Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

The sixteen-time Grammy nominee and three-time winner joins us to talk about his remarkably varied body of songwriting from country to to rock to political songs to Americana and contemporary folk. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE  Scott and Paul tell you how you can hear their wild story about getting ready for the Steve Earle interview, and they explain why this episode is particularly special. PART TWO - 7:12 mark Paul and Scott head over to Steve's Los Angeles hotel to get the details on how a Chicago radio station saved his career; why reading is more important than listening to records; the book Townes Van Zandt loaned him that transformed his view of writing; the concert that inspired Steve to write "Guitar Town;" what he really thinks of the "Copperhead Road" line-dancing phenomenon; the first song he wrote after a long period of drug addiction and homelessness; why bluegrass is like bebop; who he says is THE badass country singer/songwriter in Nashville today; why he's working on a new political album that isn't just about preaching to the choir; and which song he would play for Guy Clark today to try to impress him.    ABOUT STEVE EARLE Singer, songwriter, musician, author, actor, record producer, and progressive political activist Steve Earle rose to prominence in the 1980s with his album Guitar Town, which topped the Billboard country album chart, earned two Grammy nominations, picked up a Top New Male Artist nomination from the Academy of Country Music, and is included among Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of all Time. Raised in Texas, Earle launched his career in Nashville playing bass in legendary songwriter Guy Clark’s backing band. Following a stint recording with a rockabilly-influenced sound for Epic Records, Earle switched to MCA where he broke through with now-classic songs such as “Guitar Town,” “Someday,” “Goodbye’s All We’ve Got Left,” “My Old Friend the Blues,” “Fearless Heart,” “Nowhere Road,” “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied,” “The Devil’s Right Hand,” “The Other Kind,” and “Copperhead Road,” which reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.    Drug addiction, homelessness, and a period of incarceration derailed Earle’s career for several years before he reemerged in the mid-1990s as standard-bearer for contemporary folk and Americana music. His eclectic comeback albums Train a Comin’, I Feel Alright and El Corazon garnered near-universal critical praise. The new millennium found Steve continuing to earn attention for his songs, including “Galway Girl,” “John Walker’s Blues,” “Jerusalem,” “The Revolution Starts Now,” and “City of Immigrants.” Always difficult to categorize, Steve has recorded the highly-acclaimed bluegrass album The Mountain with The Del McCoury Band, a traditional blues album called Terraplane, and a duet album with Shawn Colvin. In total, Earle has released nineteen studio albums and has earned sixteen Grammy nominations, including three wins in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category. Steve’s songs have been covered by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Patty Loveless, Joan Baez, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Wanda Jackson, Bob Seger, Levon Helm, and many others. His son, Justin Townes Earle, is a respected singer-songwriter in his own right. American Songwriter Podcast Network

The three-time Grammy winner, two-time ACM Songwriter of the Year, and star of NBC's Songland joins us to talk about a few of his 40 #1 hits, including "Mama's Broken Heart," "American Kids," "Vice," "Body Like a Back Road," and more.  EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE  Scott and Paul put in a plug for Pearl Snap Studios! PART TWO - 3:02 mark The guys have a conversation about some of the worst cover songs of all time.  PART THREE - 12:06 mark Paul and Scott head over to Shane's Los Angeles home to get his thoughts on being in a band with LeAnn Rimes when they were little kids; why he used to pray that God would give him another dream other than songwriting; how he had to wrestle with questions of authenticity and sexual identity to discover his artistic voice; the way that Kenny Chesney anointed him that opened the floodgates of commercial success; who he calls his favorite singer of all time; which of his hits he was most shocked was released as a single; what he thinks of the critics who say “Body Like a Back Road” drifted too far from country’s traditions; which of his songs he suspects other songwriters don’t like; the reason The Book of Mormon musical had a huge influence on him; and why joining the cast of NBC's Songland was so fulfilling. ABOUT SHANE MCANALLY With 40 #1 singles to his credit in the last decade, Shane McAnally is already one of the most successful country songwriters and producers of all time. After a brief career as an artist he reinvented himself as a behind-the-scenes hitmaker when Lee Ann Womack found success with his song “Last Call.” The floodgates soon opened with a steady stream of #1 hits, including “Somewhere with You” and “Come Over” for Kenny Chesney, “Alone with You” for Jake Owen, “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” for Luke Bryan, The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” and “Downtown” by Lady Antebellum. Industry and critical recognition quickly followed Shane’s commercial success when Miranda Lambert’s recording of “Mama’s Broken Heart” and Kacey Musgraves’ “Merry Go ‘Round” were concurrently nominated for a Best Country Song Grammy, as well as for CMA Song of the Year. “Merry Go ‘Round” won the category and Shane was named the ACM Songwriter of the Year.  Many of his songs have gone on to be recognized by the ACM, CMA, and Grammy awards, including “American Kids” by Kenny Chesney, “Take Your Time” by Sam Hunt, “Vice” by Miranda Lambert, “Drinkin’ Problem” by Midland, “Female” by Keith Urban, “Follow Your Arrow” and “Space Cowboy” by Kacey Musgraves, and Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” which set a new record by spending 34 weeks at number one on the Billboard country chart and was nominated by the CMA for Song of the Year two years in a row. Other highlights from Shane’s extensive song catalog include “Say You Do” and “Different for Girls” for Dierks Bentley; “Gonna Wanna Tonight” for Chase Rice; “Young & Crazy” for Frankie Ballard; “Stay a Little Longer” for Brothers Osborne; “Wild Child” for Kenny Chesney; “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” for Keith Urban; “I Met a Girl” for William Michael Morgan; “T-Shirt,” “Unforgettable,” and “Marry Me” for Thomas Rett; “If I Told You” for Darius Rucker; “Written in the Sand” and “Make it Sweet” for Old Dominion; “Burn Out” for Midland, “Love Ain’t” for the Eli Young Band; and “Down to the Honkytonk” for Jake Owen. The list of additional artists who’ve recorded his songs includes Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line, Ashley Monroe, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Hunter Hayes, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Trace Adkins, Tracy Lawrence, Kelsea Ballerini, and George Strait.  Shane has been nominated for the ACM Songwriter of the Year award six out of the last seven years, and has won the honor twice. He’s a three-time Grammy winner and currently stars as a mentor on the NBC television show Songland, where he works with up-and-coming writers to craft material for artists like John Legend, will.i.am, The Jonas Brothers, Meghan Trainor, and Aloe Blacc. American Songwriter Podcast Network

Matthew Sweet joins us to unpack his process of writing power pop gems like "Girlfriend," "The Ugly Truth," "Sick of Myself" and many others. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul analyze mix tapes, cool bands, and "older brother rock." PART TWO - 5:29 mark Paul and Scott jump on the phone with Matthew Sweet, one of the nicest rock stars on the planet, to get the lowdown on how a postcard from Michael Stipe altered his musical future; why he says being a solo artist is lonely; the reason he describes the drums on "Girlfriend" as "odd." why a paralyzing fear of flying kept him off airplanes for nearly a decade; what he really thinks of being labeled "power pop;" why he was conflicted about making The Thorns album; what happened when he suggested that he and Susanna Hoffs write an album together; and the song he collaborated on with a Saturday Night Live legend that led to another SNL legend covering one of his very earliest recordings. ABOUT MATTHEW SWEET Best known for hits such as “Girlfriend” and “Sick of Myself,” Matthew Sweet is a melodically-oriented rock tunesmith who was at the center of the 1990s power pop revival. After befriending R.E.M., the native Nebraskan relocated to Georgia, where he joined Michael Stipe’s sister Lynda’s band, Oh-OK and launched his own group Buzz of Delight.  Sweet eventually launched his solo career from New York and then Los Angeles, earning gold certification for his albums Girlfriend and 100% Fun. The latter was named one of the year’s best by Entertainment Weekly, and he has gone on to release a dozen more critically-acclaimed solo albums. Additionally, he has collaborated on a series of cover song projects with Susana Hoffs, as well as on an album of original material in collaboration with Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge under the name The Thorns.   As a songwriter, Matthew has collaborated with The Jayhawks, Hanson, Michael Stipe, Chris Stamey, and Jules Shear, with whom he wrote the title track for ‘Til Tuesday’s album Everything’s Different Now. His most recent album is titled Wicked System of Things.    American Songwriter Podcast Network

Frequent Willie Nelson collaborator, award-winning producer, and co-writer of the CMA and ACM Song of the Year "Give It Away" Buddy Cannon joins us for an in-depth conversation.   EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul talk about their friends at Pearl Snap Studios and share a listener-submitted clip highlighting what Pearl Snap can do for you, too! PART TWO - 3:47 mark Paul shares a recent eye-opening musical experience. PART THREE - 8:47 mark Scott calls up Buddy Cannon to learn about how he went from growing up in a family so poor they didn't have a car to becoming a legendary Nashville songwriter and record producer; how he started writing songs out of boredom, the circumstances of getting his first four cuts in two days (all by the CMA's Entertainer of the Year); how his first charting single became a #1 hit; the experience of writing his first song after getting sober; why he had to tell Kenny Chesney he couldn't produce his early albums; the real-life conversation that became his biggest hit; the time he freaked out when his musical hero called him on the phone; and how he and Willie Nelson only co-write via text message. ABOUT BUDDY CANNON Though widely recognized as a respected Nashville record producer, Buddy Cannon initially made his mark in the music business as a songwriter. His first charting single came with Mel Tillis’ recording of “I Believe in You,” which reached #1 on the Billboard country rankings in 1978. He went on to write several Vern Gosdin hits, including the #1 singles “Set ‘Em Up Joe” and “I’m Still Crazy.” George Straight took his “I’ve Come to Expect it from You” to #1, but his greatest success with Straight came in 2006 when “Give It Away” hit the top spot on the charts and went on to be named Song of the Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Additionally, Buddy’s songs have been recorded by Hank Snow, Loretta Lynn, David Allan Coe, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Jones, Gene Watson, Alabama, Bill Anderson, Don Williams, Tracy Byrd, and others. As a producer he’s worked on projects for Sammy Kershaw, Sara Evans, Chely Wright, Craig Morgan, John Michael Montgomery, Reba McEntire, Joe Diffie, Joe Nichols, Jamey Johnson, Randy Travis, Lionel Richie, Eric Clapton, Rhonda Vincent, Dolly Parton, and Merle Haggard. He has produced most of Willie Nelson’s recent albums, and has produced every Kenny Chesney album since 1997. His work with Chesney includes nearly two dozen #1 singles. A multiple Grammy winner, Cannon has also won a CMA and three ACM awards for his production work, including the ACM’s Producer of the Year honor in 2005.

Best known as one half of the legendary folk rock duo Indigo Girls,  Grammy award winner Emily Saliers joins us to discuss her remarkable career.  EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul announce the winner of the signed copy of Layng Martine's memoir, Permission to Fly, and give an update on their call for demos recorded at Pearl Snap Studios. PART TWO - 3:06 mark The guys talk about how their parents monitored their music when they were kids, then get into a discussion about how Indigo Girls impacted their musical sensibilities.  PART THREE - 9:02 mark Paul and Scott connect with Emily via phone for a wide-ranging conversation that covers the first album she ever bought; how the importance of regionalism has changed in the music industry; why she would change the opening line of her best-known song if she were writing it today; the criticism that most plagued Indigo Girls when they were starting out; how she tries to stretch herself by writing material that might not come as naturally; why she's always dreamed of having a country artist cover one of her songs; her fierce love of hip hop; and why there's no such thing as secular music. ABOUT EMILY SALIERS Singer-songwriter Emily Saliers is best known as one half of  Indigo Girls, which NPR called “one of the finest folk duos of all time.” The Georgia-raised musical icon is the sole writer of some of the group’s best-known titles, including “Closer to Fine,” “Hammer and a Nail,” “Galileo,” “Least Complicated,” “Power of Two,” “Get Out the Map,” and others. With fifteen studio albums to their credit, Indigo Girls are Grammy award winners and winners of the Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. They’ve earned seven gold, four platinum, and one double platinum award for album sales and have collaborated with REM, Joan Baez, Brandi Carlile, P!nk, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.   In addition to her work with Indigo Girls, Saliers and her father, a retired theology professor, co-wrote the book A Song to Sing, a Life to Live: Reflections on Music as Spiritual Practice. In recent years she released her debut solo album, Murmuration Nation, and has remained an impassioned activist and advocate for causes close to her heart.

The Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee who’s been called The Father of Nashville Rock talks about a successful career that’s seen his songs covered by everyone from Martina McBride to The Beatles. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul talk about the last chance to enter to win a signed copy of Layng Martine's memoir, Permission to Fly, as well as ask listeners to send in their recordings they've had produced by our friend Justin at Pearl Snap Studios. PART TWO - 3:18 mark The guys talk about Rocketman, the new Elton John film, and get into a larger discussion about whether or not factual accuracy is important when it comes to music biopics. PART THREE - 11:54 mark Paul and Scott call up Buzz at his studio to get the lowdown on how he launched Nashville’s first rock band with a saxophonist who could only play one note; how gigging with Jerry Lee Lewis landed his group a job as Brenda Lee’s backup band; the time he snuck into a radio station after hours to record one of his earliest original songs; why he didn’t know The Beatles had covered one of his tunes until 20 years after the fact; which record he produced that has a dirty joke hidden in the master number on the label of the 45; the way he ended up recording as “Alvin” on the Chipmunks records; why a Bible verse inspired his biggest hit; what he thought when he heard U2’s interpretation of “Everlasting Love,” and how an album project that didn’t go anywhere still led to one of his biggest hits as a songwriter. ABOUT BUZZ CASON Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee Buzz Cason has been called The Father of Nashville Rock. He is best known as the co-writer of two R&B classics: “Soldier of Love” - which  has been recorded by Arthur Alexander, The Beatles, and Pearl Jam – and “Everlasting Love,” which was recorded by Robert Knight, Carl Carlton, Gloria Estefan, and U2. Cason began his music career with his own group, The Casuals, which eventually became Brenda Lee’s backing band. He scored one Top 20 pop hit as an artist with “Look For a Star” under the name Gary Miles before hitting the charts as a songwriter with Jan & Dean’s recordings of the songs “Tennessee” and “Popsicle,” as well as Ronny & The Daytonas’ recording of “Sandy.” Robert Knight’s version of “Everlasting Love” became a Top 20 hit on both the Pop and R&B charts around the same time Cason produced soul singer Clifford Curry’s classic “She Shot a Hole in My Soul.” Cason later found success in the country market with Tommy Overstreet’s chart-topping “Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’)," T.G. Sheppard’s Top 20 hit “Another Woman,” a string of Top 40 singles with Freddy Weller, as well as Top 10 with singles by Mel Tillis and the McCarters. Martina McBride had a major country hit with “Love’s the Only House,” which Buzz co-wrote with Tom Douglas. Additionally, his songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Rick Nelson, Dolly Parton, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Jackson, and Placido Domingo.

The Grammy nominee and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer joins us to talk about “Rub It In” (Billy "Crash" Craddock), "Way Down" (Elvis Presley), “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” (Reba McEntire), and his new memoir, Permission to Fly. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul call up Tommy Smith, one of their top tier Patreon subscribers to chat about Songcraft, life, and his budding recording studio. PART TWO - 9:52 mark The guys invite anyone who has recorded demos at Pearl Snap Studios to send in their recordings and then they chat about the songs that have become permanently linked to ad campaigns. PART THREE - 13:49 mark Scott and Paul catch up with Layng via phone to get the story on the song he heard as a young adult that inspired him to start writing his own material; Why trying to get to Elvis lead to his first publishing deal; how he wrote songs without playing an instrument; why he preferred being his own song plugger; how he made magic in a broom closet;  why saying goodbye to Ray Stevens was the hardest day of his life; how his first Nashville co-writing session led to a Grammy nomination; and why an act of terrorism derailed a would-be hit. ABOUT LAYNG MARTINE, JR. A versatile songwriter who has found success as both a pop and country hit maker, Layng Martine has penned more than 20 songs that have reached the Top 40 on the Billboard charts. His breakthrough came with “Rub It In,” a charting single for Layng as an artist that was later revived as a #1 country hit and Top 20 pop hit for Billy “Crash” Craddock. Years later it was altered to become “Plug it In,” the long-running jingle for the Glade Plug-ins television commercials. A half dozen of Layng’s songs have earned BMI awards, including “Everybody Needs a Rainbow,” made popular by Ray Stevens, “I Should Do It,” which was a hit for The Pointer Sisters, “I Wanna Go Too Far,” which became a Top 10 single for Trisha Yearwood, and “Way Down,” the last new song ever recorded by Elvis Presley. “Way Down” reached #1 on the Billboard chart within days of Elvis’s passing. Additionally, Layng wrote charting hits for Freddy Weller, Mel Street, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cristy Lane, Dickie Lee, Tanya Tucker, Kathy Mattea, Pam Tillis, John Anderson, and others. He wrote Reba McEntire’s first charting single, and co-wrote “The Greatest Man I Never Knew,” which became a chart-topping hit for Reba several years later and earned Layng a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song.     The list of other artists who’ve recorded Layng’s songs includes Bo Diddley, Carl Perkins, The Drifters, Barry Manilow, Don Williams and Billy Dean. Layng was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, but has since set music aside to focus on narrative writing. He recently published his first book, Permission to Fly: A Memoir of Love, Crushing Loss, and Triumphs, available June 11th via FieldPoint Press.

The two-time Grammy nominee and alt.country pioneer joins us to discuss his career as an eclectic and fiercely independent singer songwriter. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul chat about the classic conundrum of getting annoyed when your favorite artists get too popular, but also getting annoyed when people don't catch on their greatness. PART TWO - 8:20 mark Paul plays a friend's brand new single for Scott and the guys talk about Pearl Snap Studios, Patreon, and how a lucky listener can win a free hat. PART THREE - 12:59 mark Robbie stops by Songcraft World Headquarters to chat about one of his earliest songs--a super twisted parody of a Red Sovine classic; why he never moved to Nashville; how he got a record deal by writing a manifesto; why putting an album's songs in the proper sequence is important; the song he wrote for his celebrity crush; the concept album he never made; the insider details he learned from Tom Brumley; and which of his songs he doesn't want to play anymore. Plus, Robbie performs live and acoustic! ABOUT ROBBIE FULKS Singer, recording artist, instrumentalist, composer and songwriter Robbie Fulks’s most recent solo album, Upland Stories, was named among the year’s best by NPR and Rolling Stone, and was nominated for a Best Folk Album Grammy. Additionally, his “Alabama at Night” earned a Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Song. Though his tastes are wide-ranging, Fulks is steeped in country, bluegrass, and folk traditions with an often irreverent sensibility that can range from hilarious to heart breaking.  Robbie’s first two albums, Country Love Songs and South Mouth, helped define the “alternative country” movement of the 1990s, while subsequent releases found him exploring pop and rock territory. His recent work is more reflective and acoustic-oriented, though he occasionally diverges to pursue eclectic projects such as his 2018 duet album with Linda Gail Lewis, Wild! Wild! Wild! Robbie’s songs have been covered by Sam Bush, Kelly Hogan, Andrew Bird, Mollie O’Brien, Rosie Flores, John Cowan, Pinmonkey, Lone Justice, Old 97s, and others. Additionally, his writing on music and life has appeared in GQ, Blender, the Chicago Reader, DaCapo Press’s Best Music Writing anthologies, and other outlets. Besides country and bluegrass music, Robbie is fiercely fond of—in his own words—Charles Mingus, P.G. Wodehouse, quantum mechanics, his wife Donna, comedy in almost all forms, cooking, swimming laps, the past, Arthur Schopenhauer, Universal horror movies, his grandson and even his sons, coastal towns in the off-season, and rye whiskey, though in nothing like that order.

CMA and ACM Song of the Year winner Larry Weiss chats about his amazing career from the Brill Building to "Rhinestone Cowboy" and more. Plus, up-and-comer Jenny Tolman stops by to preview her cool new record.  EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul discuss the recently-aired Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and chat about some of the artists who've not been inducted yet, but should be! PART TWO -  14:22 mark Nashville-based newcomer Jenny Tolman stops by to discuss her approach to writing her new album There Goes the Neighborhood and to perform the title track live. PART THREE - 28:49 mark Scott and Paul catch Larry Weiss on his cell phone in the grocery store to chat about his first charting single (a co-write with Neil Diamond and eight other guys!); how he beat out King & Goffin, Sedaka & Greenfield and Mann & Weill for a Nat "King" Cole cut; why a well-timed delivery of matzo ball soup led to the recording of one of his classics; the upsetting incident that prompted him to move out of New York City; why he wasn't happy with his vocal performance on the original version of "Rhinestone Cowboy," and the reason he never thought of his biggest hit as a country song in the first place. ABOUT LARRY WEISS Glen Campbell’s recording of Larry Weiss’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” became an international hit and reached the #1 spot on both the country and pop charts in the US. It earned two Grammy nominations and was named Song of the Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. While Weiss is most often associated with that classic hit, he’s written over a dozen singles that have hit the Top 40, including “Bend Me, Shape Me,” which was a Top 5 pop hit for The American Breed.  Other artists who’ve scored hits from the Weiss songbook include Pat Boone, Baby Washington, The Animals, Al Martino, Jerry Butler, and The Carpenters. Larry has released two albums as an artist, Black & Blue Suite in 1974 and Cuts and Scratches in 2010. He also sang “Brand New Life,” the theme song for the TV sitcom Who’s the Boss?  The list of additional artists who’ve covered his songs includes Nat “King” Cole, Marvin Gaye, Barry Manilow, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Three Dog Night, Dionne Warwick, The Shirelles, Clyde McPhatter, Paul Anka, Gene Pitney, Rod Stewart, David Gilmour, Tom Jones, Robert Plant, Chrissie Hynde, Ben E. King, T-Rex, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Neil Diamond, Wilson Pickett, Dolly Parton, Thome Yorke of Radiohead, Belle and Sebastian, and Michael Jackson, who recorded “To Make My Father Proud,” which appeared on the 1984 album Farewell My Summer Love.

The Motown legend behind "Dancing in the Street," "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," "It Takes Two," "Devil with a Blue Dress On," and "Beechwood 4-5789" opens up about his life and career. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul talk about Pearl Snap Studios, their new rock star Patreon subscriber, Motown's 60th anniversary, and that lost Marvin Gaye album. PART TWO - 12:43 mark Scott heads over to Mickey’s house to get the lowdown on why he almost stormed out of his first meeting with Berry Gordy; how he assembled Motown’s legendary Funk Brothers; the trick he used to convince Marvin Gaye to ditch jazz and become an R&B singer; why “Dancing in the Street” was a message song -- but not the message many people think; the pep talk he would give to Motown’s artists and songwriters; the reason he’d have to kick a young Stevie Wonder out of the studio; why he’s a champion of songwriting collaborations over writing solo; and the real reason he departed Motown. ABOUT MICKEY STEVENSON William “Mickey” Stevenson was hired as Motown Records’ first A&R Director, signing a variety of artists to the label including The Four Tops and Stevie Wonder. He assembled the legendary Motown studio band known as the Funk Brothers and produced such Motown classics as “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and “Uptight (Everything is Alright).” As a songwriter, Stevenson partnered with Marvin Gaye to write The Marvelettes' hit “Beechwood 4-5789,” as well as Gaye’s own hit recordings of “Stubborn Kind of Fellow,” “Hitch Hike,” and “Pride and Joy.” Mickey is perhaps best known as the co-writer of “Dancing in the Street,” a massive hit for his former assistant, Martha Reeves, that was written with Gaye and Ivy Jo Hunter. The song was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame. Additional hits from the pen of Mickey Stevenson include “Devil with a Blue Dress On” for Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, “Ask the Lonely” for The Four Tops, “Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby” for Stevie Wonder, “It Take Two” for Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston, and “It Should Have Been Me” for Gladys Knight and the Pips. The long list of artists who’ve recorded Mickey’s songs includes Diana Ross, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Little Richard, The Jackson 5, The Everly Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, The Kinks, Van Halen, David Bowie, Mike Jagger, The Rolling Stones, and many others.