Mount Musician Makes Headlines in Nashville

ALUMNI PROFILE

Where Are They Now: Rory Bourke, C’64, and wife Rita

Between Rory Bourke, C’64, and his wife Rita Welty Bourke, St. Joseph’s College of Emmitsburg class of 1964, they have five Pushcart Prize nominated short stories, four Grammy nominations, two Country Music Award Triple Play Awards, three daughters, and one successful marriage that has lasted more than 50 years. Last March, the Bourkes were awarded the Dean’s Circle of Excellence for their contributions to Mount St. Mary’s.

“The Mount took me in, loved me, and got me through school,” Rory Bourke said. “I’m so grateful that the Mount took a chance on me.”

Rory Bourke is the Grammy nominated songwriter of hits sung by Bonnie Rait, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Tom Jones, and Cher, among others. In 1989, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Other accolades include three American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Songwriter of the Year Awards; three BMI Million Performances Awards; and an ASCAP Song of the Year Award for “Bye Bye”, performed by Jo Dee Messina.

Rory Bourke’s musical inclination began at the Mount, when he spent his last $100 on an electric guitar from an upperclassman, taught himself to play, and began to write songs. In his senior year, he began performing at The Purple Onion, a coffee house in Emmitsburg now

known fondly as The Ott House Pub. This is where he met Rita Bourke, then a senior at the Mount’s sister school, and the two married six months later.

Rita Bourke is also an accomplished writer with more than 45 published short stories. Her work was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, the Faulkner Words and Music Literary contest for Novel-in-Progress, and America’s Best Short Fiction. She recently published her first novel, Kylie’s Ark: The Making of a Veterinarian.

Despite considerable successes, the two also faced challenges. Rory Bourke worked for several years for the New York Central Railroad before moving to Chicago, then Nashville. Even after signing with Chappell Music as a staff songwriter, his songs were often rejected. Similarly, Rita Bourke’s first published story was rejected more than sixty times before reaching publication. However, with Mount grit and perseverance, the two still came out on top.

“Rejection is an invitation to work harder, to put in more time, and study more intensely,” Rita Bourke explained. “As Rory likes to say ‘you have to write the bad songs in order to write the good songs.’“

Rory and Rita Bourke with their daughters and dog, Steeler, at their home in Tennessee.

Where are they now?

WHO /// Rory Bourke, C’64, History major, and wife Rita Welty Bourke, SJC’64

WHERE /// Songwriter at Rory Bourke Music Company