As soon as Jon Randall Stewart graduated from high school, he moved to Music City to follow his songwriting dream. He formed a short-lived bluegrass band and took a job delivering birthday balloons in a gorilla suit. In 1988, as a strolling musician at Opryland, he was discovered by Holly Dunn.

Later that year, Randall auditioned for a spot in Emmylou Harris’s band The Nash Ramblers and was hired as the only unknown in a band full of established super pickers.

He also landed a songwriting contract with Sony Tree and a recording contract — and because Larry Stewart, Lisa Stewart, Gary Stewart and Marty Stuart were already making records, his name was abbreviated to Jon Randall.

His skills as a tenor harmony singer and guitarist have led to membership in the bands of Sam Bush and Lyle Lovett, and he’s worked closely with Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, Lee Ann Womack, Bill Anderson, T. Graham Brown, John Cowan, Earl Scruggs and Kid Rock.

But recently, he’s spent his considerable writing and performing talents on his own music. His latest album, Walking Among the Living , is a stunning showcase of 14 original songs. He’s also seen more than a dozen artists record his tunes. “Whiskey Lullaby,” co-written with Bill Anderson, was sung to fame by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss and won 2005 CMA Song of the Year honors.

www.jonrandallmusic.com

Leslie Satcher is a fifth generation Texan. The daughter of a strong-hearted single mother and granddaughter of cotton sharecroppers, she is no stranger to hard work and perseverance. Born in 1962 where the Chisolm Trail and the Red River cross, Leslie grew up singing in the churches and schools of Paris, Texas.

In 1989, during a short trip to Nashville, a friend prompted Leslie to record her voice over the tracks of country standards at The Barbara Mandrell Museum. That was all it took. Just four weeks later she was moving to Nashville. After several “day jobs” in Music City, Leslie’s talent as a songwriter was recognized by a friend from church who encouraged her to show her work to friends Larry Strickland and Naomi Judd. It was Naomi who helped her hone her skills. After a Sunday night show at the world-famous Bluebird Café, Leslie teamed with father-and-son songwriters Max D. and Max T. Barnes. A writing contract with Island Bound Music ensued.

Seven years of cuts by artists such as Joe Diffie, Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack, Wade Hayes, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Pam Tillis, and Willie Nelson helped Leslie take the next step in her career. Jim Ed Norman of Warner Brothers Records Nashville gave her the chance to record her first project, Love Letters . Leslie’s critically-acclaimed album established her as one of the leading singer/songwriters in country music today. Currently, Leslie is focusing on her second album as well as continuing to pen songs for other artists at Sony Tree ATV.

www.lesliesatcher.com

Pam Tillis was born July 24, 1957, in Plant City, Fla. As the daughter of country star Mel Tillis, she grew up in Nashville and made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry at age 8, singing “Tom Dooley.”

Early in her career, she worked as a backup vocalist, demo singer, club performer and songwriter. Highway 101 scored a hit with Tillis’ “Someone Else’s Trouble Now” and her compositions were recorded by Juice Newton, Chaka Khan, Janie Fricke, Conway Twitty, Ricky Van Shelton, The Forester Sisters, Dan Seals and many others.

At the advent of country’s huge commercial success in the 1990s, Tillis signed on to a new label, Arista Records. Her first Arista single, “Don’t Tell Me What to Do,” reached No. 5, while “Maybe It Was Memphis” became her signature hit in 1992. Her acclaimed 1994 album, Sweetheart’s Dance , earned her the CMA female vocalist award later that year.

After several years of eclectic but successful singles, Tillis released her Greatest Hits in 1997 and earned a Grammy nomination for its first single, “All the Good Ones Are Gone.” She recorded two more albums for Arista before parting ways. Tillis also appeared in the Broadway musical Smokey Joe’s Café in 1999 and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2000. In 2002, It’s All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis found Tillis interpreting songs her father had written. She just recently released Rhinestoned on her own label, Stellar Cat Records.

www.pamtillis.com