With the number of people in Nashville trying to make it big and live their dreams of being country music stars, it’s not surprising that some are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and not only are they succeeding but they are staying true to the faith. Below is part of the full story from LDS Living.
Nashville is brimming with talented Mormons. In this country music metropolis, a former bishop has written hit songs for stars like George Strait and Reba McEntire, and a new Young Women’s president once shared the stage with Dolly Parton. Here, the close-knit LDS community uniquely intersects with a network of exceptional LDS musicians, including veteran songwriters, up-and-coming producers, and some of the hottest acts around.
Seeing Stars
Church member Tony Martin was a reporter at a Chicago newspaper when his songwriting career took off in the late ’80s. Country music star George Strait recorded a song written by Martin, and soon Martin packed up and moved to Nashville.
“My hobby was paying better than my job,” he recalls. “But when you show up in Nashville with your sack of songs, it’s like opening a store in town—nobody knows the business is open, and you don’t have a lot of product.”
Martin hasn’t had many problems selling his “sack of songs,” however. In fact, he is one of the most successful songwriters in Nashville. His tunes have been recorded by stars like Rascal Flats, Keith Urban, and Tim McGraw, and he has 15 number-one hits under his belt.
Jason Deere, another successful LDS songwriter and producer, has written songs for acts like Lady Antebellum and LeAnn Rimes. Despite being offered the opportunity to be a recording star himself, Deere chose to stay behind the scenes. As a result, he was instrumental in building the success of the group SHeDAISY—three young Mormon sisters, Kristyn, Kelsi, and Kassidy Osborn, who moved from Utah to Nashville to pursue their dreams of stardom.
Read the rest of this article on LDS Living.
