4 minute read
MUSICAL NOTES
FEATURING KEITH STEGALL
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
I na 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.”
The planets were indeed lining up and the next crooner needing some studio guidance was a lanky towheaded Georgian, Alan Jackson, who was working in the mail room for The Nashville Network. The two became fast friends collaborating for decades making hit after hit, selling over 50 million records with Stegall producing and co-writing “Don't Rock the Jukebox.” This was just the tip of the iceberg of accomplishments for Stegall who has stayed humble, laid back, and grateful for his good fortune.
“My partnership with Alan Jackson was like an old pair of comfortable boots,” said Stegall. “We were both sons of auto mechanics and loved county music. We have always been on the same page creatively. It just worked and it’s been a heck of a ride.”
Stegall also wrote Al Jarreau's signature “We're in this Love Together.” Helen Reddy, The Commodores, Johnny Mathis, Mark Wills, Sammy Kershaw, George Jones, and Merle Haggard have all cut songs or collaborated with Stegall. He even landed a tune, “I Do” by 98 Degrees on the soundtrack of Notting Hill, the hit rom-com starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. He also had a stint heading up Mercury Records churning out even more hits.
Fast forward, as a producer always looking for great talent, Stegall heard a Georgia band headed by Zac Brown. The group was talented but had received little traction within the labyrinth of the Nashville establishment. Stegall took Brown and the band under his wing, and together they churned out a whopping nine #1 singles! Their third project together yielded a Grammy award for Country Album of the Year.
Stegall recalled, “The first time I saw the Zac Brown Band there was something magical and compelling. It was coming right off the stage and hitting me right between the eyes. I’m so grateful that Zac trusted me to make those first three albums. Now the world sees what I saw that night.”
He continues expanding his legacy with his company Dreamlined Entertainment, a Nashville-based production, publishing, and record company specializing in songwriter/artist development. At Dreamlined, Stegall has built an artist-driven team that caters to talent in a modern and flexible manner. Their focus is on adjusting and tailoring their approach to everyone’s needs.
“I continue to be inspired by the talent that keeps showing up in my world,” said Stegall. “I am proud to help them get to the place where dreams come true.”
Stegall is still writing, producing, and developing talent collaborating once more with pal Alan Jackson and up-and-coming talent like William Michael Morgan, Bradley Gaskin, and Makayla Lynn. Thriving even through a pandemic, the Dreamlined team has secured tracks over these last few years with artists like Trace Adkins, Extreme, Carter Faith, HunterGirl, Chris Janson, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Kid Rock, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Steeldrivers, Matt Stell, Aaron Watson, and more. In his free time, he enjoys spending time on his oasis farmland in rural Maury County, outside Franklin, Tennessee.
For additional information on Dreamlined Entertainment visit dreamlinedentertainment.com and follow them on social media at @dreamlined_entertainment.
