Via the Nasvhille Music Guide: Many years ago, I think it was the early 80s, Earl Bud Lee found his way to the house where Edna and I lived at the time on Walnut Street in Madison, Tenn. He wanted to write with me because I had attained some success in the music business as a country singer/songwriter. At the time I was an MGM recording artist, and I also had songs I had written that were recorded by Loretta Lynn, Con Hunley, Tom Jones and Gary Stewart, and I was not accustomed to writing with anyone. Yet, every other morning for some time, he was at my door wanting to write with me and wanting me to help him structure some of the lyrics in his songs. He was very persistent—something you must possess to be successful in the country music business—so I finally let him come in. He was a young man in his 20’s. This was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in Nashville. Bud became a good friend and some of the most beautiful melodies I have ever heard in my life came out of his soul and into my mind and heart forever. His lyrics were great too; however, some songs were at the time a little out of meter with a few too many throw away words. Bud was easy to work with and always eager to learn a new idea and a way to get things done properly. I’ve never taught anyone anything without learning something from them in the process. Believe you me, I’m sure I learned more from Earl Bud Lee than he ever learned from me. Bud is certainly not a time waster, and he took his new-found knowledge and went for a long, hard walk down Music Row. It wasn’t long before Earl Bud Lee had a songwriting deal, and the big wigs on Music Row were taking notice and paying attention to this young man with the ideas rolling off the tip of his pen and the great melodies emanating from his heart and soul. Shortly thereafter, Bud showed his true genius to his friend, Dewayne Blackwell, and together they wrote one of country music’s classic songs, “I Got Friends in Low Places” for another new person on Music Row by the name of Garth Brooks. The rest is country music history. This song is requested and heard daily around the world. Garth never goes on stage without performing this song. He must do it, or his fans might riot and run him out of town. This kind of action only takes place when a song is more powerful than the artist. True, this does happen, but not very often in any genre of music. Yet, when it comes to Bud, it does not surprise me at all. If it can be done, Bud will find a way to do it. Bud has since written hit songs for many great artists in the country music field and is still going strong. He, along with John Wiggins, wrote the great song, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking,” that Blake Shelton recently recorded and took to No. 1. https://nashvillemusicguide.com/did-you-know-the-past-with-a-personal-touch/

Joe Fox is an award winning songwriter and producer based in Nashville, TN. Shortly after signing his first publishing deal with Liz Rose Music, Fox penned Jon Pardi’s platinum #1 hit single “Last Night Lonely” and received an AIMP award for “Reverse Cowgirl” which was also recorded by Pardi for his Mr Saturday Night album. Fox scored his third #1 with Josh Ross’s “Single Again”, and second platinum #1 hit single with Dylan Marlowe and Dylan Scott’s “Boys Back Home”, which he also produced. He co-wrote “The Hell You Are”, the current radio single for Ashley Cooke. His songs have made it on Post Malone’s GRAMMY nominated album f-1 Trillion and Lainey Wilson’s GRAMMY nominated album Whirlwind. Top country artists including Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Blake Shelton, Warren Zeiders, Russell Dickerson, Mitchell Tenpenny, Lauren Alaina, Corey Kent, have also recorded Fox’s songs. As a producer, his credits include Dylan Marlowe, Dylan Scott, Corey Kent, George Birge, Matt Stell, Jelly Roll, Alexandra Kay, and Darren Kiely.

It is a rare creative soul who can work at the highest artistic levels in two distinct disciplines. Ray Stephenson has just this kind of soul.   Wildly literate, utterly artistic, impossibly ambitious, absolutely a slave to his art, the South Georgian is completely committed to the truth. He is a world class  songwriter, recording artist, an intensely captivating live singer, guitar player, record producer & virtuoso painter. Add in the ability to express the uniquely personal in a universal way, and you have a true artist.  Ray Stephenson does exactly that in his paintings, his songwriting & his performances.    As a musician, Ray Stephenson is a Grammy Award winning, Platinum selling singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. His successes include winning CCMA Songwriter of the Year in 2013, writing the title track of Kenny Chesney’s album Hemingway’s Whiskey, and writing the Blake Shelton/Miranda Lambert duo and album title track, Red River Blue. Both reached #1 on the Billboard Album Charts and were certified Platinum. Some of the most revered and iconic legends in Country Music have recorded his music, including Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Merle Haggard. He’s been a part of 4 Grammy nominated projects and 1 Grammy winning project (Guy Clark’s final recording, My Favorite Picture Of You, which brought home the Grammy “Best Folk Album” in 2015). ​ As a painter, Ray's paintings are hanging in the homes of collectors like Willie Nelson and Oprah Winfrey.  In 2012, Ray became the Official Painter of the Monsters of Rock Tour. He’s been featured at the Bluebird Cafe, Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville Airport, the Country Music Hall of Fame ,Gaylord Hotels, Aloft Hotel, 3rd and Lyndsley, CMT and Two Old Hippies. He's had feature articles in Nashville Arts & Southwest Georgia Living magazines.   His paintings explore his love of color, texture, music & nature. Ray’s artistic influences are found in the paintings of Odd Nerdrum, Gustav Klimpt, Rembrandt and Andrew Wyeth. His fine art is highly sought after by art collectors & is a part of several prestigious private collections. He has exhibited his work in Nashville, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta, & the US Virgin islands.