Native Nashvillian Matraca Berg had her first #1 hit as a writer with Karen Brooks and T. G. Sheppard's 1983 duet "Faking Love," co-written with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bobby Braddock. Matraca Berg was only 18 years old at the time. Since then, over 50 of her songs have been recorded and performed by Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Linda Ronstadt, Tanya Tucker, Keith Urban, Dusty Springfield, Emmylou Harris, Kim Carnes, Ray Price and Loretta Lynn.

Matraca is the youngest-ever Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee.

Kim Richey’s songs have been recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Radney Foster, Brooks & Dunn, The Dixie Chicks, Patty Loveless and others. She has contributed vocals to Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Jason Isbell and over twenty other artists throughout her career, as well as released ten of her own recordings. Since the release of her self-titled debut album in 1995, Richey has won raves for her sweetly alluring, folk-friendly brand of country, as discs such as 1997's Bitter Sweet and 1999's Glimmer cemented her status as a gifted songwriter whose songs pack considerable mainstream appeal.

Kim has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Song.

A singer and songwriter who has charted in her native U.K., Lucie Silvas debuted her soulful voice and earnest, adult alternative pop in 2004 with Breathe In. Her third LP, 2015's Letters to Ghosts, was her first after relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, and she hit the Billboard Heatseekers and Independent Albums charts for the first time with 2018's E.G.O. Silvas has also worked as a dedicated songwriter, penning tunes for artists such as Miranda Lambert, Katharine McPhee, and Reba McEntire, and she released collaborative singles with Sheryl Crow ("Cool Down") and Brandi Carlile ("We Don't Know We're Living") in 2021.

Sarah Jane Buxton is an American country music singer, formerly signed to the independent Lyric Street Records. Between 2006 and 2008, she issued three singles from an extended play titled Almost My Record, in addition to co-writing her song "Stupid Boy", which was later recorded by Keith Urban.

Jedd Hughes is an Australian singer, songwriter, session musician, and record producer. A long list of musical giants count Hughes as a trusted collaborator and inspiration, including Patty Loveless, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Vince Gill, Ryan Bingham, Sarah Jarosz, the late Guy Clark, Jim Lauderdale, Brandy Clark, and more.

Singer-songwriter Lauren Jenkins has been a touring artist since she was 15 years old. The Texas born, Carolina-raised artist chose a life that would fit perfectly in the songs she writes: across countless smoky bars, fake IDs, and endless miles on the road, music has been her one constant companion. Named an Artist to Watch by The New York Times, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pandora, and many more, she was also chosen as a member of the “Class of 2019” by influential radio DJ Bobby Bones, and made her TODAY Show debut as Elvis Duran’s Artist of the Month.

Early in the career of Griffin House, CBS Sunday Morning music journalist Bill Flanagan placed House on his short list of the best emerging songwriters in the U.S. “I bought House’s CD after a show in New York City,” said Flanagan, “and this never happens: I took it home and must have listened to it 20 times that weekend. I was knocked out.”

Griffin has toured extensively, opening for artists such as Ron Sexsmith, Patti Scialfa, Josh Ritter, John Mellencamp, Mat Kearney, and The Cranberries. Since 2007, House has been a national headliner.

For over a decade, Patrick Davis has made a name for himself as a prolific and versatile songwriter, sought after by artists ranging from Guy Clark and Robert Randolph to Jimmy Buffett and Imelda May. Patrick has released 10 albums of his own work, and has written songs for Jewel, Jimmy Buffet, Pat Green, Robert Randolph, Lady A, Ashley Campbell, Darius Rucker, Shawn Colvin and more.

Patrick caught the vision for the McLemore Songwriting Series, and has been instrumental in drawing from his deep well of friends for this program.

Sunrise is a quartet of Cuban music, formed by two Cubans, a Venezuelan and a Puerto Rican. Showing the musical connection that exists in our Latin blood despite being children of different countries, this quartet specializes mainly in music in the style of Buena Vista Social Club, Benny Moré, among other greats of Cuban and Latin American music.

The Sunrise quartet is becoming a staple of the Songwriter’s Series, offering a dynamic Latin break during the heat of the summer.

Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. He is best known for the 1998 single “Lullaby”, which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Over the years Mullins’ songwriting style has evolved gradually from an emphasis on love songs, almost all of which were sung in the first person, to character-based story songs. As he travels around the country, encountering characters whose stories appeal to him, he jots down notes in his journal and later browses through the journal when he’s looking for inspiration for a song.

Image copyright: David McClister Photography, LLC.

Paul McDonald is an American singer-songwriter from Huntsville, Alabama, who as of 2011, resides in Nashville, Tennessee. McDonald placed 8th on the tenth season of American Idol and since 2005, he has been the lead singer of the band Hightide Blues, renamed The Grand Magnolias in 2010. Paul released his solo debut "Modern Hearts" in 2018, which introduced a more alternative rock approach and brought him widespread exposure through tours across the U.S.

Jeff was one of the founders and is the longest-serving member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, where he has been a singer, songwriter, lead guitarist, drummer and washboard player. Through the years, he has been a major force in keeping the band together and maintaining its blend of folk, country and rock music.

Hanna has over 380 recording credits, primarily as a composer, but also as a vocalist, guitarist, arranger, and producer. In addition to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, his credits include work with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Suzy Bogguss, The Texas Tenors, Patty Loveless, Rascal Flatts, Matraca Berg, Hannah Montana, Emmylou Harris, The Chieftains, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Earl Scruggs, Michael Martin Murphey, Dickey Betts, and Steve Martin.