Popular songwriters Al Anderson, Bob DiPiero and Karyn Rochelle will share the stage Saturday, June 20, at 8 p.m., for the second Bluebird on the Mountain concert of the 2009 season. Gates will open at 6 p.m.
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.
Bluebird on the Mountain visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket, lawn chairs and pack a picnic basket. After the concert, visitors can linger to stargaze using the observatory’s Seyfert telescope.
Season tickets are sold out for this year’s series, but advance tickets for single shows are available through Ticketmaster, which will add a handling fee. Tickets are $95 for a carload. No RVs or buses will be admitted.
Guitarist and songwriter Anderson cites James Burton, Duane Eddy and Chet Atkins as some of his earliest musical influences. The Connecticut native enjoyed moderate success in the 1960s with The Six Packs – later rechristened The Wildweeds – and recorded for the Cadet label before signing with Vanguard. In the early ‘70s, Anderson joined the eclectic country-rock-blues-jazz group NRBQ, with whom Anderson remained with for more than two decades.
In 1993, Anderson garnered his first Top Five chart hit with Carlene Carter’s recording of “Every Little Thing.” Subsequent songs penned by Anderson were recorded by The Mavericks (“All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down”), Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney (“License to Chill”), Vince Gill (“Next Big Thing”) and Diamond Rio (“Unbelievable”). In 2002 Anderson was named BMI’s Writer of the Year. Anderson has also recorded several solo albums including Party Favors, Pay Before You Pump, After Hours and Pawn Shop Guitars.
For more than two decades DiPiero has set the standard for Nashville’s songwriters. Since achieving his first No. 1 song in 1983 with the Oak Ridge Boys’ hit “American Made,” DiPiero has remained a consistent hitter with 14 No. 1 songs to his credit and dozens of other hits. Among DiPiero’s chart-toppers are “Little Rock” and “Till You Love Me” (Reba McEntire), “Clear Blue Sky” and “Cowboys Like Us” (George Strait), “The Church on Cumberland Road” (Shenandoah), “You Can’t Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl” (Brooks and Dunn) and “Wink” (Neal McCoy). DiPiero has won dozens of BMI awards and in 2000 was named Songwriter of the Year by Sony/ATV. In 2007 he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
DiPiero is not only a well-respected songwriter but also is a force in the current music industry scene serving on the Country Music Association’s board of directors as well as having served as president of the Nashville Songwriters Association.
Rounding out the evening’s concert is Karyn Rochelle. Moving to Nashville at age 19, Rochelle became a much sought-after demo and back-up singer working with such high-profile artists as Martina McBride. But it was as a songwriter that Rochelle found her niche and was signed on as a staff writer for Crutchfield Music and, later, Famous Music.
Country legend George Jones was the first major artist to record one of Rochelle’s songs, “I Said All That to Say All This,” which appeared on Jones’ 1998 album, It Don’t Get Any Better Than This. Other artists who have recorded Rochelle’s songs include Kenny G and Chante Moore (“One More Time”), Lee Ann Womack (“Surrender”), Trisha Yearwood (“Love Me or Leave Me” and “Georgia Rain”) and Kellie Pickler (“I Wonder,” “Red High Heels” and “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful”). Rochelle currently writes for Big Yellow Dog Music.
Due to the threat of severe weather, the May 16 concert with Kim Carnes, Tim Nichols and Greg Barnhill was cancelled. The show has been rescheduled for Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 5:30.
If severe weather is forecast for future show dates, please check the Dyer Observatory calendar for updates or call (615) 373-4897.
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://tinyurl.com/q7vbs9.
Media Contact: Chris Skinker, (615) 322-NEWS
chris.skinker@vanderbilt.edu