Tony Arata
Tony Arata was born in Savannah, GA and grew up on nearby Tybee Island.
While studying for a journalism degree from Georgia Southern University, he began performing his original songs in local bands. In 1986, he and his wife Jaymi moved to Nashville where his unique, soulful style began to get the attention of people like Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks. Garth, to date, has recorded seven of Tony's songs, and "The Dance" won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and received both a Country Music Association and a Grammy nomination, as well as a most performed song in Radio and Records Magazine.
Tony is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2012). He has also had No. 1 records with "Here I Am" for Patty Loveless, "I'm Holding My Own" for Lee Roy Parnell, and "Dreaming With My Eyes Open" for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Delbert McClinton, Don Williams, Reba McEntire, Suzy Bogguss, and Hal Ketchum.
Tony has also recorded four solo albums featuring new songs, covers, and guest appearances by many of Nashville's finest musicians as well as folks who have recorded his songs, including Garth, Patty, and Lee Roy.
Matraca Berg
Matraca Berg's stirring, powerful songs have helped her remain one of Music City's most successful songwriters for more than two decades. Berg's Billboard #1 hits include "Wild Angels" (Martina McBride), "You Can Feel Bad" (Patty Loveless), "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)" (Trisha Yearwood), "The Last One to Know" (Reba McEntire) and "Strawberry Wine" (Deana Carter), among others. Other artists who have cut her songs include the Dixie Chicks, Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Ray Price, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson.
As a recording artist, Berg has released five albums: three for RCA Records, one for Rising Tide Records and one for Dualtone Records, and has charted in the top 40 of the Billboard Country charts with "Baby, Walk On" and "The Things You Left Undone," both at No. 36.
Gary Nicholson
Gary Nicholson is a number-one hit songwriter, two time Grammy winning record producer and recording artist. He was inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame class of 2022. There are over seven hundred recordings of his songs in various genres including country, blues, rock, folk, Americana, bluegrass, and pop.
Cuts by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, George Strait, George Jones, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Chris Stapleton, Trisha Yearwood, Don Williams, Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Patty Loveless, Randy Travis, Keith Whitley, The Chicks, Reba McEntire, Alabama, The Mavericks, The Judds, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith Conway Twitty, Tanya Tucker, Guy only scratch the list of Country greats who've recorded his songs. BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, John Prine, Buddy Guy, Michael McDonald, Delbert McClinton, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Gregg Allman, The Neville Brothers, Robert Plant, Etta James, Dion, Arthur Alexander, The Blues Brothers, and so many more diverse artists across multiple genres have also cut tracks of Gary's tunes.
In addition to his two Grammy winning records with Delbert McClinton, he has produced records for Billy Joe Shaver, Marcia Ball, The Judds, Wynonna, Pam Tillis, T Graham Brown, Chris Knight, Seth Walker and many others. As a guitarist he has played live and recorded with Guy Clark, Delbert McClinton, Billy Joe Shaver, Bobby Bare, Joe Ely, Bo Diddley, and others. His songs have been included in many major motion pictures and television, the song "Falling and Flying" is featured in the Oscar winning film "Crazy Heart" performed by Jeff Bridges. Gary has also conducted songwriting and guitar workshops at various festivals and Berklee School of Music.
