Ep. 104 - TIA SILLERS ("I Hope You Dance")

The Grammy-winning songwriter behind “There’s Your Trouble” (Dixie Chicks),  “I Hope You Dance” (Lee Ann Womack), and “That’d Be Alright” (Alan Jackson) talks about her heartbreaking personal losses, her professional triumphs, and how they’ve all worked together to make her the person and songwriter she is today.   EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul chat about great songs they never want to hear again. PART TWO - 12:21 mark Find out how you can enter to win a free CD! PART THREE - 14:27 mark Tia drops in at Songcraft World Headquarters to discuss how wandering into the kitchen of the Bluebird Cafe at age 15 changed her life; why she knew she wanted to sit in a circle with songwriters swapping jokes and telling stories before she knew she wanted to write actual songs; how a desperate classmate's plea for her notes led to her first hit single; the two things that must come together for a writer to be truly successful; what "cruel" thing Mark D. Sanders said to her that turned out to be right; why her biggest hit is also a big weight on her shoulders; what tricks she uses to stay engaged in the songwriting process; why she wishes she was a man; and how her husband's untimely death has shaped her as a person and a songwriter. Though best known as the co-writer of Lee Ann Womack’s classic “I Hope You Dance,” Tia Sillers has written successful singles in various genres, establishing herself as one of Nashville’s great songwriters. After scoring with Top 10 singles by George Ducas and Pam Tillis, she hit the top of the country charts with the Dixie Chicks’ recording of “There’s Your Trouble.” Additional charting country singles followed by artists such as Suzy Bogguss, Pinmonkey, Tammy Cochran, Trisha Yearwood, and Alan Jackson, who scored a huge hit with “That’d Be Alright.” In addition to her country success, Tia has landed several songs on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock chart, including Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black” which spent a total of six weeks in the number one slot. She also found success in Christian music when she and Hall of Fame songwriter Bill Anderson won the Dove award for Country Song of the Year after the Oak Ridge Boys recorded their song “Jonah, Job, and Moses.” Other artists who’ve covered Tia’s songs include Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Trace Adkins, Diamond Rio, John Waite, Vince Gill, Wynonna, Patti Page, Jennifer Lopez, and Gladys Knight. She has won Song of the Year honors from the Grammys, the CMA, the ACM, NSAI, and BMI. Tia has additionally taken home awards from the Canadian Country Music Association and the Billboard Music Awards.