NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — This unique collection presents, for the first time, the literary work of some of the best storytellers in the world: the songwriters who cut and polish tales down to sparkling three minute gems. A blend of fiction and nonfiction, humor and poignancy, these tales cover a wide range of styles and country artists.
Nashville, Music City USA, is a place where entertainment and artistic fortune are built on the bedrock of songwriters. It has been said in Nashville over and over that “It all begins with a song.†Country music’s wordsmiths have shaped and molded some of the greatest stories ever told into three and a half minutes that fit neatly on the radio. The editors of A Guitar and a Pen set out to answer the question, “If they can put all that into a song, what could and would they do with a blank piece of paper and a pen?†The answer lies in this remarkable collection of creativity and insight.
Co-edited by Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow of the South, and by John Bohlinger and Justin Stelter, A Guitar and a Pen features a stunning array of talent. This collections features contributions by Charlie Daniels (“The Devil Went Down to Georgiaâ€), Tom T. Hall (“Harper Valley P.T.A.†and “Song of the Southâ€), Tia Sellers (“There’s Your Trouble,†“I Hope You Danceâ€), Gary Nicholson (“One More Last Chance,†“She Couldn’t Change Meâ€), Mark D. Sanders (“Daddy’s Money,†“It Matters To Meâ€), Bob DiPiero (“Cleopatra, Queen of Denial,†“You Can’t Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girlâ€), Kris Kristofferson (“For The Good Times,†“Sunday Morning Coming Downâ€), Hal Ketchum (“Hang In There Superman,†“Sure Loveâ€), Bobby Braddock (“He Stopped Loving Her Todayâ€), and Janis Ian (“Society’s Childâ€) to name a few.
In “A Rock,†Kris Kristofferson tells the insightful and humorous story of how an explicit natural rock formation brings chaos to a small farming town out west. “He Always Knew Who He Was†reveals the true story of Bluegrass founder Bill Monroe meeting Frank Sinatra, as told by Hazel Smith. Collection editor Robert Hicks presents “Gathering Together,†a quirky contemporary story of a Southern family. This is just a handful of the wonderful contributions to this entertaining collection.
Story listings for A Guitar and a Pen: Stories by Country Music’s Greatest Songwriters
Foreword by Vince Gill
The Day Jimmy Killed the Rabbit by Tom T. Hall
Career Day by Robbie Fulks
How I Stayed a Boy by Tia Sillers
Whitey Johnson by Gary Nicholson
Cybersong by Bobby Braddock
Gathering Together by Robert Hicks
The Point by Monty Powell
Mr. Munch Has a Murmur by Mark D. Sanders
Fork by John Hadley
The Box by Kevin Welch
A Rock by Kris Kristofferson
The Care and Treatment of Camp Cooks by Bob McDill
A Big Batch of Biscuits by John Bohlinger
Shiny, Like New by Dony Wynn
The Clock Struck Nine by Hal Ketchum
Of Guitars and Righteous Men by Janis Ian
The River by Tim Putnam
Lucky Boy by Klem Hayes
Cheeseburger Boogie by Bob DiPiero
A Burning Bush Will Do by Marshall Chapman
Born and Raised in Black and White by Don Cook
He Always Knew Who He Was by Hazel Smith
Curtis Loach by Charlie Daniels
The Elk Hunters by Tim Johnson
Will It Ever Happen Again by Michael Kosser
–by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers