2009 / 2010 The New album by Gary Curtis number 1 UK COUNTRY MALE VOCALIST and NO 1 UK COUNTRY MALE VOCALIST (CMR NASHVILLE) NCM RADIO MIKE AWARD WINNER, recorded John’s song “Billboard Moving Picture Show”. The song was recorded as a duet with legend Billy Swan of “I Can Help” fame . The song went to number 1 on the HOT DISC charts in the UK.
Wm. John aka to family and some friends as "Butch" and to some of his buddies "Billy John" was born and raised in the Buffalo NY (Angola on the Lake)...
2009 / 2010 The New album by Gary Curtis number 1 UK COUNTRY MALE VOCALIST and NO 1 UK COUNTRY MALE VOCALIST (CMR NASHVILLE) NCM RADIO MIKE AWARD WINNER, recorded John’s song “Billboard Moving Picture Show”. The song was recorded as a duet with legend Billy Swan of “I Can Help” fame . The song went to number 1 on the HOT DISC charts in the UK.
Wm. John aka to family and some friends as "Butch" and to some of his buddies "Billy John" was born and raised in the Buffalo NY (Angola on the Lake) western New York state area. An area of New York state that is primarily blue collar and what is considered the rust belt. Famous for snow storms, lots of them and where Buffalo chicken wings originated and home of the Buffalo Bills and the Lake Erie shore line. The hard ship of factory lay offs and factory closings and just hard living in general endeared folks in that area to the story telling of country music. Very little in that area has changed in the past 45 years. It is rural farm land for the most part and now dotted with grape vineyards where a fledgling grape and wine industry is starting to make a name for itself.
The son of a nothern military legal eagle father a talented singer in his own right and a southern born and raised mother form GA. The influences of both cultures are reflected in John's music and writing.
Non music career moves landed John and family in the Orange County Los Angeles area. He spent twenty five years in southern California as a furniture business man. Also during that time he was involved in the Quarter horse industry as a hobby and business. He developed many cowboy friends both in the music business and other aspects of western living and cowboy culture.
Taught in his teens basic guitar by his sister Donna Dutchess who is also a songwriter brought on the fascination and curiosity of how songs are created.
It wasn't until he was in his forties that he started developing the craft of songwriting. NSAI (Nashville Song Writers Internationl) led him to and was mentored by the late Nik Venet (see foot notes) the LA icon who is credited for producing the Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Don McClean, Lou Rouls , Harriet Schock, and others. John as he is known in the Los Angeles and Orange County California songwriting communities considered Nik his primary influence in developing the craft of songwriting. John says, “Nik was the consummate songwriting teacher and mentor. Tough, opinionated, and a heart of gold he insisted that one must read the masters and keep a journal as requisite tools in developing the craft of songwriting. He believed that the lyric came before the music and that the music would evolve from a well-written lyric. He was a stickler for story telling and song form.” After Nik’s death in 1998 John studied with Harriet Schock and Phil Swan of the Song Witers Guild of America. (See footnotes) As a member of NSAI Los Angeles, and Orange County and the Song Writers Guild of America he has remained active for the past 15 years and makes frequent trips to Nashville.
Early 2009 John moved to Austin TX where he lives and writes today overlooking beautiful Lake Travis.
Chris Keaton president at Keaton Music Ventures in Nashville is currently representing and pitching John's catalog in Nashville to artists, and the TV and film industry.
A Big Thank You to Ed Tree @ Tree House Studios Los Angeles, Steve Cooper @ Songwriters Studio and Stacy Hogan @ AwritersParadise in Nashville and the great session singers, Eddie Cunningham, Nicole Gordon, Randy Crenshaw, Ray Burnett, and Glen Mayo, and Mike Lusk on the new song "No Place Left to Fall" and Jaime Hardwick "Start Thinking Like a Guy" for adding their brilliance to my songs and making them sound Great.
foot Notes:.. Nik Venet: Peter Jameson, Jimmie Haskell, Al DeLory, Mike Curb, Brian Wilson, Linda Ronstadt, Lou Rawls, John Stewart, Steve Douglas & the Rebel Rousers, Glen Campbell.. .
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