BMI & CMA PRESENT SONGWRITERS SERIES IN UK & IRELAND

The Country Music Association's popular CMA Songwriters Series is coming to the U.K. and Ireland for the first time and dates have been announced for London, Belfast, and Dublin. The international tour will be known as CMA & BMI Present the CMA Songwriters Series and CMA is delighted to partner with BMI and Gibson Guitar Corp. for the series.

"Music enthusiasts in the UK and Ireland are among our most ardent global fans," said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "The audiences there have a deep admiration for the art of songwriting and the artists. The popularity of our music and the receptive audiences make this an opportune time to travel the series abroad."

The CMA Songwriters Series began in 2005 in New York and has expanded to cities across the United States including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Washington D.C. The newly renovated Islington Assembly Hall in London, the historical Whelan's in Dublin and the Eighth Belfast Nashville Songwriters® Festival all play host to the eagerly awaited shows in the UK and Ireland.

Tickets are on sale now at the following locations:

Feb. 22 London - Islington Assembly Hall, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1
https://agmp.ticketabc.com/events/cma-songwriters-seri/
Ticket prices £15 or £10 on door or advance

Feb. 23 Dublin - Whelan's, 25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2
Tickets available at
www.wavtickets.ie or
www.ticketmaster.ie or
local phone: 1 890 200078 or outside of Ireland 353 1 4780766
Ticket price 20 Euros on door or advance

Feb. 25 Belfast Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JQ
Tickets available through
www.belfastnashville.com or
www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Walk in at any Ticketmaster outlet or Belfast Welcome Center. Phone: 02890 246609
Ticket price £20 on door or advance

The CMA Songwriters Series showcases the best of Nashville's mega-hit songwriters and songwriter artists. The series features successful songwriters and artists from Nashville, who line up on stage and, with guitar in-hand, take turns telling the stories behind their hit songs and performing them as they were originally composed. Songwriters participating in the CMA & BMI Present the CMA Songwriter Series include Country Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson, former CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Clint Black, and host Bob DiPiero, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Bill Anderson is one of the most awarded songwriters in the history of Country Music, a million-selling recording artist many times over, a former television game show host, network soap opera star, spokesman for a national restaurant chain, a consummate onstage performer, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, a 50+-year member of the Grand Ole Opry, and a member of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame. Recent Country hits written by Anderson include "Whiskey Lullaby" (performed by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss), which won CMA Song of the Year in 2005; and "Give It Away" (performed by George Strait), which won CMA Song of the Year in 2007. He's known as "Whispering Bill," a nickname acquired years ago as a result of his breathy voice and his warm, soft approach to singing a Country song.

"I think it's great," Anderson said of the Series traveling to the U.K. and Ireland. "I've toured there several times as an artist, and have always been amazed at the fans' depth of knowledge concerning Country Music. This will be my first time appearing as a writer. I have a feeling that I'll find great interest in how the songs are created, as well as performed." Anderson, who has appeared at CMA Songwriters Series events in New York City, said he doesn't plan on changing the winning formula of telling stories and singing songs. Anderson admits that the musical connections between the U.S. and U.K. are closer than they appear - especially between the bluegrass roots of the format and traditional Celtic sounds. "Put on a Bill Monroe record, close your eyes, and you can feel yourself being transported back to an earlier time in Ireland and Scotland," he said. "Those folks dug the wells from which our music sprang."

Clint Black is a prolific singer-songwriter who has written and recorded more than 125 songs, 22 No. 1s, and 30 Top 10s, including his hits "Killin' Time," "State of Mind," and "When I Said I Do" (a duet with his wife Lisa Hartman Black). In addition, Black has sold more than 20 million albums, and has won four CMA Awards. Black said it is a completely different experience for the audience to not only hear a hit song performed by the songwriter, but to also get the interesting or funny stories behind a song you know and love. "It's as close to sitting around with a bunch of songwriters as you can get without sitting around with a bunch of songwriters," he quipped.

One of Nashville's most consistent and prolific writers of hits, Bob DiPiero's chart-toppers include "Southern Voice" recorded by Tim McGraw, "Blue Clear Sky" recorded by George Strait, and "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" recorded by Brooks & Dunn. DiPiero, a member of CMA's Board of Directors, DiPiero has been hosting the Songwriters Series since its inception at Joe's Pub in New York City six years ago. "When we began the series in 2005, I never dreamed it would include such an honor as being asked to perform in England and Ireland," said DiPiero. "These CMA Songwriter shows are one-of-a-kind performances by some of the very best songwriter/storytellers on the planet. I've never seen a more honest, authentic, entertaining musical performance anywhere. When I get to perform with icons such as Bill Anderson and Clint Black, I feel like a fan with the best seat in the house."

The CMA & BMI Present the CMA Songwriters Series in the U.K. and Ireland takes place Feb. 22-25.

Links:
www.CMAsongwriterseries.com
www.BMI.com