... is a five-time Dove award winning songwriter who has had cuts by Avalon ("Everything To Me"), The Crabb Family, Brian Littrell, Travis Cottrell, Mark Harris, Larnelle Harris, Joy Williams, The Martins, Janet Paschal, Charles Billingsley, Legacy V, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, Brian Free and Assurance, The Hoppers, and many others. In 2009, she won the Dove for Adult Musical of the Year (God Bless The USA). She won the Dove Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year in 2004 ("Everything To Me"), and in 2007 she won two more... for Musical of the Year "Everything Glorious) and Children's Musical of the Year (A King Is Coming To Town). She is a 13-time Dove nominee and the writer of 30 musicals, including "Everything Glorious" (Christmas 2006), "A King Is Coming To Town" (kids Christmas 2006), "Stars and Stripes Forever" (patriotic 2006), and "Redemption: The Power of the Cross" (Easter 2006). Sue has written six #1 songs and is a staff writer with Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc. Write Sue at writeaboutjesus@mac.com.
John is a widely-respected family and career counselor and motivational speaker. He serves as the director of the Board of Directors for MOHELA an organization whose mission is to assist students with low cost loans for college. As president of the City of St. Charles School Board as well as an administrator working with private schools, he developed servant leadership programs for school administrators, faculties, and students. During his four years as administrator of Living Word Christian Schools in O’Fallon, MO, the high school enrollment quadrupled under John’s leadership. He was the founder of One Accord Ministries, Write About Jesus’ parent organization, and still serves as its director.
Lee Black
Lee Black has been on both sides of the desk having worked in a publishing role at Integrity Music and as a staff songwriter for Daywind Music Publishing and Word Music Publishing. This year he was nominated for a Dove Award for Southern Gospel song (“Big Mighty God,” cut by the Mike LeFevre quartet). He has also served in local church ministry for the past sixteen years. Lee and his wife Melissa along with their four children live in Fairhope, AL where he is a worship leader at Church on the Eastern Shore.
Gina is a staff writer with Brentwood Benson Music Publishing and Write About Jesus Music. She is the first Write About Jesus alumnus to win a Dove Award... the 2008 Dove for Youth/Childrens Musical of the Year (Praise Rocks!). After years on the road as an artist and 10 solo projects, she now enjoys the challenges that come with being a writer living outside of Nashville. She’s had cuts by Mandisa (“Broken Hallelujah”), The Talley Trio (#1 hit “Life Goes On”), The Booth Brothers (“Standing Tall”), Carl Cartee (“Everything You Do”), Karen Peck, Christ Filer, and New Day. Her song “Once Upon A Cross,” cut by The Mark Trammel Trio was nominated for 2007 Song of the Year by Singing News Magazine. Gina is also Director of Worship and Creative Arts at her church in Lincoln, Nebraska. She and her husband Perry have four children, Hunter, Hannah, Harrison and Houston.
Carl Cartee
Carl Cartee has been in worship ministry for over fifteen years. He serves as an Artist In Residence at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, TN and travels extensively leading worship and performing concerts all over the world. Carl has sold over 75,000 independent records and had many of his songs recorded by Integrity Worship, Spring Hill Worship, Brentwood Benson Music Publishing and numerous other artists. Carl’s song “You Know My Name” was in the top twenty on Christian Hit Radio charts for over four months. His song “Glorious Impossible” has been recorded by multiple artists, most notably The Gaither Vocal Band, and is sung weekly in churches all over the nation. Writing songs, leading the church in worship and equipping other leaders, are the foundational components of his passionate call to build the kingdom. Carl and his wife Heather are the architects and hosts of Inspire Worship Conference, an event that trains and equips emerging worship leaders from around the world. Carl works as a staff writer for Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing and greatworshipsongs.com. The Cartee’s live in Nashville, TN with their sons Oak (3), Ezra (18 months) and Abe (8 weeks).
Maurice Carter
Maurice is a writer with Daywind Music and a pastor at Christ Church in Nashville, TN. He is well-known to other Write About Jesus clinicians as a co-writer and studio singer. His voice is often heard on Nashville demos. His song “He Still Leads,” written with Steve Marshall and Sue Smith, is featured on Christ Church Choir’s upcoming project. In addition, Maurice’s group, Maurice Carter and The Standard can be found at: http://www.myspace.com/mcandthestandard
... received the “Living Legend” Award from ASCAP in 2009. He is the writer of 50 #1 songs, including "Crucified With Christ" (Phillips Craig and Dean), "Mercy Said No" (Greg Long), "Be The One" (Al Denson), "For Future Generations" (4 Him), and many others, Dave is known for his inspiring classes on creativity, as well as being able to teach the basics of how to craft a great lyric. In April, 2009, Dave was named Director of Publishing and A & R Director for Lillenas Music.
After touring with such artists as Farrell and Farrell, Geoff Moore and country artist Charley McClain, Dennis went on to open his own recording
studio, Menace Music, in Franklin, TN, producing, writing, engineering and performing on projects with Kathy Troccoli, Sara Evans, The Martins, Nicol Smith, Aaron-Jeffrey, Pat Boone, Larnelle Harris, Rick Cua, Scott Krippayne, David Phelps, Sheri Easter, Karen Peck, The Ruppes, Kenny Marks, Crossway and Tonya Goodman.
He has performed on numerous No. 1 singles, including 4HIM’s “Basics of Life,” “Why,” and “He Never Changes,” as well as Greg Long’s “Mercy Said No,” Al Denson’s “To Forgive,” and Billy and Sarah Gaines’ “Same All The Time.”
Dennis has produced recordings for fledgling singers and established artists, with his name appearing on projects by EMI Christian Music Group, Benson Music Group, Word Entertainment, Song Time Kids, Butterfly Kids, Spring Hill Music Group, Broken Records and many more. In 2002 and again in 2004, he was honored with Gospel Music Association Dove Award nominations for Children’s Music Album of the Year for production.
Marty Funderburk
Marty Funderburk, a native of Amory, Mississippi, makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee where he has been a professional songwriter with Daywind Music Publishing for more than a decade. He began his music career as a member of The Life Action Singers before moving to Nashville where he worked as a performer and studio singer, appearing on projects by Steve Green, Dallas Holm, Lulu Roman, Steven Curtis Chapman and many others. His studio work led to a performance at The White House as a part of the Young Messiah Tour. In the mid 90’s he was a member of the Contemporary Christian trio Beyond the Blue (Word Records). His songs have been recorded by a who’s-who of Christian artists including Ricky Skaggs & The Whites, The Talley Trio, The Hoppers, The Imperials, Truth, Brian Free & Assurance, Greater Vision, Mark Lowry, The Mark Trammell Trio, Vicki Yohe, Karen Peck & New River, The Florida Boys, LordSong, The Perrys, Ernie Haas & Signature Sound, Mike Bowling, The Kingdom Heirs, Janet Paschal, CrossWay, Hope’s Call, Barbara Fairchild, Ann Downing, Jake Hess and Gold City. He also has numerous choral releases through Word Music, Brentwood-Benson, Lillenas, Lorenz, Prism and LifeWay. Three of his songs have been nominated for Dove Awards and he was named Professional Songwriter of the Year at the 2009 SGN Music Awards. His songs, “Forever Changed” (The Kingdom Heirs) and “Life Goes On” (The Talley Trio) were number one singles on The Singing News charts.
Wayne Haun
Producer/Songwriter Wayne Haun is a 5-time Dove Award winner with an unprecedented 45
nominations as a writer and a producer. He has produced over sixty Top 10 singles and written several No. 1 singles including The Martins' Grace, The Hoskins Family's When The Savior Wipes The Tears From Our Eyes The Perrys' I Wish I Could Have Been There and recently their multi-award nominated single I Will Find You Again.
In 2000, 2001, and 2002, Haun was named Producer of the Year by the Southern Gospel Music Association, and in 2002, BMI named Haun the year's top Dove nominee with nine nominations taking home the award for Bluegrass Song Walkin' and Talkin' and Bluegrass Album The Lewis Family's 50th Anniversary Celebration. In 2004, he received three honors at the Harmony Awards including Producer of the Year, Album of the Year (producer, This Is The Day) and Song of the Year (co-writer, I Wish I Could Have Been There).
In 2005, Haun received honors from BMI for his song I Wish I Could Have Been There as one of
the top played singles of the year. He was also recognized for producing six of the seven singles
honored that evening.
Haun currently lives in Nashville and works as an independent producer and arranger for various
labels, artists and producers.
╔is a staff writer at Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, working between Nashville and his studios in Great Britain. His biggest cut so far, ‘Livin’ in the Rain’, is a duet by Sheri Easter and 18-time grammy award winner Vince Gill and reached #2 on the Southern Gospel charts. During his regular trips to the US, his expanding list of co-writers includes many of the celebrated names in Christian music including Brandon Heath, Belinda Smith, Brian White, Chris Eaton, Dave Clark, Gini Owens, Joel Lindsay, James Tealy, Kevin Stokes, Michael Puryear, Sue C Smith, Tony Wood, Twila Labar and others. In 2007, he wrote his first kids musical, “LifeSong: The Musical,” with Sue Smith.
Simon is married with three young children and splits his time between Nashville and homes on the South Coast of England and in the Charente, France."
Twila LaBar is a diverse, prolific songwriter with success in several genres of the Christian music industry as well as a 2007 Dove Award nomination for her song, “Orphans of God,” recorded by Avalon.
She began writing at age 12. Since then, she has written songs that point to the hope of Christ. She relocated to Nashville, TN to pursue this dream and has had songs recorded by Avalon, Point of Grace, Charles Billingsley, Dottie Peoples, Babbie Mason, Vicki Yohe, Evelyne Turretine Agee, Karen Peck and New River, CrossWay, Legacy V, The Talley Trio, The Inspirations, and many more.
You’ll heart several of her songs on Dove-nominated artist projects. Many of Twila’s song have been recorded by Word Music, Hal Leonard, Brentwood-Benson, Lillenas, Genevox, and Alan Publishing, arranged as choral anthems or in chroal musical collections.
Allie Lapointe first joined Write About Jesus as a registrant in 2003. She has been a writer for Sunday Best Music for the past year, and has had cuts with the Perrys, Music For the Soul, Kristine Oliver, and a Brentwood Benson children's album. She has also been honored in the American Songwriter Magazine's lyric contest for a song she wrote with her husband, Nick. Allie currently serves as a worship leader for her church, as well as playing at local coffee shops. She and Nick founded and lead the Iowa Songwriters Guild, a monthly workshop and critique session for songwriters in their area. Allie and Nick live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with their two little boys (and a girl on the way!).
Joel Lindsey
Joel is a five-time Dove Award winner and a 18-time Dove nominee. In 2005, he won the Dove for Musical of the Year (Emmanuel: Celebrating Heaven’s Child), a work that surpasssed 100,000 in sales its first season. He has had 15 number one songs, including cuts by Avalon, Point of Grace, The Martins, Clay Crosse, The Cathedrals, Larnelle Harris, and Pam Thum. He was a finalist for the Gospel Music Association’s Songwriter of the Year in 1999. In 2006, his song “Orphans of God” was cut by both Avalon and The Talleys, and “On God’s Green Earth,” featured on the new Point of Grace release.
...has been the worship minister at College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, MO. for the past 15 years. He started out writing songs for campus ministry and youth camps and worship. After attending the GMA Seminar in the Rockies in 2002, he came to Write About Jesus that fall and received the grand prize in the songwriting competition for his song “Sovereign Lord,” which was subsequently featured in Song DISCovery and is now the title of his new Easter musical recently released by Lillenas Publishing. Phil writes for Sunday Best Music.
David Moffitt
... has penned several number one songs, including “I Surrender All,” recorded by Clay Crosse. He has had cuts by a wide variety of artists such as Travis Cottrell, Warren Barfield, Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, Larnelle Harris, Janet Paschal, Calvin Hunt, Sarah Paulsen, Evidence of Mercy, Mark Lowry, and Brian Free and Assurance. With Travis Cottrell and Sue Smith, he has created seven worship musicals for Brentwood-Benson, including Dove nominated “Redemption: The Power of the Cross” for Easter 2006, “Everything Glorious,” which received the Dove Award for musical of the year in 2007, and “All Bow Down,” a Christmas musical released for Christmas 2007.
His song “Alive Forever, Amen” was featured on the WOW Worship (Aqua) CD. He has written several songs for Beth Moore’s Living Proof Ministries, including the theme song for her recent Daniel DVD Bible Study Series, and for the musical collections that accompanied her “Beloved Disciple” and “The Patriarchs” studies. David and his wife Susan have two daughters, Grace and Glory, and a son, John David.
Between graduation from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 1981 with double majors in Religion/Philosophy and Communications, and before attending law school at the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, Greg spent almost nine years in the music business and media production in various capacities including as a booking agent, road manager, disc jockey, concert promoter, retail music buyer, and Assistant Director of Media at Asbury Theological Seminary.
Since graduation from law school in 1992, Greg has worked as a solo-practitioner, served as the Director of Legal Affairs at Benson Music Group, and as the Director of Business Affairs at EMI Christian Music Group.
Greg is currently in solo practice at The Seneff Law Office in Brentwood, Tennessee (an area just south of Nashville). He also represents film and video production companies, independent record labels, publishers, and production companies. Greg has served as General Counsel for the Gospel Music Association and Christian Music Trade Association. He serves as a Board member for the non-profit ministry of Touchstone Youth Resource Services, and as member of the advisory committee and featured columnist for Christian Activities magazine. He also writes as a guest columnist from time to time for Power Source magazine and the Internet magazine iBluegrass.com.
Rick Shelton currently serves the Southern Gospel music industry and the church print market as Director of Publishing for Daywind Music Group. He developed a keen sense of anticipating audience response as an artist, music minister, Christian television producer, and music director at Salem Communication’s Solid Gospel Radio Network. This distinctive background prepared him to serve as Director of Publishing at Centergy Music until he accepted his present position. He has secured approximately 1400 recordings for Daywind’s staff of exceptional writers, which includes Marty Funderburk, Dianne Wilkinson, Gerald Crabb, John Darin Rowsey, Justin Rivers and Ronny Hinson. Rick resides in Nashville.
Steve Siler
Steve Siler’s songs have been recorded by artists ranging from The Dolly Dots to Bob Hope, from Jump Five to the Oak Ridge Boys, from Herbie Hancock to Vestal Goodman. His best known songs are Circle of Friends, Not too Far from Here, and I Will Follow Christ. His least known songs are Sad Elephant, Weasel Revolution, and What Did the Homeless Ever Do for Me. For the past eight years he has worked with the ministry Music for the Soul to create issue specific recordings from a Christian perspective dealing with topics the church finds difficult to discuss openly.
Belinda Smith
Belinda Smith is a Dove Award Winning songwriter. She has been writing since 1997 when she moved to Nashville from West Virginia. Along with her Dove Award for 2004 Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year, her songs have received several Dove nominations. She has had several number #1 songs, including “Over and Over,” cut by Jeff and Sheri Easter and currently featured on Gaither Nashville Homecoming. She is a highly sought teacher at songwriting workshops through the country. She was presented with a BMI Award for 2004 and she has cuts by artists ranging from FFH to the Gaither Homecoming Friends.
Bubba Smith
... is a seasoned business executive in the Contemporary Christian and Gospel music field. His album production work has earned him a Grammy® Award and nine GMA Dove Awards. He has produced and/or executive produced over ninety record projects and has worked with artists as diverse as Shirley Caesar, The Clark Sisters, Sandi Patty, The O’Jays, Point of Grace, Glen Campbell, Karen Peck & New River and Michelle Williams (of Destiny’s Child) to name a few. He has served as Executive Director of A&R for Word Entertainment and most recently served as Vice President of Daywind Music Publishing. Bubba is currently devoting his time as a freelance producer.
Kevin has had a colorful history in Christian music over the last fourteen years. He has developed writers and promoted songs as a publisher. He has worked with artists as an A&R director. He has programmed tracks and arranged vocals. He has even traveled as part of a band. But today, Kevin’s primary passions are writing and producing. He has written #1 singles for Point Of Grace, Scott Krippayne and Kathy Troccoli. He received a Dove Award nomination for “Sometimes He Calms The Storm,” recorded by Krippayne. He has had songs recorded by a diverse list of artists from CCM and southern gospel music including Natalie Grant, Brian Free & Assurance, LordSong, Aaron Jeoffrey, Sandi Patty, Legacy Five and the Martins. Kevin’s career as a producer has featured a #1 single for the McRaes and two Producer of the Year nominations from the Southern Gospel Music Association. In 2006, he launched mFive Music, an online publishing company, and his first solo record, Grace & Gravity, will release before the end of 2007. He is Janine’s husband and dad to Zach (11), Nick (8) and Alyssa (5).
James Tealy
... has spent most of his life calling the deeply soulful city of New Orleans home. In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, Tealy and his wife headed north to Nashville, TN where he was signed as a staff songwriter with Universal Music Publishing. It's in Nashville that James Tealy currently serves on the pastoral staff with Mosaic Church. Tealy is a multi-tasker. When he’s not writing songs for a diverse crop of artists as a staff songwriter with Centricity Music, Tealy integrates his deeply personal insights on life, love and faith into his own material--most recently on the independent release "The Hardest Step to Land." As an artist and worship leader, James Tealy books over 150 dates a year.
Cindy Wilt-Colville
Cindy’s first job in the music business was as the receptionist for Lorenz Creative Services. Then Greg Nelson and he hired her to screen songs, corrdinate production schedules and manage budgets forfor Christian music legends Sandi Patty, Larnelle Harris, Steve Green as well as working on Steven Curtis Chapman’s first four projects. After six years she left Nashville to move to New York City to serve in a non-profit ministry.
Two years later she was hired to run Benson Music Publishing. For the next fifteen years Cindy worked as a publisher with two of Christian music’s largest publishing companies, six years at Benson Music Publishing and nine years as vice president of Word Music Publishing. She signed and developed some of today’s top Christian music songwriters.
In 2007 she transitioned from her career in music publishing to serve as the day-to-day manager for Sparrow recording artist Matthew West.
In 2009 Cindy started her own songwriter development company returning to her passion and experience of developing skilled, creative and commercially viable songwriters, artists and producers.
Cindy lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Bruce. For the past ten years Cindy has served as a volunteer Bible teacher and worship leader at the Tennessee Prison for Women.
Tony Wood
A 2009 Dove Award nominee for Songwriter of the Year and the writer of 18 #1 songs, Tony has had recent cuts by Francesca Battistelli (“I’m Letting Go”), Chris Sligh (“Empty Me”), by Mandisa (“My Deliverer”), by Building 429 (“End of Me”), Travis Cottrell (“Ring The Bells”), Natalie Grant (“Ring The Bells”), and Ian Eskelin (“Lord”). He won the 2007 Dove Award for “Find Your Wings” (Mark Harris”for Inspirational Song of the Year. His other cuts include Selah, Pocketful of Rocks, Anthony Evans, 33 Miles, Lincoln Brewster, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Avalon, Phil Stacey, Pure NRG, FFH, Phillips, Craig and Dean, Jason Crabb, Sandi Patty, Larnelle Harris, Gaither Vocal Band, Booth Brothers, and many others. Tony is a staff writer for Essential Music Publishing
Graduating from Belmont University in 1992, Guy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music theory and religion. As a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by Aaron Geoffrey, Plus One, Joy Williams, Kristy Starling, Evidence of Mercy, Imperials, Natalie Grant, Kenny Rogers, and Brian Littrell among others. He has also written music for several short films, ... Left Behind ‘The Movie’, MOST, (2003 Academy Award Nominee short film), and in 2006 had the title cut in an animated European feature film entitled “Asterix”. In 2005 Guy accepted a position as Director of A&R with Centricity Records working with artists such as downhere, Jason Gray, Daniel Kirkley, Jaime Jamgochian and Circleslide.
Holly is Director of Publishing for Essential Music, working with such writers as Brandon Heath, 2009 Dove Award winning songwriter and artist, and Dove Award winners Tony Wood, Jason Ingram, Cindy Morgan, and Chad Cates. She was Creative Director for Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing for eight years, and before that the Membership Director for the Gospel Music Association.
