Hit songwriters Kent Blazy, Cory Batten and Marv Green will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in the second concert of the 2010 Bluebird on the Mountain Series.
Held on the scenic grounds of Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory, Bluebird on the Mountain showcases artists from one of Nashville’s top music clubs, the Bluebird Cafe. The series was created in collaboration with Amy Kurland, who founded the Bluebird Cafe in 1982 and built the club into one of Nashville’s premier performance venues for songwriters before selling the venue to Nashville Songwriters Association International in late 2007.
Season tickets are sold out for this year’s series, but advance tickets for the remaining single shows are available through Ticketmaster or by phone. Tickets are $95 for a carload and a handling fee will be added. No RVs or buses will be admitted.
A 1965 recording of “Mister Tambourine Man” by The Byrds shifted Blazy’s attention from baseball to music. Playing in bands along the eastern half of the country, Blazy ultimately landed a job as guitarist and bandleader for Canadian Ian Tyson, co-writer of “Four Strong Winds.” Moving to Nashville in 1980, Blazy split his time between songwriting and operating a small home recording studio. Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Garth Brooks were among the aspiring artists who sang demos for Blazy, and ultimately, went on to enjoy successful music careers.
Blazy forged an ongoing collaboration with Brooks that resulted in numerous hits, including chart-toppers “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” “It’s Midnight Cinderella,” “Somewhere Other Than the Night” and “She’s Gonna Make It.” Kenny Chesney, Patty Loveless, Julie Roberts and Chris Young are among the artists to record songs penned or co-written by Blazy. [rquote]In recent years Blazy has released a series of recordings on his own label, Have Guitar Will Travel, Spokes in a Wheel and Play Guitar.[/rquote]
After receiving a degree in psychology from the University of Arizona, Batten moved to Nashville in 1998 with the goal of getting his songs on the country charts. The Arizona native achieved that goal – and more – with a pair of No. 1 hits for current country artists Blake Shelton (“She Wouldn’t Be Gone”) and Chris Young (“Gettin’ You Home”).
Batten also wrote “Is the Grass Any Bluer” for Rhonda Vincent’s critically acclaimed album, The Storm Still Rages. Brooks & Dunn, Julie Roberts and Blaine Larsen have also recorded Batten’s songs.
Green landed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell music within months of moving to Nashville in 1993. A few years later, he had his first hit with George Strait’s recording of “True.” In 2000, Lonestar’s recording of “Amazed” spent eight weeks at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s country chart and earned Green the Robert J. Burton Award for Most Performed Country Song of the Year and the Academy of Country Music’s Song of the Year. In 2001 he was named BMI’s Songwriter of the Year.
Other No. 1 songs include George Strait’s “It Just Comes Natural,” “Wasted” by Carrie Underwood and “Consider Me Gone” by Reba McEntire. [lquote]Earlier this year American Idol contestant Danny Gokey included the Green-Blazy song “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me” on his debut album My Best Days.[/lquote]
Gates will open at 6 p.m. for the show and visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket, lawn chairs and pack a picnic basket. After the show, visitors can linger to stargaze using the observatory’s Seyfert telescope.
If severe weather is forecast for show dates, please check the Dyer Observatory calendar for updates or call (615) 373-4897. Tony Arata, J. Fred Knobloch, Jelly Roll Johnson and Thom Schuyler are the scheduled artists for the next concert, which is set for Saturday, July 24 at 8 p.m.
Dyer Observatory is located at 1000 Oman Drive, off Granny White Pike between Old Hickory Boulevard and Otter Creek Road, near Radnor Lake. Directions are available at http://www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu/.
Built in 1953, Dyer Observatory was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The property consists of the observatory, 1953 house and garage and 2006 Star Chamber. The observatory serves as a community resource for the teaching of science as well as a venue for public, private and corporate events.