A country way of life, Episode 48 (Steve Nathan, Tia Sillers & Monty Criswell)
Author: Jonny Brick.
Player: Steve Nathan
Born in New York state, Steve Nathan moved to Alabama to play keyboards on sessions held at Muscle Shoals studios. He is credited on albums by Dobie Gray, Percy Sledge and Eddie Kendricks, formerly of the Temptations.
In the 1990s Nathan moved again, this time to Nashville, although he had already played on sessions for albums by Hank Williams Jr, Janie Fricke, The Forester Sisters, Steve Wariner and Steve Earle. He contributed to albums by several country superstars including Alabama, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Wynonna, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton and Marty Stuart.
He was busy in the next decade too, working on Josh Turner’s debut album Long Black Train, Melt by Rascal Flatts, Born to Fly by Sara Evans, I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack, Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood and Be Here by Keith Urban. Nathan’s fingers are all over the piano parts on George Strait’s albums, and he also played across several records by Joe Nichols, Chris Young, LeAnn Rimes, Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney.
Nathan told one interviewer that he knew it was time to get out of the studio when young songwriters would be content to sing basic melodies over basic loops. ‘I’m hoping that there’s some sort of rebellion,’ he added.
Songwriters: Tia Sillers and Monty Criswell
Born in Connecticut, Tia Sillers will forever be known for writing I Hope You Dance for Lee Ann Womack, which was picked up by Oprah Winfrey. The CMA Song of the Year of 2000 has been interpreted by Ronan Keating and Gladys Knight.
Trisha Yearwood (Heaven, Heartache & the Power of Love), Pam Tillis (Land of the Living) and Alan Jackson (That’d Be Alright) have all cut Sillers’ copyrights. She also co-wrote There’s Your Trouble for the band then known as the Dixie Chicks, while George Ducas provided her with her first hit song, Lipstick Promises.
Monty Criswell was pitching his songs on Music Row even while he was a student in Alabama. He chose not to pursue law, instead penning hits for plenty of country acts. His copyrights include I Saw God Today for George Strait, Just Fishin’ for Trace Adkins, Tough for Craig Morgan and Makin’ Me Look Good Again for Drake White.
He recently wrote Frank Ray’s Country’d Look Good on You and Handle on You with Parker McCollum. Eric Church cut Like Jesus Does and co-wrote Hell of a View with Criswell, and he has also enjoyed a fine association with Scotty McCreery. After helping him write Five More Minutes, Criswell has six cuts on his 2024 album Rise and Fall, including recent single Fall of Summer and No Country for Old Men, a celebration of country music as it used to be.
All Episodes can be found here
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