The George Link Jr. Gilmer Arts Playhouse will resemble a Nashville country music haunt when a trio of singer/songwriters takes the stage this Saturday.
The Oct. 29 Blue Betty Sessions concert will feature Nashville singer/songwriters Byron Hill and Stephen Simmons alongside Ellijay’s Robin Salmon. The show begins at 7 p.m.
The Blue Betty Sessions always feature regional or national Americana artists. Salmon, who organizes the shows, said this one will be an evening of acoustic music featuring the three working songwriters singing their songs and telling the stories behind them.
“We’re going to do it in the round, kind of Bluebird Cafe style,” said Salmon, vocalist and guitarist for roots rock band Surrender Hill. “We’ll also be discussing our different takes and approaches on making a living playing music and songwriting.”
Hill, a North Carolina native who moved to Nashville as an aspiring country songwriter in 1978, has written or co-written songs that became hits for such artists as George Strait (“Fool Hearted Memory”), Alabama (“Born Country”), George Jones (“High-Tech Redneck”) and Ray Charles (“The Pages of My Mind”).
The list of artists who’ve recorded his songs reads like a who’s who of country music. On it are Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Jason Aldean, Porter Wagoner, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Barbara Mandrell, Mark Chesnutt, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Van Shelton and many others. To date, 15 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame have recorded Hill’s songs, which have appeared on 95 gold and platinum albums and singles.
“I play to all kinds of crowds. Sometimes the younger people don’t know all those songs so it’s fun to play them for that (younger) crowd, but then other people are real familiar with them. I never know which situation I’ll be in,” said Hill. “I usually play the songs that artists have recorded because it’s a better story than something just out of my pocket. The stories really make it fun for everybody.”
Simmons, a Tennessee native who currently lives in Nashville, has also gained a loyal following in Europe, said Salmon. The songs on Simmons’ latest release, “Family Album,” were recorded over a 15-year span in which the singer/songwriter sat aside biographical songs based on people and events from his own family for the special album.
Salmon is a former Nashville resident who released several solo albums before forming Surrender Hill with his wife, Afton. Several years before landing in Nashville and later Ellijay, he fronted the melodic hard rock band See No Evil.
With Surrender Hill, the Salmons blend country, rock, pop, folk and other musical elements to produce a distinctive Americana sound boosted by their rich harmony singing. Their latest album, “Just Another Honky Tonk In a Quiet Western Town,” was released last year.
“I became friends with Byron, who’s like a country songwriter to the stars, while living in Nashville,” Salmon said. “He went to Nashville specifically to pursue becoming a writer for other artists and getting a publishing deal. Stephen doesn’t pursue the publishing end of songwriting, but instead co-writes with others and writes for himself. He’s made a really good career over in Europe, and we’ve done some shows together here and there when he’s at home.”
Hill will also present a songwriting workshop at the playhouse starting at 4 p.m. the same day.
“It’ll be an hour-long workshop, and it’s included with the show ticket. Anybody who has a ticket can register and go to the workshop,” said Salmon.
Hill said the workshop will be in a Q&A format, and he’ll welcome questions from those who attend.
“Some people get into the nuts and bolts of writing, but I’ve found, through the years, that I just like to get to the heart of what people want to know. That way, I can quickly get to what they want to learn about,” he added.