evening with “I’ll Be Much Better On My Own”. She followed with “Mercenary Mary” (expressing -Here comes Mary, there goes a piece of every man in town), “I’ll Not Apologize” and the endearing songs, “Daddy’s Arms” and “Where Are The Angels?”. Jean Ann’s husband Joe closed the set with the lighthearted tune, “Let Me Tell You”.

Larry Sandlin (guitar and dobro) and Sam Weedman (bass) provided more blues, fun, and lots of laughs. From the forlorn blues song, “Van Gogh” to the light-hearted “Feline Song”, Larry covered all the bases. He performed songs off his first cd, Big Blue World, as well as from his latest CD, Analog Guy (Stuck In A Digital World), where he continued to entertain the audience with “Better Be Better”, “I Can’t Be Satisfied”, “She Loves Money” and “Blessed Be the Blues”.

The Cole Liles Project featured several Harpeth High School students including Shade Gossett (bass/guitar/vocals), Drew Scheuer (drums), and very special guest, Casey “Cowbell“ Campbell on the ever-popular “cowbell”. These great young musicians opened the final set of the evening with the HHS favorite, “Chicken Nugget Thursday” written by Cole Liles. The group also had fun with “Times Like These”, “Save Me”, “Tribute”, “Never Too Late”, and “Don’t Fear The Reaper” with featured performer, Casey “Cowbell” Campbell.

July 28^th...Songwriters and song-lovers alike gathered for the July 28 Friends of Pegram Park Writer’s Night at Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop in Pegram.

Kim McLean and Devon O’Day joined Mark Elliot for an exceptional round of music, stories and great harmonies. Kim McLean and Devon O’Day often perform together and on this night, they treated the audience to “Cryin’ Days”, “Mr. Lincoln” and Kim’s favorite song, “No Stone To Throw”. The most moving moment of their set came when Devon and Kim did what they call a ‘book singing’. Devon read the story, “Maria’s Wings” from her book, My Angels Wear Fur and followed up with the song, “Beautiful Goodbye” performed by Kim. Kim and Devon concluded the round with their co-written song, “Said One Mother”.

Mark Elliot rounded out the trio with songs from his new cd, “Pickin’ Blackberries”, as well as harmonies with Kim and Devon. Mark opened the set with “Orphan Train” followed by “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, “Ada Mae Hates Jackson” and “Crescent City”. He also introduced a new song, “I Love Country Music”. Mark closed his portion of the round with a tribute to a dear friend, Tom Dundee, with his song, “500 More Years”.

With Robby Hicks on guitar and vocals and Mark Caviness playing mandolin and resonator guitar, this duo presented a unique and fun sound. Robby performed “Heaven On Earth”, “Nothing To Worry About”, “Love No More” and “All The Difference In The World”, a tune co-written with Eric Heatherly. In the midst of seriousness, Mark sang his light-hearted song, “Slime Moves”.

Marilee Chipoletti joined the evening singing folk/country tunes that included, “You Can’t Lie About Love” and “My Heart Is Backing Out”. By request, Marilee performed, “For So Long”, a song she wrote more than 20-years ago for her husband, Chip. Marilee concluded her set with “What A Miracle” – a song she performed at the Pageant of Peace Christmas Celebration in Washington, D.C.

With more energy than you’ve ever experienced before, Kim-Char Meredith finished the evening with songs that were exciting, personal and aimed to open the door to inner feelings. She entertained the crowd with “Sunrise To Sunrise”, “Not Too Fast”, “You Can Fly” and “Dreams Are Made Of These”. Kim-Char closed the evening just as she opened her set with excitement and energy.

Friends of Pegram Park is grateful to all the musicians for donating their time and to Chip Chipoletti for supplying sound. Please mark your calendar now for another fun evening, August 25 at Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop when The Dave Parks Band, Karen Moore & Trio, Kara Clark, Larry Sandlin, and The Cole Liles Project with Casey Campbell, Shade Gossett, and Drew Scheuer, all join in the fun. For more information, please contact Friends of Pegram Park at marilee@friendsofpegrampark.org or 646-2447.

June 2nd...Those who missed the June 2^nd Friends of Pegram Park Writer’s Night missed an evening of great songwriters, entertainment, and stories behind the hit songs.

Laurie McClain, who plays guitar and harmonica, was joined by her husband, Charlie Chadwick, whose five-string cello and upright bass added incredible warmth to Laurie’s songs. She opened the evening with “I Wanna’ Be Like You” and “In This Old Town”. Laurie’s cd, “The Child Behind My Eyes” was produced by Charlie and includes the song, “Love Is Everywhere”, which she wrote for Charlie.

Joe Doyle kicked off his portion of the show with “Back In This Cigarette” from Jason Aldean’s debut cd. During the course of Joe’s writing career, he has penned numerous tunes including “She Said Yes” by Rhett Taylor and “Someone Like Me”, a song that he explains is the antithesis of Pegram, and was recorded by both Kenny Rogers and Blaine Larson. Joe also performed the bluesy song, “Ain’t Never Been You” and “World Without Mirrors”, co-written with Bat McGrath. Joe closed with “If I Met God Tonight”, “I’ll Be Your Alibi”, and “In Pictures”, a song originally recorded by Linda Davis and subsequently by Alabama for another hit record.

Joined by bass player, Dan Green, Everett Brown knows how to have fun with the audience. From the light-hearted official bluegrass song of “Bell Buckle” and “Love Is Blond” to more introspective songs like “When I Was Old”, “D-Day” and “Summer Avenue”, Everett had the crowd’s attention from the very first note. Songs also included “Love Will Continue”, “I’d Kill For You” (written in self-defense, he contends) and his ever-famous crowd-pleaser, “Tonight Is Writer’s Night”.

Three of the best female singers this side of Nashville – Della Mason-Stacy, Debbie Robbins, and Terri Calderon, joined Scott Stacy for the closing set. This trio combined for some of the best harmonies and high-energy singing to be heard anywhere. They warmed up Joyce’s with an a cappella version of “When I Reach The Place I’m Going”. From that point, the harmonies and songs continued to captivate the audience with their songs “Woman, Giver Of Life” and “Mississippi Burning”. In the midst of all this girl power, Scott performed “First Kiss”. The trio proceeded to wow the audience with “Way Down” (a cappella), as well as “Love Is Forever – Just Keep On Keepin’ The Faith”, “Move It On Down The Line” and the closing song of the evening, “No Matter What, It Ain’t Over”.

If you missed these songwriters, you really missed an incredible evening of music. Don’t miss another night of fun on Saturday, July 28 when Kim McLean & Devon O’Day, Mark Elliott, Bat McGrath, Kim Char Meredith, Jamie Adamson, and Robby Hicks donate their time for Friends of Pegram Park. As always, the fun all starts at 7pm at Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop on Hwy 70 in Pegram.

April 21st...at Joyce’s Coffee Shop & Deli proved to provide another great evening of music. With so many hit songs, there was never a dull moment.

Pegram resident and songwriter extraordinaire, Ron Hellard, kicked off the night with his smash hit, “I Tell It Like It Used To Be” recorded by T. Graham Brown. Being in fine voice, Ron continued his set with hit after hit as well as some new songs. Ron featured several co-written songs, including “Nobody’s Fault But it Sure is a Shame” (Karen Hellard); “You Are The Lesson I Never Learned” and “I’m No Stranger To The Rain” (both co-writes with Sonny Curtis). Rumor has it a movie about Keith Whitley is in the planning and Ron hopes “I’m No Stranger To The Rain” will make the cut. Keeping the crowd involved, Ron also performed Billy Dean’s hit, “If There Hadn’t Been You”, “Velvet Chains” by Gary Morris, and had the crowd singing along with “Quittin’ Time”.

Les Kerr and his Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll ensemble included Everett Brown and Brent Stoker. Together they demonstrated just what “Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll” music is. Les and his band always enjoy sharing a good time with the audience and prove it song after song. From “Ink By The Barrel” to Everett Brown’s comedic look at the Nashville songwriter scene in “Tonight Is Writer’s Night”, and Brent Stoker’s ukulele rendition of his song “Tourists In A Rental Car”, there was music to delight everyone. The group also performed “Hope and Love” which reflects survival of Hurricane Katrina victims and “Missing Her” (Everett Brown) about a friend serving in Iraq.

Americana singer songwriter Jon Michaels is one of Nashville’s best. With a voice that will draw listeners in and lyrics that won’t let go, Jon captivates an audience and holds them spellbound. Jon’s songs are fun and bold, soft and insightful. His performance included, “Lovers or Liars”, “The Gift Of Forgiveness”, “I Hear A Clock Ticking Too” (co-written with Gary Burr), a song for his wife, “There For You”, and the true story of “Miss Fannie”, an elderly woman Jon befriended while donating his time delivering meals. Songs “Check Please” (based on a true story) and “Stones”, both nominated for Best Song in 2004 were big hits with the Pegram crowd. The latter song, “Stones” recorded by Ty Herndon and Tracy Lawrence is featured on Michael Peterson’s upcoming CD.

Although Tommy and Lorrie Harden have been in the music industry for many years in different capacities, they are now finding theirown as very successful writers. The duet, “Everyday People”, was recently recorded by Reba and Carole King and appears on Reba’s new cd. This is the first song Carole King has ever recorded that she did not write. Lorrie draws her ideas from various situations, such as “Dirty Little Secret” a song inspired by the TV show, Desperate Housewives. They also performed “Love In The Backseat” and “Maggie”, a song about a father’s love. Jennifer Hinchliffe joined Lorrie on the duet, “Sleepin’ With The Telephone” which was also cut by Reba & Faith Hill.

March 17th...If you missed the Friends of Pegram Park Writer’s Night at Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop on St. Patrick’s Day, you missed a great evening of music and fun. From rock-a-billy to country to Appalachian bluegrass, the evening was filled with music for everyone.

Songwriter extraordinaire, Wood Newton, was in exceptional form as he

performed many of his #1 hits including “Twenty Years Ago”, recorded by Kenny Rogers, “What I Didn’t Do” by Steve Wariner and “Riding With Private Malone” by David Ball. Not to be too serious all the time, Wood also delighted the crowd with “Don’t You Wish You Had An Un-do Button?” and “Pink Flamingo”. With many classic songs and some brand new tunes, his sense of humor and vision of life transports the listener to a time and place often forgotten and to memories that are often kept on a shelf.

Gabrielle Maren (lead vocals), Bob Mason (guitar/harmony vocals), and Nell Levin (violin/harmony vocals) provided a set of Appalachian style bluegrass. Gabrielle’s pure voice was spellbinding as she sang “I Wish You Enough”, “Winter Dreams”, and “Mama’s Rose”. The songs, “Foggy Mountain Blue” and “Agnes Cole” deeply reflect strong Celtic overtones. Randy Vincent and Bob Mason wrote all songs.

Robbie Hicks brought an entirely different sound to the evening with Mark Caviness accompanying him on mandolin and resonator

guitar. Robbie opened with “Heaven On Earth (With You In My Life)” and followed with “Who Knows”, “All The Difference In The World” and “Off We Go”, the latter two which were co-written with Eric Heatherly. Robbie played one of the most fun songs of the evening, “Sleep All Day, Bark All Night – I Wanna’ Be A Dog” – a song almost everyone can relate to at some time in their life.

Ronnie Lee Twist opened the evening with his rockin’ rock-a-billy tune, “Keep On Lovin’ Me Like You Do”. The title cut from his new cd, “Better Than I Deserve” was also a big hit with the audience, as well as his other original tunes, “Till You Ride 8-Seconds With Me”, and the heartfelt song, “Back Where It Belongs”. With a deep, rich voice, Ronnie closed out his segment with a tribute song to Johnny Cash, entitled, “He’s Headed Home”, a song he wrote the day Cash passed away.

2006 Events...
December 2nd...There was an abundance of holiday cheer on Saturday, December 2^nd when Friends of Pegram Park hosted the final 2006 Writer’s Night at Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop in Pegram.

The evening started with Pegram residents Larry Knight and Drew Scheuer performing classic tunes including “The Christmas Song”, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, “Silent Night” and the most recorded song ever, Irving Berlins’ “White Christmas”. With Larry Knight playing jazz guitar and Drew Scheuer on drums, the duo also performed “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” for the young and young at heart.

Charlie Chadwick who added great warmth to the evening with cello, baritone guitar, and harmonies accompanied Laurie McClain on vocals and guitar. Together they delighted the audience with their renditions of “Little Drummer Boy”, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, and Steve Earl’s touching song, “Nothing But A Child”. Laurie finished her set with an incredible rendition of “Georgia On My Mind” and her original song, “The Child Behind My Eyes”.

Pegram residents Ron Hellard (r), Wood Newton (l), and Marilee Chipoletti (c) combined their talents for an enjoyable round of their favorite tunes. Ron Hellard performed “Christmas To Christmas" which is the title cut for both Toby Keith's and Lee Greenwood's Christmas albums, the classic tune, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", his #1 hit by Keith Whitley, "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" and "Santa Time" – a revised version of “Quittin' Time” for Christmas!

Wood Newton’s shinning and witty personality is always present, and Saturday was no exception when he began with the lighted-hearted tune, “Credit Card Christmas”. He also performed “Hard Times Come No More” and had the audience singing along on “The First Noel”.

Marilee Chipoletti was “truly honored to perform with Wood and Ron”. She opened with two of her favorite

songs, “The Gospel According To Luke” and “It Wasn’t His Child”, both written by Skip Ewing. She followed up with her original song, “What A Miracle!” and had the crowd singing along with “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”.

Ashland City resident, Karen Moore was joined by her trio which included Angus Aull, upright bass; Scott Neubert, lead guitar; and Matt Josephson on drums. Karen performed wonderful jazz tunes including “Always Be In Love With You”, “Ever A Right Time For Love?”, and “Every Time The Moon Turns Blue”. The group finished the evening with the classic tunes, “Santa Baby”, “Reindeer Shuffle” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”.

October 14th...As the autumn leaves turn brilliant colors and the air chills, the music in Pegram just keeps getting hotter! October 14^th featured Mark Elliott, a round with Joe Doyle, James Prosser and Bat McGrath, and the duos of Barry & Holly Tashian and Steve Dan Mills & Mathew Mills.

Mark Elliott opened the evening with songs from his new cd, Pickin’ Blackberries, including “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, “Stealing God”, and the insightful story of the Trail of Tears as reflected in “Ada Mae Hates Jackson”. Mark also introduced “Beatles & Baseball” and closed with the tongue and cheek song, “Redneck Rehab”.

The round with Joe Doyle, James Prosser and Bat McGrath presented old and new hits, and songs destined to be hits. Joe introduced the round by performing his new Kenny Rogers cut, “Someone Is Me”, a song that was inspired by the town of Pegram and Pegram Park. Joe also sang his big hit, “In Pictures” recorded by the group, Alabama, as well as the bluesy song, “I Ain’t Never Been In Love With You” and a song he wrote with Bat McGrath, “Can’t Get Used To Missing You”.

Bat McGrath opened with “Give My Love A Try”, followed by “Close Your Eyes, What Do you See?” – a song he confesses took him 17 years to write. He also played “That’s Her”, “One More Time”, and Wynonna’s hit song, “Come Some Rainy Day”.

Former Warner Bros. recording artist, James Prosser, delighted everyone with his great sense of humor and smooth country voice. James performed songs from his debut cd, including “Sea Of Heartbreak”, “Angels Don’t Fly”, and his first single, “Life Goes On”. He also performed “Lorene” and his new song, “For The Life Of Me”.

Bluegrass duo, Barry and Holly Tashian captivated the audience with their rich harmonies and pure musical style. The duo started with “Lucky Break” and “Tear Down This Wall Around My Heart”. They also played “Home”, recorded by the Nashville Bluegrass Band and “The Graveside Song”. The remainder of the set featured Holly playing upright bass on the jazzy style song, “Worry Doesn’t Worry Me”, “The Promise” and ”Long Story Short”.

Closing the show was the father-son duo of Steve Dan Mills and Matthew Mills. Matthew is an accomplished guitarist and harmony singer whose talents compliment Steve’s insightful lyrics. They performed several songs from Steve’s new cd, Inside Out Lookin’ In, including the title cut by the same name. From the haunting “Children In A War Zone” to “Glory Bound”, and “Where’s My Child Tonight?” the father-son team blended flawlessly. They finished the night with the gripping song, “Homeless All My Life”, a song inspired by a sign that read, “will work for food” which Steve saw in Nashville.

Saturday, December 2^nd is the last songwriter’s night for 2006 featuring some very special guests performing original songs of the holiday season as well as some of their personal favorite tunes. Next year promises more great writers nights and activities in the park. If you are interested in performing for one of the2007 writer’s nights, please contact Marilee Chipoletti at 646-2447 or marilee@friendsofpegrampark.org.

September 16th...Great music, stories and incredible friendship filled the air Saturday, September 16^th when Deborah Allen, The Kinley’s, Sarah Majors, Tia McGraff & Tommy Parham, Gary Culley, and Ric Butler packed Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop in Pegram.

Deborah Allen, The Kinley’s and Sarah Majors captivated the standing room only crowd with an amazing round of harmonies, newly penned tunes and hit songs. From the tongue in cheek, “Viagra-vation” to her timeless hits, “Rock Me” and “Baby I Lied”, Deborah kept the audience engaged in every note. She also performed “I Hurt For You”, “Natural Tears”, and the rockin’ gospel tune, “At The Feet of Jesus”.

Heather and Jennifer Kinley sing harmonies that only sisters can. Starting with “Just Between You & Me”, they also sang the light-hearted “Louie” (written by the Kinley’s and Majors), “I’m In”, “I Will” and “You’re Still Here”, another song they co-wrote with Sarah Majors. Keith Duke joined Heather for the duet, “Always Yours, Always Mine”. The Kinley’s currently tour with Deborah Allen as part of the PaJAMA Tour.

Sarah Majors started the round with her new cut, “Standin’ Out In A Crowd” which can be found on Tricia Yearwood’s latest hit cd, Jasper County. Through the years, Sarah has had many notable hits including, “She Can’t Forget” by Trace Adkins, and “Love Lessons” by Tracy Byrd, both of which she performed. Sarah also delighted the crowd with “Love Did This” (dedicated to her sister) and a “tender” love song, “If I Were A Beer”.

Recently back from Canada and Europe, Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham introduced several new songs they wrote while in the UK, including, “That Ain’t My Story” and “Devil’s Gold”, a song portraying greed vs. survival of a shipwrecked crew off the coast of Northern Wales. The duo also harmonized on “Love Grows”, “It Can’t Rain Everyday”, the love ballad, “I Can’t Quit” and closed with “Catfish Deacon”.

Pegram resident, Gary Culley joined the writer’s night debuting songs from, his new cd, There Are Times, including “Radio Preacher”, “I Think I Know”, and the uplifting tune, “Thank You Lord”. Gary also performed a brand new song, “Love’s An Easy Recipe” and his heartfelt song, “Time Was”.

Ric Butler kicked-off the evening with “That’s What Makes A Man” and followed up with “Waiting On A Heartache”, cut by John Corbett best know from the TV shows, Northern Exposure and Sex And The City. During Ric’s set, the audience was treated to his daughter, Presley, dancing to “Land of Plenty”, ”Hope That We Can Fall In Love Again”, and his song for the working man, “Me Against The World”.

August 5th...So much music, so little time at the Friends of Pegram Park’s August 5^th writer’s night where there were more #1 hits played in one night than you hear in a week!

Ron Hellard & Wood Newton played well over an hour trading off award-winning songs that just didn’t end. Ron started the segment with “Velvet Chains” recorded by Gary Morris followed by Wood singing “Bobbie Sue” by the Oak Ridge Boys. From that point, the hit songs rolled off these masterful songster's tongues. Ron performed incredible tunes including, “If There Hadn’t Been You” by Billy Dean, “I Tell It Like It Used To Be” by T. Graham Brown, “I’m No Stranger To The Rain”, and “Quittin’ Time” by Keith Whitley. Ron also introduced the crowd to several newly penned tunes, “Get Out Of Dodge” and “I Am A Country Song”.

Wood Newton recently moved to Pegram and eagerly displayed his number one cuts. From his huge #1 hit, “Twenty Years Ago” by Kenny Rogers, and “What I Didn’t Do” by George Jones, to David Ball’s “Riding With Private Malone”, Wood held the audience in the palm of his hand. Wood also performed the classic songs, “Lillie’s White Lies”, along with “Every Time I Think it Over, I Think It Over Again” by Conway Twitty, as well as the lighthearted tunes, “Daddy Went To Heaven In A Pickup Truck” and “Cowboys On Call”.

Billie Joyce opened the night with songs that reflected deep into the soul. A big supporter of the YW Domestic Violence Center of Nashville TN, Billie’s music echoes the struggles of domestic violence and survival, beginning with “It Takes One To Know One”. She also performed “A Way To Go”, “My Family” and finished up with “It’s Been A Good Ride.”

Harpeth High School students turned out in great numbers to support Casey Campbell & Friends that included Jesse Brock & Drew Scheuer playing rocking bluegrass! These fabulous HHS freshmen closed the show with “Living Proof” written by Harley Allen, an original “Warm-up” tune as well as an instrumental entitled, “Mandolino” written by Jesse Brock and Casey Campbell performed on dueling mandolins, with Jesse doubling on fiddle. The trio finished up with Drew Scheuer joining on percussion with another original tune and a final jam.

July 8th...Friends of Pegram Park celebrated their 25^th Writer’s Night with a full house at the new Joyce’s Coffee & Deli Shop on Saturday, July 8^th. The crowd gathered early to listen to HHS students, GRAVITY with special guest Jennafer Russell, and local favorite, Joe Scutella.

Joe Scutella joined the writer’s night lineup performing an array of different musical styles including Americana, folk, blues and jazz. Joe’s songs reflect his real life experiences from “This is My Life”, “Sweet Savanna Wind”, and “Cynthiana” to the heartbreak of “When Love Goes South”. Joe drew the audience in with every note and played “vocal” trumpet on “She’s My Girl”. Joining Joe on several songs was Ric Butler from White Bluff. His rich harmonies only made the music sweeter. They finished their portion of the show with “Big Night on a Small Planet”, “No, I Ain’t Broke No More”, and Joe’s signature song, “Love is a Train”.

GRAVITY opened the evening with an original instrumental, “Renegade”, followed by Jennafer Russell performing several classic rock tunes including, “Hello, I Love You”, “Dani California” and “Everlong”. The group closed their opening set with a rhythmically innovative rendition of the “Harpeth War Chant”. GRAVITY returned for a second set and closed the evening with original instrumental selections, including “Twilight” which featured duel lead guitars and “Let Go”.

If you would like to schedule a performance, please contact Marilee Chipoletti at marilee@friendsofpegrampark.org.
You can also visit us at www.myspace.com/friendsofpegrampark

Welcome to the Fiddle & Pick! Gretchen Priest-May and her husband Tim May, purchased the 104-year old stone building on the corner of Hannah Ford Road and Hwy 70 and restored what once was the old Pegram Post Office to a fabulous Music School and Performance Hall. The room is warm, the acoustics are fabulous, and there is plenty of seating for everyone. And as always, all ages are welcome!