Faces Behind the Music: Songwriters Take the Stage

To Say Thank You to Local Establishments

Faces Behind the Music: Songwriters Take the StageLoyal customers are important to any business. So much so, that whether it comes in the form of cash back on credit card purchases, frequent flyer miles or special offers, many companies reward their clients with special perks in appreciation. Bars and restaurants are no exceptions – they offer happy hours, early bird specials and two-for-ones to reward their regular customers and entice new ones to come in. Through working with these businesses, some for more than twenty years now, BMI has also embarked on a way to thank music users for their loyalty.

Faces Behind the Music: Songwriters Take the Stage
L to R: BMI’s Dan Spears, Kristen Kelly, Jimmy Stanley, Clint Daniels and The Rambling House owner John Lynch.

In August, the BMI Nashville Songwriters Tour rolled through Kentucky and Ohio performing at several BMI-licensed venues that have been very supportive of BMI songwriters and publishers over the years. This year’s tour was a collaborative effort among BMI, the Kentucky Restaurant Association, the Ohio Restaurant Association and the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association. The songwriter’s show, which featured Nashville hitmakers Kristen Kelly, Clint Daniels and Jimmy Stanley, made stops at Against the Grain in Louisville, KY, The Rambling House in Columbus, OH and the Pigskin Grille in Athens, OH. The tour was designed to both give the audience a special look inside the songwriting process and give back to a group of venues that have helped fuel the creative process in Nashville through the licensing fees they pay to BMI. It was also another opportunity to thank the state associations for their longtime partnerships with the Company. In response, the owners thanked BMI, making the whole experience even more powerful, especially for the songwriters who performed:

Faces Behind the Music: Songwriters Take the Stage
L to R: Jimmy Stanley, Kristen Kelly, Kentucky Restaurant Association President & CEO Stacy Roof, BMI’s Jessica Frost, Clint Daniels.

“Thanks again for the free artists and helping to set up the whole thing. We had a nice night on Monday. The artists were delightful people and sounded great.” – Ric Wasserman and Chris Roach, owner and GM of the Pigskin Grille.

John Lynch, the owner of Rambling House, had this to say, “Nashville Songwriters Tour was a great experience for us. The show gave us the opportunity to draw in new customers and expose regular customers to amazing musicians. We really feel lucky to have been asked to host. We’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

BMI’s Vice President of Industry Relations, Dan Spears, who works closely with state associations, described the event as “a terrific way to get to know our customers in a realistic setting – their own businesses. We look forward to next year when we hope to continue the important relationship between the songwriters we represent and the businesses that use their music.”

For more information on how music can help your business and the “perks” BMI offers with a BMI license, please call a representative at (800) 325-1395 or visit bmi.com.