Jeff Stansberry Releases Single "Without Jesus" to Country Christian Radio

Merry Christmas everyone! I am very excited about my new single, Without Jesus, that's being released on the January 2011 Double E Compilation to Country Christian Radio. Gerald Smith and I wrote this song about a year ago. Gerald and I are staff writers for Melody Roundup Music. It's the first song Gerald and I worked on together. A fun, upbeat song with a serious message. I want to thank all of you dics jockeys and radio programmers in advance for your consideration and for the adds. I think you are going to enjoy this one. I hope you find happiness, health and food on your table this Christmas. Anything else we receive is a true indication that we are blessed and we possess riches beyond our wildest dreams. Help make a difference in someone's life today. God Bless You.

Catching Up and Great New Stuff on the Way!

Its been a while since I posted anything on my blog. I have been busy writing and getting backing in the groove on the music front. My country gospel release did very well making it onto the teens on some charts. Im happy with that for the first release. I should have another song released on Double E Promotions January 2011 Comp.

I've been writing with a number of fabulous writers and building my catalog of work since signing on as a staff writer at Melody Roundup Music. Gerald Smith, Rickey Chad Roland, Johnny Holland, Coley McCabe, Toni Dae, Bobby Cole Myer, Brittney Brake, Bob Stroud are all very creative and take the craft of writing very seriously. I should have some more songs for Reverb Nation soon.

Jerry Audley has just released his c.d. "Audley Enough". Its gotten great reviews by the Texas Music News review. "Lucky Lucky Me" is the first song on the c.d. I wrote it with Jesse James and Lonnie Williams. From what I understand it is slated to be released as a single. Congratulations, Jerry! We can't wait until Lucky Lucky Me hits the charts. A little side note. Jerry and I ran around the streets of Music Row in another life. Many years ago. Its been great to reconnect with him.

Also working on finding songs and for a new artist in the Texas Music scene I'm producing by the name of Amy Assiter. You will be hearing more about her soon. We have found about half the songs for her new c.d. Our target release for her 1st single is January of 2011. If you have ever watched Barrett Jackson Collector Car event on the SPEED Channel chances are you have seen Amy. She is on the auction staff for Barrett Jackson and she is probably the most recognized face associated with the auction. She is a great gal with an awesome personality and this first project is really exciting. A true lady. She loves this country and the people in it. And an awesome singer. See you soon.

The Rest of the Rest of the Story!

Years ago during my first run at the music biz I did several "Writer's Nights". If your from Nashville no further explanation is needed. If not, a writer's night is where Hot/Not So Hot/& Soon To be Hot songwriters from all over our fair land and lands far beyond sing their songs at mostly small bars, venues, coffee shops or other intimate "low light" type settings. They are all over Nashville and the outskirts and would be writers use these opportunities to showcase their craft and network. It takes a lot of nerve to get up in front of crowd where 75% of the people in the room are doing the same thing you are doing. With most songwriters there is a camaraderie and an appreciation for the artists who place a pen to paper and add just the right melody to turn a poem into something that is sometimes larger than life itself. "Pants on the Ground" comes to mind....just kidding! I heard a guy sing a song about his old girl friend the title was "Your A Bulldozer You Make Me Feel Like Dirt". He's probably the head of a label now. No disrespect intended. You gotta write a lot of 'em to get the good ones. Some are better than others its just the way it is. Sorry, I got a little side tracked here. Back to my story.

At any rate, Mike Rodgers had a Writer's Night at The Boardwalk way back when and he was kind enough to help a certain group. They wanted to raise money to buy a head stone for a lady who had been in the publishing business for many years and had passed away pretty much broke. You may or may not know I am also an auctioneer. Mike knew I was and asked me to help out as they raised money to pay final respects to their long lost friends. Labels donated the obligatory fare of C.D.'s, T-Shirts with autographs and like to offer at auction that night. Respective songwriters would sing a round and then I would sell for maybe 5 or 10 minutes as the evening progressed between sets. Casey Kelly, co-writer of the "This Is Where the Cowboy Rides Away" sold the bumper off his Toyota pick-up. It's always stuck with me that he did that and I don't really know why. I guess because I've never seen anyone donate a bumper for a charity. Quite unique really

Later in the evening between my times to shine I was shooting pool. A guy with a pigtail and wearing a beret walked up and asked if he could shoot with me. We did the typical small talk of "are you a singer, musician, writer or what combination of the for-mentioned would you like to be". This gentleman asked what I did to make a living to supplement my quest for stardom. I told him I was an auctioneer. He was quite amused by my reply. You probably have never carried on a conversation with me but chances are I wouldn't give the impression that I'm an auctioneer to you either. I've gotten better but it used to take from Monday until Tuesday to say Wednesday. He laughed and said, "You're an auctioneer? Do something for me!" So I spit out a mouthful of numbers quicker than you could say, "Grand Ol' Opry". The pool game was over, the benefit was over shortly afterwards and that was that.

About three months later I stopped by The Boardwalk to hang out for the evening when I bumped into a very unassuming gentleman. He proceeded to tell me that he had two young sons who sang. I think they were maybe 8 and 10. I said, "That must be The Denim Boys!" He was flabbergasted that I knew who his sons were. His reply was, "That's right. How did you know that?" I then proceeded to tell him of the night when I served as auctioneer for the benefit in the same establishment where we stood those few months prior and I remembered seeing his sons sing. With amazement he looked at me with wonder and said, "Oh my gosh! You're the one!" With a very puzzled look I leaned back on my heals trying to quickly figure what I was "the one" of and "why I would have been "the one" in the first place.

This very enthusiastic chap then proceeds to explain, "You were selling that night and Richie Fagan was here watching you sell and he said what a great idea for a song. It's called "Sold" and it coming out on John Michael Montgomery's next album. It great and it's about you!" Richie wrote "Be My Baby Tonight" for John Michael. The first time I heard it on the radio I was sick to my stomach. I had been begging writer's to write an auction themed song with me and I was turned down like a bed sheet on the idea every time. Leroy Van Dyke had "The Auctioneer" many years ago and it was and still is very popular.

Well the rest, as they say, is history except for my "Rest of the Rest of the Story". A friend of mine, by the name of Andie Fishel, lived in the Kansas City area at the time and I had told her the story about the song. She was a country music nut and every night she watched the TNN Country Music News on The Nashville Network and taped it. One night she calls me up screaming like crazy saying, "They're talking about you on T.V., They're talking about you on T.V." My wife and I turned on the television and there was Richie Fagan's co-writer sitting beside him in an interview talking about his inspiration for the song. His name was Rob Royer. Rob was one of the members of the group, "Bread", from years ago. Rob talked about meeting this big old slow talking country boy who was trying to get a deal and said he made some money on the side auctioneering and how this auctioneer gave a sample of how he did it. However, he never mentioned the game of pool they played, the beret and the pigtail he wore, or who won the pool game but I will always remember that night, that game and Rob. Hey, Rob, I sound country but not nearly as much as I used to and I talk faster now too! And who were you calling big? I weighed 190 pounds at the time. I'm big now! And Now you know the Rest of the Rest of the Story! Later....

-Jeff "Ding" Stansberry