Jon Vezner
06 November 2009 (20:00 - 23:00)
Grammy award winning song writer
DON'T MISS THIS ONE.
http://www.myspace.com/jonvezner
"Jon Vezner is a star!" quotes 'Auldtimer' on footstompin' this week and I think she is absolutely spot on.
“Jon Vezner writes about the ‘details,’ the details of our hearts and feelings. His gift is in speaking to these ordinary things which connect us to one another, and in recognizing their simple beauty, he transforms them into something extraordinary.”
-Mary-Chapin Carpenter
“Jon Vezner is one of the best songwriters I know. When Thom Schuyler called me one day to ask me if I would write with an unknown writer he thought would ‘be someone to reckon with one day,’ I didn’t know it would also turn into a wonderful friendship.”
-Janis Ian
Awards
- 1991 Nashville Songwriters Association International Songwriter of the Year
- 1990 CMA Song of the Year – “Where’ve You Been”
- 1990 ACM Song of the Year – “Where’ve You Been”
- 1990 Grammy for Best Country Song – “Where’ve You Been”
For the ethnomusicologists among you:
A degree in Music Theory and Music Education seemed to point to a career in teaching, but his interest in songwriting led to other roads.
When his songs started to be recorded by musicians in the Nashville circuit he met the girl who lived upstairs from his song publishing company. They dated and later after he moved to Nashville he married the former waitress, now a recording artist: Kathy Mattea.
Mattea at first resisted recording her husband's songs fearing the accusation of nepotism, but not because she didn't love them. The songs were powerfully emotional for her.
His catalog of recorded tunes extended to album cuts by Reba McEntire, Ronnie Milsap, a top 20 single by Lorrie Morgan and a single by the Cannons before Mattea finally overcame her resistance and recorded a couple of Vezner's songs. Her gamble paid off with "Where've You Been," a hit that lifted her career to new heights with a 2nd consecutive CMA Female Vocalist Award, a Grammy for Best Female Country Performance and sales to gold record levels.
"Where've You Been", which he co-wrote with fellow singer/songwriter Don Henry, told the true story of Vezner's grandparents so powerfully that it earned Song of the Year honors in both the Country Music Association and The Academy of Country Music for 1990. The song was also honored with the Grammy as Best Country Song that year. Vezner was subsequently named Songwriter of the Year by the NSAI. Other co-penned songs recorded by mattea include "A Few Good Things Remain", "Time Passes By", "Whole Lotta Holes", "Who's Gonna Know" and "All Roads to the River."
Vezner resides in Nashville and writes for Warner-Chappell Music. He has had various songs recorded by Janis Ian, John Mellencamp, Steve Wariner, McBride and the Ride, Faith Hill & Victoria Shaw. In 1998 Clay Walker's hit single "Then What" quickly moved up the charts to be #1! And also in '98, Diamond Rio recorded the song "You're Gone" by Jon and co-writer Paul Williams.
In the spring of '99, Paul Williams and Jon were asked by David Kelly (writer/producer of Ally McBeal, The Practice, Picket Fences) to write the closing title song for the Season Finale of Ally McBeal. The song "I Know Him by Heart" was beautifully sung by Vonda Sheppard.