Photo: Singer and songwriter Jeffrey Steele.
As excitement builds for Seeds of Learning’s “Hometown Voices and Nashville Stories” event, the spotlight now turns to the extraordinary Nashville talent that will help make this event a truly unforgettable evening.
While local contestants prepare to showcase their voices in competition, audience members will also have the rare opportunity to hear from some of Nashville’s most accomplished singer-songwriters — artists whose songs have shaped country music for decades and become the soundtrack to countless lives.
These two Nashville stars — and judges — will be sharing their music, stories and expertise with Pagosa Springs on Monday, August 24 at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts. From chart-topping hits to stories from behind the scenes of Music City, these award-winning songwriters bring a level of talent and experience rarely found on one stage.
Jeffrey Steele is an award-winning American country music singer and songwriter, celebrated as one of Nashville’s most prolific hitmakers. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, his co-written tracks have resulted in more than 500 recordings, 50 million units sold and multiple chart-topping country anthems.
He has written or co-written massive hits for major artists, including Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most,” “My Wish” and “These Days”; Tim McGraw’s “The Cowboy in Me”; Montgomery Gentry’s “My Town”; and LeAnn Rimes’ “Big Deal.”
Before his legendary songwriting career, Steele was the lead singer and bassist for the 1990s country group Boy Howdy. The band achieved commercial success with top-10 hits like “She’d Give Anything.” He was named BMI’s Songwriter of the Year in 2003 and 2007, and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Songwriter of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Wendell Mobley is a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated American country music songwriter and musician. Originally from Celina, Ohio, he moved to Nashville, Tenn., where he has co-written ten No. 1 country hits, spent a combined 26 weeks at the top of the charts and sold more than 60 million records worldwide.
He is widely celebrated within the Nashville music industry as both an elite lyricist and a powerhouse vocalist, regularly performing his catalog live at songwriter festivals and orchestral events.
Mobley has penned some of the biggest country hits of the last few decades, particularly for artists like Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts. Some of his most notable chart-toppers include Kenny Chesney’s “There Goes My Life” and “How Forever Feels”; Rascal Flatts’ “Fast Cars and Freedom,” “Take Me There,” “Banjo” and “I Melt”; Jason Aldean’s “A Little More Summertime” and “Tattoos on This Town”; and Randy Houser’s “How Country Feels.”
Their presence at Hometown Voices and Nashville Stories gives local contestants an incredible opportunity to perform before some of the industry’s most respected creators while giving audiences a front-row seat to the stories behind the songs they know and love. Together with our talented hometown contestants, they will help create a one-of-a-kind event benefiting Seeds of Learning.
You can support your favorite local voice contestants right now by casting your votes online at vote.pagosavoice.org.
Votes are just $1 each, and every vote not only helps contestants compete for the coveted People’s Choice Award, but also supports Seeds of Learning’s fundraising efforts.
Every dollar raised helps provide opportunities for lifelong learning in our community, making your vote a meaningful way to champion local talent while investing in the future of Pagosa’s children.
Stay tuned as we continue introducing the remaining Nashville stars who will be joining this unforgettable evening of music, storytelling and community celebration.