NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- (February 9, 2022) –City Winery Nashville has announced an upcoming show on March 15 at 7:30 pm CST billed as BMI Presents An Evening of Songs and the Stories Behind Them with Steve Dorff and Friends. The one of a kind evening of music and stories will be hosted by Steve Dorff, a 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and long time award-winning BMI writer, who will showcase an evening of hits he co-wrote with his guests as well as others that became some of the biggest songs of the last four decades. Featured guests include John Berry, Jeffrey Steele, Phil Vassar and more surprise guests to be announced. Tickets to the general public begin Friday, February 11 at 3 pm CST, with a portion of sales going to the Andrew Marshall Dorff Memorial Fund to continue his legacy to uplift a new generation of music lovers. Tickets can be purchased here.
“I am excited to be doing my first show in Nashville since moving here 2 1/2 years ago. BMI is graciously sponsoring the event, and I have several incredible guest artists who I’m sure will make the evening very special!" exclaimed Steve Dorff.
Due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 virus, City Winery will require all restaurant and ticket holders to show proof of a negative Covid test or full vaccination status.
The number one mission is to create a safe, comfortable and ideal setting for dining guests, artists and those attending live performances of music, comedy, or any art on stage. A physical or smartphone copy of your vaccine card can be presented at the venue.
About Steve Dorff:
Inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York and also holds the esteemed honor of being on their Board of Directors, Steve Dorff's career as a songwriter spans five decades and includes more than forty BMI awards, twenty Top 10 hits, twelve No. 1 hits, and an American Music Award. The Grammy and Emmy-nominated songwriter and composer has had songs recorded by more than 400 artists from all genres of music, as well as twenty-eight movie scores and countless theme songs and placements on TV series. He has had #1 records across four decades. Steve's songs have been recorded by iconic artists such as Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield and countless others. A few chart hits include Rogers’ “Through the Years,” Murray’s “I Just Fall in Love Again,” Strait’s “I Cross My Heart,” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “Every Which Way But Loose”—the title track from Clint Eastwood’s 1978 film. Dorff has composed TV music for shows such as Murphy Brown, Growing Pains, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Reba, Spenser: For Hire, Just the Ten of Us and The Singing Bee. His film contributions include songs and scores for Pure Country, Bronco Billy, Rocky IV, Tin Cup and Honky Tonk Man. Branching into stage productions, he wrote the music for the theatre production, Josephine. Steve published his critically acclaimed 2017 memoir, I Wrote That One Too...A Life in Songwriting from Willie to Whitney and enjoys performing his best-loved songs at venues across the country. Follow Steve Dorff for current updates on his website at www.stevedorff.com/
About John Berry:
Grammy award-winning country star, John Berry is gearing up for the release of his new album, Find My Joy on Gaither records in 2022 and just wrapped his 2021 Christmas With John Berry, The Silver Anniversary Tour. He took advantage of being off the road for the bigger part of 2020 and created new opportunities to continue his reach to his fan base as well as new ones. Highlights include partnering with Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt for his weekly series, "Songs and Stories For Kids," which charted multiple times on the Pollstar Live Stream Chart. He released a new video and re-recorded a new single for "The Graduation Song." Berry also started a new podcast, Faith Family & Friends with
John & Robin Berry and ended the year with his 24th annual Songs and Stories with John Berry Christmas. In 2019 John Berry celebrated the 28th anniversary since signing his first record deal. He released “The Richest Man” dedicated to his father from the new album Thomas Road. In 2019, Berry was diagnosed with throat cancer, requiring 35 treatments combined of radiation and chemotherapy. In 2018 charted at #30 on the Music Row Breakout Charts with the single, “Beautifully Broken,” which is featured in the soundtrack for the movie of the same name. Berry has placed 20 singles on the country hit parade charts, six of which went Top 5 as well as a No. 1 on the Billboard and Radio & Records country charts. He has earned numerous Gold and Platinum records. Berry's co-written "A Mind Of Her Own" and "Kiss Me In The Car" introduced him to radio audiences in 1993. Then, "Your Love Amazes Me," "What's In It For Me" and "You And Only You" thrust him to stardom in 1994. "Standing On The Edge Of Goodbye," "I Think About It All The Time," and "If I Had Any Pride Left At All" were all major hits the following year. "Your Love Amazes Me" earned Berry a 1995 GRAMMY nomination. In 1996, he scored a GRAMMY win for his participation in Amazing Grace: A Country Salute to Gospel Vol. 1. Berry took "Change My Mind" into the country music Top 5 in that same year. "She's Taken A Shine" became an even bigger hit in 1997. The same year, he was nominated for CMA Vocal Event of the Year for "Long Haired Country Boy" with Charlie Daniels and Hal Ketchum. Both fans and the media took note when "There He Goes" was released as a 1999 duet with Patsy Cline. Berry's two most recent albums, What I Love The Most and his holiday album, Christmas, are both available now on his website and iTunes and other digital retailers. Berry's TV show, Songs & Stories with John Berry, aired weekly for two years on Heartland Television, The Family Channel, The Country Network, Roku (via Heartland), AMG TV, Country TV (New Zealand), and Keep It Country TV (UK). For more information, visitsongsandstories.com. Follow John on his website at www.johnberry.com.
About Phil Vassar:
Phil Vassar's reign of signature songs include 10 No. 1 singles and 26 Top 40 hits, including "Carlene," "Just Another Day in Paradise," "Six-Pack Summer,' 'When I Love You" and many more. Vassar was racking up hits on the radio long before he even began his own recording career that has seen the release of nine albums, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year trophies, ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist and sold-out shows across the country. Vassar's songwriting career blossomed in the mid-’90s when he landed a publishing contract with EMI and penned hits for Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo'), Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"), Tim McGraw ("My Next Thirty Years," 'For a Little While"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye Bye," "Alright"), and Blackhawk ("Postmarked Birmingham"). He signed a record deal of his own with Arista in 1998 and was named ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999 and 2001. 2020 marked an important anniversary for Vassar, 20 years since his first No. 1 single, "Just Another Day in Paradise," was released. To celebrate, Vassar released his long-awaited 10th studio album, Stripped Down. The album's effortless production puts the songs front and center. It features songs written over the past 20 years but never-before recorded and new music, including “This is Where The End Starts,” co- written with daughter, Haley Vassar and Vassar's take on "Postmarked Birmingham," a hit he wrote for Blackhawk. Follow Phil Vassar on his website at www.philvassar.com.
About Jeffrey Steele:
Jeffrey Steele was born in Burbank, CA, into a musical family. He was raised in North Hollywood. He made his stage debut at age eight as a guest vocalist in his brother's band at a church dance. By age seventeen, he was playing in rock clubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, as well as in the country bars of the San Fernando Valley. The multi-instrumentalist also toured as a country sideman. From 1990-1996, he was the lead singer and bass player for the country band Boy Howdy. The group scored several hits with Steele's songs, notably 1993's pop-crossover success "She'd Give Anything" / "I'd Give Anything." Steele moved to Nashville in 1994. After Boy Howdy disbanded, he embarked on a career as a solo artist and a Music Row songwriter. Among his biggest hits have been "Unbelievable" by Diamond Rio, "The Cowboy In Me" by Tim McGraw, "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry, "These Days" by Rascal Flatts, "Something To Be Proud Of" by Montgomery Gentry, "Brand New Girlfriend" by Steve Holy, "Me And My Gang" by Rascal Flatts, "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts and "Knee Deep" by the Zac Brown Band & Jimmy Buffett. Steele's co-written "What Hurts The Most," recorded by Rascal Flatts, was BMI's 2007 Country Song of the Year. Jeffrey Steele was named BMI's Country Songwriter of the Year in 2003 and 2007. He was the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2006. The songwriter was a judge on NBC-TV's Nashville Star in 2008 and he has also appeared on CMT's Gone Country series and GAC's reality series The Hitmen of Music Row. He has released several solo albums. Jeffrey Steele has had more than 500 recordings of his songs and been responsible for 95 singles and sales of 50 million units. He founded the Jeffrey Steele Songwriting Boot Camp to mentor aspiring writers. Follow Jeffrey Steel on his website at http://jeffreysteele.com
About the Andrew Dorff Memorial Fund:
The Andrew Marshall Dorff Memorial Fund will continue his legacy to uplift a new generation of music lovers. Donations made to the fund will support two initiatives: to help create an endowed scholarship at Belmont University in Andrew’s name that will assist students pursuing a career in songwriting, and to support Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with its pediatric oncology initiatives.
Andrew Dorff was known in the music world for penning five No. 1 songs for country stars Blake Shelton (“My Eyes” and “Neon Lights”), Kenny Chesney (“Save it for a Rainy Day”), Hunter Hayes (“Somebody’s Heartbreak”) and Rascal Flatts (“Yours if You Want It”). He had other notable chart successes with artists such as Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Old Dominion, and Ronnie Dunn. With over 1,800 songs in his catalog, he left a legacy of many hits to come. Contributions can be made to the Andrew Marshall Dorff Memorial Fund through The Community Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Donations can also be made on The Community Foundation website at www.cfmt.org/giving-and-investing/become-a-donor/give-to-a-fund/andrew-marshall-dorff-memorial-fund/