A Guitar and a Pen
“The ‘melody’ and ‘story’ keep songwriting alive. Thanks for A Guitar and a Pen.”
— Bruce Johnston, The Beach Boys (I’ve also written a song or two myself!!)
“A Guitar and a Pen is a wonderful vehicle to show that songwriters possess a creative dimension that extends way beyond their musical creations…fascinating and refreshing!”
— Barton Herbison, Executive Director, Nashville Songwriters Association International
“Country songs have always told the best stories and no one — really, no one — has ever done it better than Nashville. All my life I’ve admired guitarists like Chet Atkins and Roy Clark who touched me through their sound, but it was those Nashville songwriters who got to me through their words.”
— B. B. King
“I have made the pilgrimage to Nashville many times over the years because of my being so intrigued by the words and music invented by the songwriters there. When I learned that there was a book of short stories written by these same characters I knew that it was something I would not be able to resist. I can’t imagine anything more entertaining.”
— Michael McDonald
“A Guitar and a Pen is a wonderful vehicle to show that songwriters possess a creative dimension that extends way beyond just their musical creations. This collection of short stories by some of Nashville’s best songwriters is fascinating and refreshing! It reveals a depth, breadth, and remarkable insight into some of the best creative minds of our times. I wholeheartedly endorse this project. It goes beyond three chords because it is the truth.”
“The songs that first attracted me to country music when I was a youngster were the songs that painted pictures with words…heartfelt lyrics set atop plaintive melodies like T. Texas Tyler’s ‘Deck Of Cards’ and Luke The Drifter’s ‘Pictures From Life’s Other Side.’ In this book, some of our genre’s greatest songwriters have become wordsmiths of a different type, creating short stories sans music, yet they continue to entertain us with that same depth, compassion, pathos, and humor. A Guitar and a Pen is long overdue. But I feel like I do when I hear a great song: I sure wish it had been my idea!”
— Bill Anderson, member, Grand Ole Opry
