He’s the lauded US songwriter whose songs have been recorded by the likes of Elton John, Reba McEntyre, Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley, and Travis Tritt.
And now, Jerry Salley will be bringing his considerable swag of songs to Lizotte’s and he’s bringing some old mates along for the ride
Those mates are homegrown country stars Gina Jeffreys, Rod McCormack and up-and-coming Newcastle-based songwriter Max Jackson.
Dubbed Songs and Stories, the show promises just that – an intimate and up-close-and-personal peek into the stories behind the songs.
And when it comes to songs, Jerry is certainly no slouch with more than 500 tracks recorded by a litany of artists. His songs have also sold in excess of 17 million copies worldwide.
The 2003 and 2018 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) songwriter of the year is also in the running for a Grammy this year for his production work on the roots – gospel album Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout.
There is a Novocastrian connection with Jerry too, as he co-wrote the track Where We Both Say Goodbye with Catherine Britt – a tune that Catherine recorded with Sir Elton John, representing the Rocketman’s first appearance on the Billboard Country chart.
Gina Jeffreys, too, is certainly no slouch when it comes to penning a quality tune. Since bursting onto the Oz country scene back in 1991 as the Tamworth Country music Festival Star Maker Quest 9and picking up the mantle from previous winner Keith Urban) Gina went on to become the first Australian female country artist to attain platinum album status.
Rod McCormack, who is married to Gina, is one of Australia’s most in-demand session players, songwriters and producers.
As a songwriter, Rod has written over 30 number one country hits, along with theme songs and background music for a number of successful TV shows and documentary series, and has won numerous awards.
He has over 500 titles currently recorded and released by artists here and overseas. As a musician Rod gained the reputation of one of Australia’s finest, and is one of our most recorded artists, appearing on thousands of albums and soundtracks ranging from KD Lang, Leo Sayer, Tom T. Hall and Kasey Chambers.
Last but certainly not least, is Newcastle’s Max Jackson.
For a little over six years, Max was happily the behind-the-scenes songwriter, honing her craft on multiple trips to Nashville and Los Angeles and writing with established International and Australian artists on their projects. Max’s most recent cuts include four songs that feature on Gina’s stunning new album, Beautiful Tangle and Nashville Pop Singer/Songwriter Svrcina’s track Astronomical which racked up just over 2 million Youtube views.
Her debut album Life Of The Party will be released this month.
Catch Songs and Stories with Jerry Salley, Gina Jeffreys, Rod McCormack and Max Jackson at Lizotte’s on Sunday 19 January. Get your tickets here.
Jerry will also be holding a very intimate songwriter’s workshop at The Music Cellar recording studio in Erina on the same date (from 12-3pm). There are just 12 spots available so for more information and to reserve your spot, email rod@rodmccormack.com.
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