Songwriting News: 2023 SYMPOSIUM BIOS (2024)

GARY BURR

It is a challenge to do justice to Gary’s accomplishments in a brief website bio for ASG’s Symposium 2023.

For starters, he has received the award as “Songwriter Of The Year” three separate times, by three different organizations: Billboard, NSAI and ASCAP. Earlier in his career, he replaced Vince Gill as the lead singer for Pure Prairie League, then set out for Nashville in the late 80’s.

Since then, his track record of songwriting success lands him among the greats of all time. He currently has more than 170 songs recorded by other artists, including a long list of country stars over the last 25 years, including: Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Wynonna, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hal Ketchum, Patty Loveless, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Leann Rimes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Gary Allan, Kathy Mattea, Diamond Rio, Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark, Collin Raye, Doug Stone and Ricky Van Shelton, among many others. He is also a highly sought songwriting collaborator, and has worked with many songwriting legends, including: Don Schlitz, Carole King, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx and even Ringo Starr.

As a performer, Gary has been a longtime favorite at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe, where Faith Hill was “discovered” while singing backup for Gary. When Carole King put together her successful “Living Room Tour,” she chose Gary as her guitarist, and the tour featured Gary singing some of his songs alongside Carole King classics. Most recently, Gary and his wife, Georgia Middleman, a successful songwriter in her own right, have been touring with Kenny Loggins as part of the Blue Sky Riders.

This is Gary’s first time to attend ASG’s Songwriter Symposium, and he will be performing, as well as facilitating songwriting and co-writing workshops throughout the weekend. Check your Symposium schedule for times, because you will not want to miss this experience.

CASH EDWARDS

Cash Edwards is a publicist, writer and career consultant. She has been working internationally with independent American music artists since 1984, including the legendary Hot Tuna, and a long list of Texas-based artists. Cash has the knowledge, experience and contacts to help artists focus their immediate message and promote it. Through her company Cash Edwards Music Services, she creates opportunities for artists, making and sustaining a visible presence through positive marketing. Cash will be available for one-on-one mentor sessions.

MICHAEL HEARNE

Michael Hearne’s destiny has been tangled in wire and wood since he first laid his hands on a guitar at the age of seven. With a natural ear for harmony and an aptitude for picking, it wasn’t long before a young Michael Hearne was a fixture at parties and local events in his childhood hometown of Dallas. By the age of sixteen he had honed his skills on the guitar and, without a doubt in his mind about his destiny, he hit the road as a touring musician.

Michael’s career over the next few decades would take him across the southwest and beyond. Calling the mountains of northern New Mexico home for many years, Michael shared his talents as a singer, songwriter, and picker in bars, listening rooms and dance halls throughout the region. In the 1980’s, he toured as a member of Michael Martin Murphey’s band, recording on Murphey’s 1982 self-titled album for Liberty Records. Hearne has penned songs for Jerry Jeff Walker and Gary P. Nunn (“Lesson to be Learned from Love”) and his New Mexico anthem, “New Mexico Rain,” was recorded by country music legend Johnny Rodriguez as well as by his uncle and aunt, Bill and Bonnie Hearne. Michael has also co-written with Mentor Williams, Andy Byrd, Shake Russell, Keith Sykes, and many others.

Making a name for himself in his chosen hometown of Taos, New Mexico – Michael’s signature sound on the guitar and beautifully distinctive voice became an integral part of any two-stepping event in the area. Still a local favorite and a multi-time winner of Taos News ‘Best of Taos’ award for performer and singer – Michael wrote and recorded some of his best work during his years at the feet of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Recording countless albums both with his band South by Southwest and as a solo artist, and writing such classic tunes as the fan favorite “New Mexico Rain” and “High Road to Taos,” Michael found endless inspiration in the culture and natural beauty of the area. 

After hosting years of informal barn dances, Michael officially began his Big Barn Dance Music Festival in 2003. Now a three day event featuring the best songwriters and performers in Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Singer-Songwriter and everything in between, the event draws music aficionados from across the United States. Throughout the event, Michael is found either on-stage – adding his signature sound to the music of his friends and peers, or just to the side- soaking in the music and preparing to introduce the next talented act to his enraptured audience. 

After recording several albums in the early 2000s – including the critically-acclaimed concept album Sight and Sound: Songs Inspired by the Fine Art of Northern New Mexico (winner of seven awards at The New Mexico Music Awards), Michael made his way to Nashville, Tennessee. There, he wrote and recorded 2011’s Life in America – after surviving the historic Nashville floods in 2010. The album not only showcased some of Michael’s best songwriting to date, but the talents of producer Mark Fain and some of the top pickers in Music City, including Bryan Sutton, Stuart Duncan, and Andy Leftwich. 

With this new album in hand, Michael packed his bags for the nation’s other country music mecca – Austin, Texas. There, he teamed up with renowned Americana songwriter Shake Russell, touring throughout the year and recording a duo album as well as another solo album, Red River Dreams, in 2016. Still occasionally found performing with South by Southwest – made up of long time members Carmen Acciaioli, a musical master of the steel guitar, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, and hammered dulcimer; and the extremely talented Zeke Severson on stand up and electric bass – Michael makes a point to spend some time in his New Mexico homeland as well. 

Now with many miles behind him and countless stages beneath his feet, Michael has amassed a dedicated and ever-expanding fan base. After many busy years of touring, recording, and promoting his Big Barn Dance Music Festival, Michael Hearne still has no doubt in his mind about his calling. Whatever he might be doing, Michael is sure to be found with a guitar in hand, his destiny intertwined as ever in wire and wood.

KATHLEEN HUDSON

The Tools We Need: A Way to Uncover Hidden Treasure

This experiential workshop, using the oral history research of Dr. Kathleen Hudson, will give participants the opportunity to use the shovel of their imagination to dig a bit deeper or use the key to unlock a treasure. Metaphor is all. Hudson research includes 3 books of interviews with Texas musicians, songwriters, women and Mexican American Voices. Hudson is in the English department at Schreiner University and founded/directed the Texas Heritage Music Foundation from 1987-2017.

Telling Stories, Writing Songs: An Album of Texas Songwriters. UT Press. 2001

Women and Texas Music: Stories and Songs. UT Press 2007

Mexican American Voices in Texas Music. TAMU Press, 2022.

[email protected]

830-377-3186

GEORGIA MIDDLEMAN

Georgia Middleman is an award-winning songwriter who has had songs recorded by Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Joe Nichols, Martina McBride, Sheila E., Radney Foster, Maia Sharp, among many others. Recently, Georgia’s song “When The Right One Comes Along” was featured on the ABC television show “Nashville.” Georgia is one third of the trio, Blue Sky Riders along with Gary Burr and Kenny Loggins and has just released her fourth solo CD entitled “Requests,” an acoustic collection of some of her most requested songs.

JIM PHOTOGLO

Jim Photoglo has had a varied career bouncing between being an artist, songwriter, and sideman.As an artist in the early 80’s, Jim had 2 top 30 Pop Hits, as well as several on the Easy Listening charts.  In the 90’s he recorded 2 albums for a Japanese label, and in 2000, launched his own label, producing 4 albums which fared well on Folk Radio.His songs have been recorded by Dusty Springfield, The Everly Brothers, Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill, Michael McDonald, and James Ingram. 2 songs, Fishin’ In The Dark (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) and Hometown Honeymoon (Alabama) went to #1 on the country charts.  Several songs have been featured in movies and television.As a sideman, he’s worked with Carole King, Dan Fogelberg, Nicolette Larson, Wendy Waldman, Andy Gibb and Vince Gill.  He has been playing bass and singing backup with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band since 2016.