Nashville Songwriters

The Stories Behind Nashville's Biggest Hits

The songwriters who created some of country music’s greatest hits will perform live at DPAC in a benefit show on March 6, 2026, presented by Loud Lemon and 94.7 QDR. At Nashville Songwriters at DPAC, the writers behind dozens of #1 country hits bring their songs and stories to DPAC to help benefit Loud Lemon Foundation.

This is DPAC’s eighth year hosting this annual Triangle event, which is organized by songwriter and area resident Jeff Outlaw. These five top country songwriters will sing their hits and share their stories, bringing fans closer to the creative process that has produced some of the biggest hits in country music:

Raised in a music-filled Virginia home, Phil Vassar grew up surrounded by gospel, bluegrass, Motown, and rock influences. Inspired by artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Bruce Hornsby, he found his true voice at the piano — blending heartfelt lyrics with catchy, piano-driven melodies. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his hit “Just Another Day in Paradise,” Vassar is hitting the road on his “25 Years of Paradise” Tour, performing fan favorites and tributes to musical icons. “It’s amazing to see people singing along who weren’t even born when the songs came out,” he says. A prolific Nashville songwriter, Vassar has penned hits for Tim McGraw (“My Next Thirty Years”), Jo Dee Messina (“Bye Bye”), and Alan Jackson (“Right on the Money”), earning two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards and multiple chart-toppers of his own. After surviving a heart attack in 2023, Vassar has embraced a calmer, more grateful outlook. Looking ahead to 2025, he plans to release new music, continue touring, and mentor young songwriters. “If a song sparks a reaction, that’s all you’re looking for,” he says. “I just want to keep doing what I love and leave behind songs people can hold onto.”

Jeff Outlaw is a published songwriter of fourteen years and signed a worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In addition to collaborating with many of the artists participating in this show, Jeff has worked with Phil Vassar, Troy Cartwright, Matt Nathanson, John Legend, Plain White T’s, Kip Moore, Drake White, and Brothers Osborne. His hits include “She’s On Her Way” by Phil Vassar and “Still Ain’t Made It Home” by Casey Donahew. He has created numerous video treatments for music videos with Vassar and served as Creative Advisor for Vassar’s popular show, Songs from the Cellar.

Tim Nichols, with nearly two dozen smash hits, multiple BMI songwriting awards, a Grammy for Best Country Song, as well as being inducted into the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2017, Tim Nichols has earned his place among Nashville's most elite and respected tunesmiths. Tim Nichols wrote the multiple award-winning song “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw. It is the only song to have won every major song award that is presented for country music. Other Nichols’ hits helped launch the careers of Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and Dustin Lynch’s “Cowboys and Angels”. Chris Young stayed at the top of the charts for 3 weeks with the Nichols composition, “The Man I Want To Be.” More recently, Cole Swindell put a new twist on the Jo Dee Messina, Heads Carolina classic by staying at the top of the country charts for 5 weeks and winning the 2023 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Award with “She Had Me At Heads Carolina.” He has also collaborated with artists like Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Keith Whitley, and Lee Ann Womack, to name a few.

Wynn Varble began writing songs at age 15 and after years of performing in honkytonks & bars, Wynn decided to make the move to Nashville. His first radio single was “Fit To Be Tied Down” by Sammy Kershaw. Since then, Wynn has had many hits including three number ones…all three were nominated for “Song Of The Year” by the CMA or ACM and sometimes both. Wynn’s three number one songs are “Have You Forgotten” by Darryl Worley, “Waitin’ On A Woman” by Brad Paisley, and “I’m A Little More Country Than That” by Easton Corbin. In addition to his number ones, Wynn has had songs recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Trace Adkins, Mark Chesnutt, Willie Nelson, Kellie Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, and many others. In 2009, Wynn received the Nashville Songwriters Association’s Songwriter of the Year Award. He made his Grand Ole Opry Debut in 2011.

Monty Criswell is a two-time Grammy nominee for Country Song of The Year (“I Saw God Today” and “Just Fishin’) and won the CMA Single of the Year award in 2008 (”I Saw God Today”). In 2021, his Eric Church song “Hell Of A View” won the Music Row Awards Song of the Year award and received a CMA nomination for both song and single of the year. He is also an ACM, Dove, People’s Choice Awards and Canadian CMA nominee. His songs have been featured on ESPN, ABC, The SEC Network, Netflix, The Hallmark Channel and the hit tv series Yellowstone. Monty’s had over 300 songs recorded over the span of his 30-year career as a full-time songwriter, having at least one #1 in each of the last three decades. On the most recent Trace Adkins album, several of Monty’s songs include collaborations between Trace, Luke Bryan, Pit Bull, Keb Mo’, Stevie Wonder and Snoop Dogg. Hits include "Tough" (Craig Morgan), "Like Jesus Does,” “Hell of a View” (Eric Church), "I Saw God Today" (George Strait), “Loving Every Minute” (Mark Wills), "Just Fishin'" (Trace Adkins), "Five More Minutes,” “Fall of Summer” (Scotty McCreery), “Country’d Look Good On You” (Frank Ray), Making Me Look Good Again” (Drake White) and “Handle On You” (Parker McCollum) among others.