The sixth and final concert of the 2009 Bluebird on the Mountain series will feature singer-songwriters Kim Richey, Don Henry and Craig Carothers on Oct. 10 at 7 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 Café.
A limited number of tickets for the show are available through Ticketmaster, which will add a handling fee. Tickets are $95 for a carload. No RVs or buses will be admitted.
A native of Ohio, Richey worked as a cook at the Bluebird Café where she had an opportunity to observe and learn from some of Nashville’s finest songwriters. Richey’s keen sense of lyric composition and skills as a singer eventually landed her a recording contract with Mercury/Polygram. In the 1990s Richey released a string of critically acclaimed albums including Kim Richey, Bittersweet and Glimmer. Richey’s songs have been recorded by Trisha Yearwood (“Believe Me, Baby [I Lied]”), Brooks & Dunn (“I Fall”) and the Dixie Chicks (“Desire”). Richey’s most recent album, Chinese Boxes, was released in 2007.
Henry’s songs have been recorded by singers across all musical genres. Kathy Mattea’s recording of “Where’ve You Been” earned Henry and his co-writer of the song a Grammy for Best Country Song of the Year in 1990. Since that time Henry’s songs have been recorded by Conway Twitty (“Jenny’s Souvenirs”), Ray Charles (“Class Reunion”) and Beth Neilson Chapman (“Beautiful Fool”) and contemporary country artist Blake Shelton (“If I Was Your Man”). Henry’s albums include Live at the Bluebird and Flowers & Rockets.
The son of music teachers, Carothers cites a wide range of musical influences including classical, jazz, folk, blues and the sounds of Motown pop. He spent his early career playing music around the Portland, Ore. area before award-winning singer Trisha Yearwood recorded his song “Little Hercules” for the album Everybody Knows, which achieved gold record status in 1997. From that point on Carothers began traveling to Nashville to perform, settling here in 2000. Among the artists who have recorded songs Carothers wrote or co-wrote are Peter, Paul & Mary (“Invisible People”), Lorrie Morgan (“I Can Count on You”) and Kathy Mattea (“BFD”). His albums include Home Remedy, The Card and Solo.
Gates will open at 5:30 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. The show will take place rain or shine.
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.
Media Contact: Chris Skinker
Chris.skinker@vanderbilt.edu