'The Nashville Songwriter: Hitmakers' show is Thursday

May 10—Nashville-based singer-songwriter Billy Montana will host the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum's "The Nashville Songwriter: Hitmakers" event at 7 p.m. Thursday on the facility's Michael E. Horn Family Foundation Outdoor Stage.

The series, which focuses on both hitmakers and those searching for their first hit, highlights the stories and lives of those "working to create the soundtrack of America" by featuring several songwriters from the Music City to offer backstories on their work and share personal experiences that shaped their material.

Montana will be joined by fellow musicians and songwriters Bobby Tomberlin and Steve Dean.

"I'm very excited about it," Montana, 63, said. "... These are my favorite kinds of shows. They're my favorite to participate in, and they're my favorite to go to and watch and listen.

"It's always fun to be able to play songs for people that are going to recognize them."

Growing up in a musical family in rural upstate New York, Montana decided to pursue a music career after graduating with an agriculture degree from Cornell University. He landed a record deal with Warner Brothers Nashville and saw early chart success with his group Billy Montana & the Long Shots.

Montana then pursued a solo career, signing with Magnatone Records. His 1995 record "No Yesterday" received rave reviews from publications like Billboard and USA Today.

Since then, Montana has carved out a successful career as a songwriter with five No. 1 country records, including the Lee Brice tracks "Hard to Love" and "Memory I Don't Mess With," Garth Brooks' "More Than a Memory" and Sara Evans' "Suds In The Bucket."

Montana also co-wrote Jo Dee Messina's "Bring On the Rain," a No. 1 record that received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" and was nominated for "Vocal Event of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music, while his song "What If I Was Willing" was featured in the television series "Nashville."

Montana feels "great songs are songs that paint great visual pictures with words" and "how it lands on the hook and gets to the point of the song."

"I'm a lyric guy. I have a tendency to pay attention to lyrics because that was the kind of stuff I came up on," he said. "My dad (plays) kind of the traditional country music. I was also listening to poets like Jackson Browne, Eagles music, where the lyrics had things to say, and (Bob) Dylan."

Grammy-nominees Tomberlin and Dean have a history with Montana, and he felt both musicians were a great fit to include as part of Thursday's lineup.

"They were the first two guys that came to my mind," Montana said. "... These guys are good friends, long-time co-writers, we've gotten great songs together, we've played shows together; and the thing about Steve and Bobby that I thought would be really great for Owensboro is the roots of their history run so deep in country music.

"They have incredibly awesome stories to tell, and I think that's what people want to hear at these types of events — not just hearing the songs, but how did this song come together or just something that happened surrounding your time in Nashville."

Montana hopes those who come out to the event will walk away "with a sense that they've gotten a glimpse behind the curtain."

"I find that a lot of the public isn't even aware that the recording artist, the one that sings the hit, is not necessarily the one that's written the hit," he said. "That's kind of gratifying to let them know that there's people below the surface that are contributing to the success of a recording artist's career.

"I feel like folks come away from these types of shows with an appreciation for that."

Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets as seating will not be provided at the event.

The event is presented by Jagoe Homes.

Tickets are $20 each for general admission. Bar and concessions will be available.

For tickets and more information, visit bluegrasshall.org/event/the-nashville-songwriter-5-11/.