Nashville Songwriters in the Round Series

David Olney: Master craftsman, acclaimed singer/songwriter and globe-trotting performer David Olney is well-known worldwide for his indelible songs and powerful live performances. Olney has released more than 20 albums over four decades, including six live recordings. His music has been prominently featured in ABC-TV’s “Nashville” and his stellar songs have been recorded by Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, Tim O’Brien, The Wailin’ Jennys, Steve Young, Slaid Cleaves and many others.

Peter Cooper: For more than a decade,  GRAMMY-Nominated Singer, Songwriter and Producer Peter Cooper was the senior music writer and columnist for Nashville’s daily paper, The Tennessean. He is currently working at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as Museum Editor. Named one of Nashville’s “10 Most Interesting People” by Nashville Arts & Entertainment magazine, Cooper is also a session player, a producer who has worked with Todd Snider, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Fayssoux Starling McLean, among others, and is professor of country music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.

Gwil Owen: Born in Syracuse, N.Y., and raised in rural Ohio, Gwil Owen moved to Nashville as a songwriter in the eighties. His band, The Thieves, was signed to Bug/Capitol Records and put out one record, “Seduced By Money,” in 1988 and a number of singles thereafter. Owen went on to be nominated for an Academy Award in 1999 for a song co-written with Allison Moorer called “A Softer Place to Fall,” which was featured in Robert Redford’s film “The Horse Whisperer.”  The Gwil Owen/Kevin Gordon songwriting collaboration “Deuce and a Quarter” was recorded By Keith Richard and Levon Helm for the album “All The Kings Men,” which featured performances by Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana.