CMA Songwriters Series Tapes In Nashville with Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, & Ronnie Dunn

Monday night (8/24), some of country music’s most talented songwriters gathered at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, TN to celebrate tape two brand-new episodes of “Front and Center,” for the CMA Songwriters Series.

Headlining the first of the two shows was Darius Rucker, who had celebrated the success of his single, “Homegrown Honey,” earlier in the day with fellow co-writers, Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Nathan Chapman. He was joined one-by-one on stage with Casey Beathard, Chapman, Chris Dubois, Ashley Gorley, Tim James, Kelley, Clay Mills, Frank Rogers and Rivers Rutherford. The group is collectively responsible for hit songs like “Come Back Song,” “This,” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.”

One of the best parts of a songwriter round is hearing the stories behind the songs. For “Homegrown Honey,” Kelley explained that he had been hounding Rucker for a writing session (they’ve known each other nine years and just started writing together last year). The pair, along with Chapman, came up with the chart-topping song — one that Kelley threatened to steal for Lady A if Rucker decided not to record it.

The second of the two shows started later in the evening and featured the legendary Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn and rising star and CMA New Artist of the Year Brett Eldredge.

Dunn kicked off the show and performed a number of his hits with songwriters Tony Martin, Wendall Mobley, Neil Trasher and Craig Wiseman, including “My Maria,” “Red Dirt Road,” and “Neon Moon,” as well as his latest single, “Ain’t No Trucks in Texas.”

A highlight for the audience was when Dunn brought Eldredge onstage to sing both “Believe” and “One Mississippi.” With both singers having such powerful voices, the songs were given a whole new life and enchanted the audience. Both performances brought fans to their feet for standing ovations.

Eldredge hit the stage next. The Illinois native was joined onstage by Ross Copperman, Tom Douglas, Travis Hill and Heather Morgan.

The crooner sang his hits “Mean To Me” and “Beat of the Music,” while also giving fans a taste of his upcoming album with “Drunk On Your Love,” “Illinois” and “Wanna Be That Song.”