For Immediate Release
Contact: John Macy
303.915.3774
John Macy and the Park House present a unique songwriters showcase featuring two of Nashville’s finest songwriters 8:00PM, July 19th at the Park House located on East Colfax Ave @ Madison St. Tony Arata (“The Dance”) and Pete Wasner (Don’t Let Out Love Slippin’ Away) will perform many of their hit songs and share some stories about how they came to be. Tickets are $10.00, and will go on sale Thursday, June 25th. In addition, there will be a limited admission workshop with Tony and Pete from 4:00 to 6:00PM and includes a private dinner with them before the show at 6:00PM. The cost for the workshop, dinner and show is $75.00. If you are interested in this, send a personal message and let me know.
Tony Arata was born in Savannah, Georgia and grew up on nearby Tybee Island.
While studying for a journalism degree from Georgia Southern University, he began performing his original songs in local bands. In 1986, he and wife Jaymi moved to Nashville where his unique, soulful style began to get the attention of people like Allen Reynolds and Garth Brooks. Garth to date has recorded seven of Tony’s songs, and “The Dance” won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and received both a Country Music Association and a Grammy nomination, as well as a most performed song in Radio and Records Magazine.
He has also had No. 1 records with “Here I Am” for Patty Loveless, “I’m Holding My Own” for Lee Roy Parnell, and “Dreaming With My Eyes Open” for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Delbert McClinton, Don Williams, Reba McEntire, Suzy Bogguss, and Hal Ketchum.
Tony has also done three solo albums featuring new songs, covers, and guest appearances by many of Nashville’s finest musicians as well as folks who have recorded his songs, including Garth, Patty, and Lee Roy.
Brooks himself has said the following about Arata:
One of my favorite songwriters has to be Tony Arata. He’s a cat who doesn’t care about appearances. He doesn’t care about money. He cares about his children, his wife, and his music. That’s neat.
Pete Wasner is a singer/songwriter/keyboardist currently living in Franklin TN.
In addition to co-writing two #1 singles, Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away and Whenever You Come Around, recorded by Vince Gill, he also was co author of two top ten singles, One Night A Day (Garth Brooks) and Mama Knows the Highway (Hal Ketchum).
Artists recording Pete’s songs include Bonnie Raitt, Garth Brooks, Reba McIntyre, Hal Ketchum, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Ilse DeLange, John Waite, Robben Ford and Joe Bonamassa.
As a session musician, credits include Robben Ford, Little Feat, Richie Furay, Vince Gill, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Emmylou Harris, Daniel O’Donnell, McBride and the Ride, The Mavericks, Iris Dement, Nancy Griffith, Alison Krauss, Michael Johnson, Deana Carter, Kathy Mattea, Don Williams, Amy Grant, the Rankins, Bruce Robison, and the Chieftains.