| Jon Michaels writes songs and
music that Jack Canfield has proclaimed as “chicken soup for my
soul...that spreads light, joy and fun.” Nationally renowned musician Andrew
Gold (“Thank You For Being A Friend”) describes Jon Michaels as
“one of the great singer-songwriters in recent memory.” His debut CD “Stones”
was nominated as “Best Country CD” and “Best Live CD” in the 2004
“Just Plain Folks” awards, while Check Please and Stones
were also nominated as “Best Song” that year. Meanwhile, Jon’s songs have
been recorded by the likes of Tracy Lawrence and Ty Herndon, including Stones on
Tracy Lawrence’s Strong,’ and Grain of Salt
(co-written by Jon), as a duet by Ray Herndon and Clint Black.
Other achievements include writing and performing the original theme song for "Christina
Cooks," the Emmy Award-winning national public television series, as well as
performing an original song in each of the 26 episodes of Christina’s eighth season
on the air. He's now in his second season as Christina’s ‘in-kitchen’
singer/ songwriter. Meanwhile, “Christina Cooks” has partnered with
Whole Foods Market and created a series of live cooking shows, with a studio audience and
party atmosphere ... and Jon as the ‘Paul Shafer’ bandleader. |
Laurie McClain was
born in southern California, a child of the sixties, and decided at age six she'd be a
singer when she grew up. She watched the Johnny Cash Show religiously each week,
where she first saw artists like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan & Merle Haggard: "I
fell in love with folk and country music at the same time." At 12, she moved to
Lincoln, Nebraska, heard a Joan Baez recording of the Leonard Cohen song, Suzanne,
and begged her father for a guitar. At 15 she was playing local open stages, hearing songs
by the likes of Hank Williams and John Prine. "Kids my age were starting to go
for the new disco music, or were into bands like REO Speedwagon, Led Zepplin, Aerosmith
... I just couldn't relate to any of that." Her first paying gig was at 17,
covering songs by all her favorites. At 18, Laurie wrote her first song, and she's been
writing and performing for over 25 years, including 10 on the national folk circuit.
Moving to Nashville in 1997, she recorded her first CD, The Child Behind My
Eyes, with thirteen originals and an a capella version of Gillian
Welch's and David Rawlings' "Acony Bell." During the project, she and
Charlie Chadwick, a top session bass player in Nashville who produced it, fell in love and
then married in 2000.
In January, 2003, Laurie released "The Trumpet Vine: A Tribute to Kate
Wolf," a 14-song CD with 13 of Kate's songs plus We've Loved Away
the Night, which Laurie wrote to an unrecorded Wolf lyric. This fall she'll release a
27-song, 2-cd set entitled Laurie McClain, LIVE at the Purple Moon Coffeehouse,
from recordings made in Lincoln, NE in 1995. She's also currently working on a new cd of
original music. |
Bill
Warrington was born in Japan and grew up in Spokane,
Washington. At 17, he joined the Navy and, while stationed in San Diego at the North
Island Naval Air Station in 1976, saw a retiring Naval Commander playing a banjo
for some kids, and knew instantly he wanted to be a singer/songwriter. He bought his first
guitar that day and began to learn how to play. After moving back home
to Spokane in 1980, he continued to write songs and learn the guitar while working for the
Post Office. Rather than going Postal, he bit the bullet in 1989 and moved to Nashville to
hone his skills as a writer and performer. He's gone on to write with great
writers including: Gerald Smith, Thom Shepherd,
Patti Ryan, Bryan Cumming, Bob Feldman,
Tom Manning, Marci Salyer and Donna DeSopo.
His songs have been recorded by Sue James, Sarah
Hoffman, The Readings, Queenie Mullinix and Gerald
Smith.
Bill does about 50-75 shows a year around town and has played more Bluebird
Sunday Writers Nights than any other writer; 30 times since 1994. He has won the Most
Promising Male Award for 2004 and the Songwriter of the Year
Award 2005 from the Tennessee Songwriters Association International and is
currently working on his first CD entitled Lemon Yellow Limousine.. |
