One of the basic foundations of the music business has always been where the words and music are created, songwriting.
While a lot of songwriters work outside of the spotlight, it can be revealing to hear the original writer perform and how they interpret their own music, often very differently than a major artist who made the song famous. That is part of the drive behind the Songwriter's series of programs that have been happening for several months now on Friday nights from 6 to 8 PM at Crossville's Grinderhouse Coffee Shop.
With the popularity of the Friday night Songwriter shows now at the Grinderhouse, the two organizers are already thinking about possible future expansion into a Songwriter's Festival over several days in Crossville, like a smaller version of Bonnaroo or other music festivals. While something like that is still a ways off, it's the kind of thing that could raise the visibility of a place like Crossville.
Asa Reese, left, co-owner of Grinderhouse Coffe and
J. J. Thomas, right, musician and songwriter
The Songwriter shows are the efforts of longtime Crossville musician and songwriter Jerry J. Thomas and the co-owner of the Grinderhouse Coffee shop, Asa Reese. Thomas, who spent 20 years driving tour buses for some big-name entertainers as well as writing and performing, has been named to the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame as well as the Country Music Association of Texas Hall of Fame. He now writes and sings his own songs and runs his own record label.
Asa Reese, with his fiance Angela Chastain bought the Grinderhouse Coffee Shop in July 2017 after they both spent years working for big corporations. Reese, originally from West Virginia worked as an engineer and along the way did some catering and baking on the side.
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Thomas and Reese connected when Thomas played music at a fundraiser at the Grinderhouse last November and began to use his contacts and connections to bring friends of his to play at the Grinderhouse. Adding an internet radio station outlet gave the shows more reach and their idea continues growing.
Both men talked about the intimate feel of the Coffee Shop and the kind of audience the Friday night shows attract that come to listen to the music like the coffeehouses of the 1960s and 70s. Thomas says the artists have really enjoyed performing at the Grinderhouse and word of mouth is spreading making it easier to get other artists to appear.
Songwriters appearing soon include Hawkshaw Hawkins Jr. on Friday, May 18 and Glen D. Tubb coming up on June 29. Hawkins is a singer/songwriter whose parents were country music royalty. His father and namesake was killed in the same plane crash that killed Patsy Cline and his mother was a longtime member of the Grand Ole Opry Jean Shepard. Hawkins has written over 500 songs and had cuts by Johnny Lee, Hank Williams Jr., Ronnie McDowell, and others.
Hawkshaw Hawkins Jr. appears Friday
Glen Tubb completed a song left behind by Hank Williams Sr after he died in 1953. He also completed the last song Johnny Cash was writing at the time of his death. Tubb's best-known hits as a songwriter include the 1969 song Skip a Rope that was nominated for a Grammy that year and He also co-wrote the country classic Two Story House for George Jones and Tammy Wynette. He is the nephew of Ernest Tubb.
For the complete list of upcoming artists, visit the Grinderhouse Facebook page and click on events or use the following link: https://www.facebook.com/pg/grinderhousecoffee/events/
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