top of page

NASHVILLE SONGWRITER HALL OF FAME MEMBER & MEGA-HIT SONGWRITER, KENT BLAZY, ANNOUNCES ALBUM RELEASE


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 31, 2022) -- Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member. mega-hit songwriter and performer, Kent Blazy, has announced the release of his new album, For The Byrds, recorded, mixed and engineered by Matt Allen at Allentown Studios located in Nashville, TN with mastering by Mayfield Mastering. Kent Blazy and Steve Allen wrote all the songs on the project, except the title track which was written by Blazy. Studio musicians included Lee Francis on bass, Kevin Murphy played drums, Dennis Matkosky provided keys, Steve Allen on guitars and harmony vocals and Kent Blazy on guitar and vocals. The new music is available to order on Kent Blazy’s website kentblazy.com. Streaming and download is available on all digital music platforms kentblazy.hearnow.com/for-the-byrds. “This record was so much fun to create. We had one day to cut 11 songs and Lee Francis and Kevin Murphy from Jon Pardi's band were up for the challenge. Both did an amazing job, as did the engineer, Matt Allen, to capture everything under the pressure of that time frame,” shared Kent Blazy. “Kent and I have been writing together for the last couple of years and we always end up with a finished song with no agenda of style. This record has 10 songs we co-wrote during the pandemic. I think this is why the range of style goes from the 60’s garage sound of ‘Livin’ The American Dream’ to the past era ballad of ‘Twilight Time.’ We felt free to let whatever songs wanted to come out and exist just happen, yet it all flows as one long-playing album. Everybody put their heart and soul into the project and we all are proud of this album. Kent’s creative energy brought us all together to make an album we are all excited for people to hear,” added Steve Allen. The title, For The Byrds, was chosen, as it was after hearing the song “Mr. Tambourine Man” that Blazy decided he wanted to play guitar. Many people started playing music themselves because of the Beatles, yet for Kent Blazy, it was the sound of Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacker 12-string that captivated him. That is why a picture of a Rickenbacker 12-string graces the front cover of the record. His hopes are that this record will bring the joy and fun that they had writing and recording these songs. Most of the songs were written during the Covid-19 lockdown. Steve Allen would sit on Kent’s patio while Kent sat six feet away in the house. Later they stayed masked and six feet away while writing in the house. Both writers lost their wives to brain tumors and a lot of these songs are about the new loves they both found. For The Byrds Track List: 1. Crossing the Rubicon 2. World Starts Closing In 3. For The Byrds 4. She Believed In Me 5. All That Love 6. Summer Afternoon 7. Mr. Snake Oil 8. Wildest Dreams 9. Livin’ The American Dream 10. Blue Green Ocean Eyes 11. Twilight Time Stay current with Kent Blazy on his website www.kentblazy.com. Follow him on social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and watch videos on the official artist YouTube. Music can be found on all digital music platforms for streaming and download at CD Baby, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Pandora. About Kent Blazy: Kent Blazy is an American country music songwriter from Lexington, KY who now calls Nashville, TN home. Kent Blazy was inducted into the class of 2020 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame during the Golden Anniversary, plus one during the special 50th and 51st Gala. The Kentucky native songwriter’s credits include, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” (Garth Brooks), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks) and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” (Chris Young). Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Garth Brooks took the stage to present inductee Kent Blazy and also perform their hit “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” Blazy and Brooks met in 1987 and began writing together. His credits include several singles for Garth Brooks, as well as singles by Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless and Chris Young. Blazy has a total of seven number one hits to his credit. Kent Blazy was raised in Lexington, Kentucky. At an early age, he played rhythm guitar and sang in various local bands, citing The Byrds, Rodney Crowell and Joe Ely as influences. He later played for Canadian singer Ian Tyson. Later on, Blazy met former Exile member Mark Gray, who suggested that Blazy move to Nashville, Tennessee. Eventually, he signed to a publishing contract, but the publishing company closed; despite the loss of contract, Gary Morris sent Blazy's "Headed for a Heartache" into the top 5 on the country charts. By the late 1980s, Blazy met with a then-unknown Garth Brooks, who gave him the idea for a song entitled "If Tomorrow Never Comes." He and Brooks co-wrote the song, which went on to become Brooks' first number one hit. Brooks continued to record Blazy's material throughout the 1990s, including the singles "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)," "It's Midnight Cinderella," "She's Gonna Make It," "Somewhere Other Than the Night" and the George Jones duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)." He also co-wrote "That's What I Get for Lovin' You" by Diamond Rio and "Can't Get Enough" by Patty Loveless in the late 1990s. Blazy, along with songwriters Pat Alger, Tony Arata and Kim Williams, recorded an album entitled A Songwriters' Tribute to Garth Brooks, which included their renditions of songs that they had written for Brooks. This album was released in 2001 via VFR Records. Other songs that Blazy has co-written include, "You Can Let Go" by Crystal Shawanda and "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" by Chris Young from 2008 and 2009 respectively, as well as American Idol season 8 finalist Danny Gokey's debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me."

bottom of page