Jerry VanDiver

Talent, passion, and persistence are woven through the fabric of Jerry Vandiver’s 19-year songwriting career. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Jerry began his professional pursuits when he moved to Nashville in the fall of 1984. Since then, he has been an exclusive staff writer on Music Row for Dick James Music, Little Big Town Music, Malaco Music, and Talbot Music.

Recordings

Jerry’s first major label cut, “Don’t Waste It On The Blues”, recorded by Gene Watson, reached #5 on the country charts in 1989, winning him an esteemed ASCAP Award. In 1991, Wild Rose climbed the charts to #20 with Vandiver’s penned hit, “Go Down Swingin.”

Since then, he has had two songs recorded by Tim McGraw; “It Doesn’t Get Any Countrier Than This!”, featured on McGraw’s platinum 5 CD (“Not A Moment Too Soon”), and “For a Little While”, (reaching #2 on the country charts) on the quadruple platinum 1998 CMA Album of the Year “Everywhere”, winning Jerry a BMI Award. “For A Little While” was also included on McGraw’s triple platinum “Greatest Hits” CD. Thanks to Tim, Jerry has songs on over 13 million records and two of his song titles are hanging on the wall in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Jerry collaborated with Arista Recording Artist and 2001 ACM Horizon award winner Phil Vassar on “Athens Grease”, which is also Vassar’s current video release from his CD “American Child”.

Lee Greenwood, Barbara Mandrell, Ronna Reeves, Cleve Francis, David Lee Garza, Woody Lee and others including Warner Bros.’ newcomer Dusty Drake have recorded songs written by Jerry.

Media

The October 2003 issue of Music Row Magazine features an article on Jerry in its “Writer’s Corner”. He has also been interviewed on News Channel 5 Plus’ “Words and Music: A Showcase For Nashville Songwriters” hosted by Harry Chapman, and has appeared live on “Songwriter Sessions” (WPLN Nashville, TN), “Live From Studio One” with Dave Carter (WETS Johnson City, TN), and WDAF (Kansas City).

Industry Involvement

As an accomplished songwriter, in 2002 Jerry traveled with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and a team of 50 other professional songwriters to meet with Congressional Representatives and lobby on behalf of songwriter legislative issues. As a steering committee member of the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), he was recently appointed Chairman of its “Pro Pitch-to-Producer” Committee. He is a current candidate for the SGA National Board of Directors 2003-2004 election.

Performance

Since winning the title of “New Folk Finalist” at the 1993 Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, Jerry has become a regular performer at the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, held each year in Gulf Shores, Alabama and has been invited to perform six years in a row in Nashville’s annual Tin Pan South Festival as a part of “The Bald and The Beautiful” (performing in-the-round with some of Nashville’s most popular hit songwriters). He also makes regular appearances at Atlanta’s Swallow at the Hollow, The Balsam Mountain Inn in Balsam, North Carolina, and various house concerts around the U.S.

Locally, Jerry can be heard playing at the Bluebird, Douglas Corner, and French Quarter cafés, as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame Songwriter’s Theater, SGA’s “Songmania,” and benefit performances such as the Bluebird Café’s Senior Citizens Series, and their Annual Alive Hospice Benefit.

Jerry released his own CD in 2001 entitled “Don’t Try This At Home.” Band leader and Academy of Country Music Musician of the Year nominee Jonathan Yudkin assembled a team of A-list Nashville players for this critically acclaimed acoustic CD, which also features the Grammy award-winning Fairfield Four (as seen in the movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”).

Educational

Jerry co-authored a songwriting workbook with Gracie Hollombe entitled, Your First Cut - A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting There (now in its 3rd printing). Known as “The left-brain book for write-brain people,” Your First Cut is designed to guide, encourage, and enable the aspiring, serious songwriter toward the goal of achieving his or her first cut. (For more information, visit www.yourfirstcut.com.)

Since its first printing in 2002, Jerry’s book tour has taken him to over 20 U.S. cities, presenting workshops sponsored by the Austin, Memphis, Seattle, Portland and Arizona Songwriters Associations, and regional chapters of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. He has taught at colleges such as the Belmont University School of Music, the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and MusicTech College in St. Paul, MN.

Community Service

Acknowledging those songwriters who came before him and helped him succeed, Jerry gives freely to those following in his footsteps. He enjoys teaching at NSAI’s “SongCamp”, ASCAP’s “Song Source” and “Music Business 101” workshops, as well as the SGA’s “Building a Songwriting Career” program and the Nashville New Music Conference.

As one of NSAI’s original “Adopt-a-Shop” mentors, Jerry offers guidance to two NSAI regional chapters in his home state. He provided feedback to aspiring songwriters through NSAI’s Song Evaluation Service for four years, and has been a panelist and educator at their Spring Symposiums for the past five years.

Jerry also generously donates his time to many online songwriting communities, including Tunesmith.com and SongU.com. He is a favorite guest teacher of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “Senior Citizen Words & Music Program” and also mentors school-age children as a volunteer for the Hall of Fame’s “Words & Music Children’s Education Program.”

Affiliations

Jerry Vandiver is affiliated with the following organizations:
National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS)
American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP)
Songwriters Guild of America (SGA)
Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)

Jerry resides in Nashville with his cat “Girlfriend.”