Sing For Their Supper...
If you know me, you already know that my 2 biggest passions are photography and music. And I've said it many times in other blog posts, any time I get to mesh those two passions together is a huge win for me! So when I got the call to come photograph a benefit concert for the Sing For Their Supper charity organization, I didn't hesitate. What better way to give back to your community than to have a concert where 100% of ticket sales goes to the community kitchen, which provides up to 500 free meals each week to those in need. Such an awesome cause and I was thankful to be a part of it. At the time of being asked, I had no idea there was going to be some pretty well-known and heavy hitters at this concert! I've provided a bit of detail about each performer below. Have a quick read!
Tony Arata
While studying for a journalism degree from Georgia Southern University, he began performing his original songs in local bands. In 1986, he and his wife Jaymi moved to Nashville where his unique, soulful style began to get the attention of people like Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks. Garth, to date, has recorded seven of Tony’s songs, and “The Dance” won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and received both a Country Music Association and a Grammy nomination, as well as a most performed song in Radio and Records Magazine.
Tony is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2012). He has also had No. 1 records with “Here I Am” for Patty Loveless, “I’m Holding My Own” for Lee Roy Parnell, and “Dreaming With My Eyes Open” for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Delbert McClinton, Don Williams, Reba McEntire, Suzy Bogguss, and Hal Ketchum.
Tony has also recorded four solo albums featuring new songs, covers, and guest appearances by many of Nashville’s finest musicians as well as folks who have recorded his songs, including Garth, Patty, and Lee Roy.
Find out more about Tony by checking out his website, which is where I pulled this except from (Click Here).
Jan Buckingham
Twice Grammy-nominated songwriter Jan Buckingham is a musical stylist whose vision has sculpted hits for Pam Tillis, Whitney Houston, George Jones, Melissa Manchester and many others. Jan has written for television ("Hollywood Wives"), and film ("My Cousin Vinnie"), and owns 14 active publishing companies, administering copyrights worldwide. Nashville didn’t see Jan Buckingham coming. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Jan discovered her knack for writing when she wrote her first song, titled “Oh Sad Little Blue Bird” when she was eight years old. Her next songs came in her early twenties shortly after her first divorce. “Nothing like a little pain to draw the creativity out of you,” said Jan. “I knew I had found my passion.” Jan started performing in local clubs in Columbia, Missouri after she graduated from college during the summers when she wasn’t teaching school. It was during this time that she entered the American Song Festival (a contest she won several years later), and read on the entry form that Nashville was the ‘place to be’ for songwriters. While continuing to write, Jan moved to LA in 1990 where she worked as an actress in TV appearing in shows like Frasier and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and films like “Sgt. Bilko”. It was during this time that Jan penned songs featured in the movie “My Cousin Vinny,” “Hangin’ With The Homeboys,” “The Thing Called Love,” and many other feature films.
You can read more about Jan from this blog post by Shantell Ogden, which is where I pulled the excerpt above from (Click Here).
Scott Thompson
A native of Marietta, Scott attended Young Harris College, majoring in Theatre. He and His wife, Dana, share their home with “five fur babies.” Scott is known as a singer-songwriter, community advocate and champion of all things Rome, GA.
Scott is an audience favorite endearing himself to crowds nationwide (and quite a few in England!) with his warm, easy going personality, powerful voice, and fresh style of Americana songwriting. Pulling from his Southern roots, Thompson writes from the heart and speaks to the soul with songs influenced by his Dad’s record collection of James Brown, Sam Cooke, The Beatles, and Otis Redding. A prolific songwriter and captivating performer, Thompson combines a southerner’s knack for storytelling with a dose of southern charm making lifelong friends and loyal fans wherever he goes.
A seasoned professional with over 20 years experience in the music business, Thompson has played with or opened for legendary artists such as Steve Cropper, Leon Russell, Jimmy Hall, and Charlie Daniels to name a few. He has gained the status of being one of hardest working musicians on the circuit playing 150+ live shows a year on stages from Maine to Florida to Colorado and all places in between. His first two albums, Meant to Be and Live at the High Lonesome, met with critical acclaim and adoring fan appreciation.
You can read more about Scott on his website, which is where I pulled this except from (Click Here).
