Nashville Songwriters to Perform Hits at Centenary April 25; Eric Clapton’s Grammy Winner If I Could Change the World, Garth Brooks’ Beaches of Cheyenne

SHREVEPORT, LA — Have you ever wondered how hit songs are written from scratch? How they are recorded? How they become No. 1 on the charts and finally, how royalties are received from songs for years and even decades later?

Award winning songwriters, Gordon Kennedy and Bryan Kennedy will let you in on some of these secrets and will perform their hit songs in a, “Songwriters in the Round" event at Centenary College on Friday, April 25 from 7 to 9 p.m.. The event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Feasel Instrumental Hall next to the Hurley School of Music on campus.

The Kennedy brothers have strong ties to the Shreveport community. Their dad, Jerry Kennedy (Bryd) is the Grammy-winning producer of recording artists that include Roger Miller, The Statler Brothers and Reba McEntire. Their mom, the late Linda Brannan Kennedy (Fairpark) was a teenage performer on the Louisiana Hayride where she met and married their dad. Their grandmother, Essie Kennedy, still lives here as do many other Kennedy relatives.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Gordon Kennedy is currently one of the most sought-after talents in Nashville. In addition to winning the Grammy for Song of the Year If I Could Change the World by Eric Clapton, Gordon has had many songs in movies and recordings by a bevy of great artists, including Wynonna, Patty Loveless, Peter Frampton, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Bonnie Raitt, Allison Krause, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, The Blues Brothers Band, Martina McBride and many more. As a guitarist he has played on hundreds of sessions for recording stars, including Amy Grant, Reba McEntire, Sara Evans, Jewel, Sandi Patty, Billy Ray Cyrus, Point of Grace, Steven Curtis Chapman, Carman, 98 Degrees and many more. He was also an original member of the Christian rock bands Whiteheart and Dogs of Peace.

A linebacker and graduate of Ole Miss, Bryan Kennedy has an equally impressive string of hits. He and his buddy Garth Brooks have co-written many songs, including Beaches of Cheyenne and Honky Tonk Bar Association. Bryan performed as the opening act for Garth and when they were performing in Shreveport, they were taken on a tour of the original Louisiana Hayride stage. Bryan was so moved, reminiscing about his Mom singing on that stage, he was inspired to write one of his greatest songs, Louisiana Hayride Hardwood Floor.

The concept of “Songwriters in the Round” is a Nashville tradition where four songwriters gather and perform acoustic versions of their original songs. Maggie Warwick and Lynn Ourso will join Gordon and Bryan in this first event at Centenary. Maggie was active as a songwriter in Nashville in the 1960s and 70s and is the recipient of ten BMI awards for Top Ten hits. She was a teenage friend of Gordon and Bryan’s parents when they all sang on the original Louisiana Hayride. Lynn Ourso was the manager and original member of John Fred & the Playboys and is a renowned guitarist and songwriter. He was the founder of the Louisiana Music Commission and the Louisiana Governor’s Conference on the Music Industry. Surprise performers are expected.

The event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by FAME (Foundation for Arts, Music and Entertainment of Shreveport-Bossier, Inc.) and Centenary College of Louisiana.

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Contact person:
Maggie Warwick - 318-227-9110
Fax: 318-227-9113
Email: Famefound@aol.co

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