WMS Pops Concert to Feature Nashville’s Music City Hit-Makers on June 6 and 7
Muskegon, Michigan, May 27, 2014 – The West Michigan Symphony Pops concerts on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 will feature the Music City Hit-Makers as they share the sounds and stories behind some of the biggest hits they penned for today’s pop and country stars.
Music Director Scott Speck will lead the WMS and Hit-Makers Hillary Lindsey, Brett James and Troy Verges in performances of songs they’ve written or co-written, including:
• “Jesus Take the Wheel” recorded by Carrie Underwood
• “Just a Dream” recorded by Carrie Underwood
• “A Little Bit Stronger” recorded by Sara Evans
• “American Honey” recorded by Lady Antebellum
• “Blessed” recorded by Martina McBride
• “It’s America” recorded by Rodney Atkins
• “Mr. Know it All” recorded by Kelly Clarkston
The concerts will be held at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m.
“We are very excited to welcome the Music City Hit-Makers to the West Michigan Symphony,” Speck said. “Not only are we able to perform billboard hits and hear the stories behind them, but it also gives us the opportunity to pair pop music with the artistry of the Symphony.”
Music City Hit-Makers is a touring symphonic pop concert that pairs Nashville’s most revered songwriters with symphony orchestra. Lindsey, James and Verges are some of the most successful award-winning songwriters in Nashville, writing hit songs for country music stars including Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry.
James is a Grammy® Award-winning songwriter and producer having more than 300 of his songs recorded by major label recording artists. James has become a fixture on the Billboard Country chart with scores of top 20 singles and 17 number one songs to his credit, most recently with Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up” reaching the top spot in April. James appeared on Billboard Magazine’s top 10 country songwriters list for five consecutive years, the only writer to do so, and in 2006 reached yet another musical milestone winning ASCAP Songwriter of the Year.
Lindsey, who has been writing songs since age 10, moved to Nashville in 1994 and quickly signed to Famous Music Publishing. Lindsey has had her songs recorded by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Lindsay Lohan, Sara Evans and Jessica Andrews. In 2002, Lindsey enjoyed her first number one song ‘Blessed,’ recorded by Martina McBride. Five years later, she was awarded a Grammy for the song “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
Verges’ first cut as a songwriter was a track on Faith Hill’s “Breathe” album. Since then he has emerged as one of Nashville’s greatest successes stories, scoring eight number one songs. In 2002, Verges received Songwriter of the Year honors at the 2002 BMI Awards and was also named the Nashville Songwriters Association International Songwriter of the Year and Music Row magazine’s “Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.” In 2011, Verges received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations in the Best Original Song category for the song “Coming Home” from the feature film “Country Strong.”
Single tickets for the Pops concert start at $20 and may be purchased online at westmichigansymphony.org; by calling 231.726.3231, ext 223; or in person at the WMS ticket office on the first floor of 360 W. Western Ave. Student tickets are $10 for this concert but are not available online. College students must present a valid ID when they purchase tickets.
For more information, contact 231.726.3231 or info@westmichigansymphony.org.
About West Michigan Symphony
As one of the few professional regional orchestras in Michigan, West Michigan Symphony has played a leading role in the region’s cultural community for nearly 75 years. WMS serves a regional audience with eight pairs of concerts annually, along with dozens of educational and outreach activities for children and adults. In 2013, the organization launched The Block, a new and intimate concert venue in downtown Muskegon that will host a wide range of performers. For more information, visit www.westmichigansymphony.org.
