Singer-songwriters Pat Alger, Marc Beeson and James Dean Hicks will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, as part of the Bluebird on the Mountain concert series at Dyer Observatory.
Bluebird on the Mountain showcases artists from the stage of Nashville’s Bluebird Café singing on scenic observatory grounds overlooking the city. The series is booked by Amy Kurland, founder and owner of the Bluebird Café.
Pat Alger could easily be described as a “songwriter’s songwriter.” He is one of Nashville’s most successful writers with more than 20 hits to his credit, including eight No. 1 songs.
In the 1980s, Alger won the attention of established artists including Dolly Parton and the Everly Brothers and rising stars Nanci Griffith, Kathy Mattea and Garth Brooks. In the early ‘90s Alger scored four No. 1 hits with Brooks, “The Thunder Rolls,” “Unanswered Prayers,” “What’s She Doing Now” and “That Summer.” For his efforts Alger was voted the Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International and named ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 1992. In recent years Alger has produced and performed on a pair of well-received tribute albums to Brooks and country artist George Strait.
Illinois native Marc Beeson began his music career performing on the Southwest club scene. After settling in Nashville, Beeson recorded a pair of solo projects for BNA and Warner Bros. Records. In the mid-‘90s he joined forces with former members of Exile and Southern Pacific to form Burnin’ Daylight. The group released one album for the Curb label before disbanding in 1997.
Beeson scored a Top 5 adult contemporary hit with Restless Heart’s recording of “When She Cries” in 1992. The song was named both the ASCAP country and pop song of the year. Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Buddy Jewell and Reba McEntire have recorded Beeson’s songs in the past two decades. Beeson currently writes for Springfish Music Publishing.
James Dean Hicks has been performing country music since the age of 10. As a youngster in Kentucky, he would often travel to Nashville with his family where Hicks was a frequent guest on the late Ernest Tubb’s Midnite Jamboree.
In 1987 Hicks scored back-to-back No. 1 Billboard hits with the Oak Ridge Boys’ recordings of “This Crazy Love” and “It Takes a Little Rain (to Make Love Grow).” From there he wrote hits for Conway Twitty, Sammy Kershaw, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire and more recently Kenny Chesney. Hicks performs over 200 shows a year and has opened for Keith Urban and Merle Haggard.
Advance tickets for the show are available through Ticketmaster, which will add a handling fee. Tickets are limited, and past performances have sold out in advance of the show, so it is advisable to purchase tickets early. All concerts will be held rain or shine.
Concert attendees 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.
The final show of this season is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 13, and will feature Steve Seskin, Allen Shamblin and Chuck Jones.
Dyer Observatory is located at 1000 Oman Drive, off Granny White Pike between Old Hickory Boulevard and Otter Creek Road, near Radnor Lake. A map is available at www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu/directions.htm.
Media Contact: Chris Skinker, (615) 322-NEWS
Chris.skinker@vanderbilt.edu