Musical
NOTES FEATURING KEITH STEGALL PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
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n a state brimming with talent and career success, producer, writer, and publisher Keith Stegall has humbly racked up a string of successes which include 55 #1 hits and an
enviable list of honors including multiple Grammy, CMA, ACM, and Dove awards. A Texan born in Wichita Falls, Stegall grew up in a musical home in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he continuously played guitar and piano. His father was the Abbott recording artist Bob Stegall, who often guested on the famed "Louisiana Hayride" and played steel guitar for country traditionalist Johnny Horton. Kris Kristofferson, legendary songwriter and CMA Lifetime Achievement Award-winner with cuts by Johnny Cash, Roy Drusky, Ray Price, and more, encouraged the ambitious but fledgling musician to move to Music City. After shyly playing the tunesmith a few selfpenned songs, Kristofferson urged, "Son, you need to get your ass to Nashville and hang out with other writers. They will break you down and make you the best you can be." That was 1978, and a scant three months later, Stegall had co-written a smash hit for Dr. Hook, “Sexy Eyes.” This was just the beginning. He would soon discover a young traditional vocalist who was a dishwasher at The Nashville Palace. His name was Randy Ray, soon to be known as Randy Travis. Travis asked Stegall to produce a record so that he had music to sell at his shows. This union solidified Stegall as a producer and eventually led to the hit-filled Storms of Life which became a smash debut CD for Travis on Warner Brothers Records with songs like “On the Other Hand.”
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M U S I C C I T Y P U B L I C AT I O N S I N C .
