franklin, Tennessee
31 Years Old

writer profile >

BIOGRAPHY

Since Melissa has been songwriting professionally, she’s had cuts by several major recording artists including Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Phil Stacey, David Nail, John Paul White, Maia Sharp, and Jonathan Singleton among others. She is a recipient of the 2004 ASCAP Country Music Awards for writing the country single “I’m Gonna Take That Mountain” for Reba McEntire, one of the year’s most played songs as well as a number one video hit on CMT.

Melissa has penned two recent international hits. Doc Walker’s “I Am Ready” went top 10 in Canada in 2005. Bella’s “Tumbling Down” went top 10 in Australia in 2004. Melissa is a native of Bucks County Pennsylvania and currently writes for Dann Huff's publishing company, Crosstown Music Publishing. Melissa released her first independent solo album "Lonesome Lullaby" earlier this year which incorporates her acoustic/country/bluegrass/pop influences.

LEVEL

professional

GENRES

Singer/Songwriter, Alternative Country, Bluegrass

PUBLISHING COMPANY

Crosstown Music Publishing /Roger's Dream Music, major publishing company

Contact

Publishing: Crosstown Music Publishing

P.R.O.

BMI

INSTRUMENTS

acoustic guitar / mandolin / piano / vocals

INFLUENCES

patty griffin/ shawn colvin/ the beatles/ patsy cline/ julie miller

DAY JOB

i am lucky enough to be a full time songwriter and artist.

I AM INTERESTED IN

in pitching songs to artist
in pitching songs to tv

I WRITE:

For a living

I Also Write:
by myself
with others
for myself
for others

I Prefer To Write:
lyrics
melody
music

experience >

SONG CUTS

carrie underwood "that's where it is"/ reba mcentire "i'm gonna take that mountain"/ leann rimes "won't be lonely long"/ phil stacey "you are mine"/ david nail "red light"/ maia sharp "the edge"/ jonathan singleton "probably just time"/ john paul white "come over, over my head, losing me"/ faith hill "why do i"/ cyndi thompson "the other side"/

SONG PLACEMENTS

carrie underwood "that's where it is" in the new renee zellweger/harry connick jr. movie "new in town".

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

ASCAP award for "i'm gonna take that mountain" reba mcentire.

OTHER SONG OR ALBUM CREDITS

vocals on capitol records release kids country volumes 1&2;.

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Cadillac Sky

Cadillac Sky should be a lot more tired. It’s early Saturday afternoon at MerleFest and the band–Bryan Simpson, Matt Menefree, Andrew Moritz, Ross Holmes and newest addition David Mayfield–has already logged two performances on the day....

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Sessions: David Bazan

It was pretty slow. I mean, I played [the songs] on acoustic guitar for a long time, but I didn’t know how to transfer them to the other format. I didn’t want it to be a solo acoustic record. I wanted there to be bells and whistles and full band arrangements even if I didn’t want it necessarily to be electric guitar rock....

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Sessions: Vetiver

“It’s always slightly confounding to me whenever Vetiver is depicted with the same tropes that people have read off of press sheets,” says Andy Cabic. “The same sort of milestones get mentioned but then no one really digs to find out that there are those other things going on.”

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Behind The Song: “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sang, it has been remarked, like lovers, although they weren’t. Similarly, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the team behind one of Marvin and Tammi’s most enduring hits, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” wrote as if under the influence of amatory forces; even if, in the spring of 1968,