American Songwriter Tallies Professional Songwriter Winners

Posted in News on April 8, 2002

American Songwriter magazine celebrated their 13th annual Professional Songwriter Awards during a breakfast at BMI's Music Row offices. Among the guests were Country winners Richie McDonald, Gary Baker and Frank Myers (songwriters of top song "I'm Already There"), and Michael Britt, who with bandmate McDonald, accepted country artist honors on behalf of Lonestar. Other honorees included Christian winners Steven Curtis Chapman, Sparrow Song, Cabinetmaker Music and Word Entertainment; Pop winners Destiny's Child; and Country winners Arista/Nashville and Sony/ATV Tree.

Gathered after the awards presentation are (back row) Sparrow’s Rick Cua, Arista’s Teddy Bonadies, Lonestar’s Michael Britt, American Songwriter magazine's Vernell Hackett and Jim Sharp, Destiny’s Child’s Alvin Williams, Word’s Shawn McSpadden, BMI’s Paul Corbin; (front row) Cabinetmaker Music’s James Elliott, Lonestar’s Richie McDonald, Frank Myers, Gary Baker and Sony/ATV’s Terry Wakefield.

American Songwriter also honored Heath Whitehead, the overall winner in the magazine's 2001 Lyric Contest, for his song "Heartland." Whitehead, who lives in Lewisville, Texas, is a children's musician and entertainer in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Among Whitehead's prizes were air travel to Nashville, courtesy of American Airlines, a Sigma DR-1ST guitar from Martin Guitars, and a master production demo donated by Emmy Award-winning composer/producer Brian Siewert of Music City Music Productions.

Brian Siewert, Heath Whitehead and Jim Sharp

Lonestar's Michael Britt and Richie McDonald

photos by Brian Tipton

SOURCENews TAGS Country Pop Artists Steven Curtis Chapman Lonestar Richie McDonald Frank Myers