February Lyrics for Lyric Featuring Billy Yates

Mark Newton
Mark Newton

Nashville Music Guide Magazine and Picks Nashville, a historic Music Row venue located at 1407 Division St., Nashville TN, 37203, will present Mark Newton’s Lyrics for Lyric show, February 23rd, featuring Country Star and Legendary songwriter, Billy Yates, to benefit Lyric Alana Frizzell, a two year old battling Leukemia.

The February’s show will be jam packed with Nashville talent, showcasing a pre show of rising songwriters in the round starting at 6pm, hit songwriters beginning at 8pm and culminating as Country Star, Billy Yates, writer of hits like “I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair” and “Choices” for the legendary George Jones, performs a selection of his hits which are too numerous to mention. The February benefit will also mark the addition of award winning Bluegrass Artist, Mark Newton as MC.

Songwriters appearing throughout the night will be Bryant Meltzer, Cowboy Slim, Emmett Grayson McCarthy, Jamie Saylor, Joe Eskridge, Ray Parton, Gibson & Melletti Band, Sam Cooper, Chris Gantry, Lisa Carver, Amanda Martin, Jimbeau Hinson, Chuck Cannon, James Lann, Joe Kent, Michael Huffman, Buddy Brock, Tommy Barnes, Anika Dartsch, Kelly Murray and Tamara Ray Fosdick. A portion of the nights proceeds will be donated to the Lyric Frizzell Fund, to offset the costs incurred during the two year olds cancer treatment at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

On July 28th, 2009, at ten months old, Lyric Alana Frizzell, daughter of Crystal and Artist to the Stars, Corey Frizzell was diagnosed with an aggressive, rare form of Leukemia and was just hours from losing her life. Not only was it a parent’s worst nightmare to hear the dreaded words “Cancer”, but to soon find out that Lyric is the only documented case in history to have her form of Leukemia was unfathomable. She has endured six months of chemo, deadly infections and months of seclusion from family and friends in a protected, filtrated wing of the hospital for immune suppressed patients at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Myelosuppression Unit.

Lyric is now celebrating being declared in a partial remission from the Leukemia but frequents the Vanderbilt Cancer Clinic monthly and will continue to do so for the next four years to monitor her immune system and blood counts. If she can avoid a relapse during this period, having the greatest chance for one during the next year and a half, she will be declared in full remission.  

Billy Yates

Country artist Billy Yates rolled the dice in 2001 when he walked away from Columbia Records Nashville to form his own company, M.O.D. (My Own Damn) Record Label. At the time it was unheard of in Music City for an artist to make such a move. Yates’ decision to go independent was brazen considering the fact the singer/songwriter had yet to build much of a fan base while signed to a major label. During a meeting with (then) Columbia Nashville label chief Allen Butler, Yates voiced his desire to make an old-school country album free from the restrictions of a major corporation. Once it was clear that Yates wasn’t leaving to join a competitor’s roster, Butler released the singer from his contract. The very next day, Yates began work on what would become his first indie release, the critically acclaimed If I Could Go Back (2001).

In 1987 Yates made the move to Nashville and signed a publishing deal with Hori Pro Entertainment. The wordsmith’s first cuts as a songwriter came when legendary country artist George Jones recorded two Yates compositions for his 1992 album Walls Can Fall, including “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair,” the 1993 Country Music Association’s Vocal Event of the Year. Jones would later take the Yates-penned “Choices” into the Top 30 on the country charts. The song earned Yates and co-writer Mike Curtis a Grammy nomination. More cuts came for Yates while he pursued his own record deal. Almo Sounds released the singer’s self-titled debut in 1997. The album’s first single, the riveting “Flowers,” cemented Yates’ reputation as a traditionalist. Sadly, Almo Sounds folded before the singer could establish himself in the country music community. Yates would eventually sign with Columbia Records Nashville. After a few false starts, and after years on the major-label treadmill, Yates made the decision to leave Columbia and form his own record label. The singer/songwriter produced five critically lauded studio albums and one hits package (Favorites) between 2001-2008, including masterstroke collections Harmony Man (2005) and That’s Why I Run (2008). While success as a performer has all but eluded him in the United States, Yates has built a large and loyal following in Europe, where he enjoys hit singles and sold-out tours. In 2006, Yates and California businessman Scott Hacker partnered to form Smokin’ Grapes Music Publishing, a company based out of Nashville, TN. Yates’ songs have been recorded by various artists, including Gary Allan, Tracy Lawrence, George Strait, Sara Evans, and Kenny Chesney. – Todd Sterling, Rovi

For more information on Picks Nashville, Lyric Frizzell, Billy Yates and Mark Newton, visit the following websites at www.picksnashville.com, www.lyricfrizzell.com  www.billyyates.com., www.marknewtonband.com

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