Actress/songwriter Riley Weston, along with Joe West and Kent Blazy perform at Puckett’s Gro. tonight at 8:30pm.
Riley Weston – Weston has worked as an actress and writer on many television shows and feature films. She is now living in Nashville, focusing on her country music career. Her first single, “If I Said Howdy To You” is now getting attention from radio stations around the country. She has starred in the hit TV movie, What About Your Friends, written for the WB television drama, “Felicity” as well as starred as Story Zimmer in the critically acclaimed episode, “Drawing the Line.”
She quickly grabbed the attention of Touchstone Pictures and Television brass who signed Riley to an acting and writing development deal. Riley followed her deal with writing the feature film, Damaged for Artisan Entertainment. She then wrote and starred in the highly rated ABC television movie, “Christmas at Water’s Edge.” She has received three awards for her debut novel, Before I Go, an IPPY Award for Story Teller of the Year, the Grand Prize at The New York Book Festival as well as the top honor as Best Fiction. And lastly, Riley received a Book Sense Pick Award.
Joe West Songwriter/Producer/Performer – As a songwriter he has had multiple #1 singles as well as cuts with Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Jimmy Wayne, Julianne Hough & many others. His music has been featured in over 100 network, cable & feature films.
West also has a long & distinguished list of production/mixing credits including; Joey + Rory, Emmy Lou Harris, Warren Zevon, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Wayne, James Otto, Mercy Me, Steve Earle, Mathew Sweet, Indigo Girls & many more Grammy Award Winning and Multi Platinum selling artists.
In 2016, West produced & mixed the 15 week and counting Billboard #1 album for Joey + Rory. West wrote, produced & mixed Jimmy Wayne’s 3 week #1 smash hit & title track “Do You Believe Me Now”. West produced & mixed a total of 9 songs on “Do You Believe Me Now” including Wayne’s top 20 single, “I Will”
Toby Keith took West’s song, “American Ride” for a ride all the way up the charts to #1 for 2 weeks. “American Ride” is Keith’s fastest rising single ever. Making it to #1 in just 13 weeks!
Keith Urban took “Without You” to top of the charts. Marking West’s third #1 in three years! “Without You” is on Keith’s RIAA Certified Gold Record “Get Closer”.
Joe West’s song “Right Back Atcha” was released as Tim McGraw’s single! Joe has 2 songs on Tim’s #1 record “Emotional Traffic”
Kent Blazy – Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, Blazy became musically inspired when he heard Roger McGuinn playing his Rickenbacker guitar on “Mr. Tamborine Man”. This created a new choice and Kent traded in his baseball glove for a guitar. He began his musical journey playing with a series of bands all over the eastern half of the country.
By the mid-70’s, Kent was band leader, playing guitar and touring with Canadian legend, Ian Tyson. Sound advice and the timely first place win in a national songwriting contest persuaded him to move to Nashville in 1980. Kent’s commitment was now to focus his efforts at the craft of songwriting.
In 1982, sooner than expected, Gary Morris took “Headed for a Heartache” to number 5 on the charts. In the years that followed other artists, such as The Forrester Sisters, T. Graham Brown, Donna Fargo and Moe Bandy recorded Kent’s tunes.
In an effort to develop more knowledge of the recording side of music and for the benefits of a “day job”, Kent opened a home recording studio. The studio offered an option for Kent’s demos as well as a demo service to other writers. This studio introduced Kent to some of the new demo singers and songwriters of Nashville; names like Randy Travis, Billy Dean, Trisha Yearwood, Joe Diffie, and Martina McBride, now well-known country artists.
In 1987, Kent was introduced to a new demo singer by Bob Doyle, then with ASCAP, soon to be the manager for this emerging talent, Garth Brooks. Garth became Kent’s most requested demo singer and Bob Doyle also advised, “Garth writes a little bit too.”
The first song Garth and Kent penned together was “If Tomorrow Never Comes” which became the first number one song for both. The friendship and writing partnership continued as Garth included eight more of their songs on his albums.
Garth’s newest CD, “The Lost Sessions”, includes another Kent and Garth song, “For a Minute There”, written for their fathers.
Kent’s songwriting continues with established writing partnerships, as well as developing partnerships with new writers and artists. Many of his crafted works continue to be recorded by artists such as Diamond Rio, Kenny Chesney, Terri Clark, Clay Walker, Patty Loveless, Julie Roberts, Andy Griggs and Blaine Larsen, a new recording artist on RCA. Kent’s latest #1 hit is Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song), recorded by Chris Young. Kent also, has the title track on Reba’s latest CD “All The Women I Am”. Also, look for Kent’s latest cuts from Randy Houser “The Power of a Song” on Randy’s latest CD. And “Empty Beer Cans” on Jon Pardi’s new CD “Write You A Song.”
