Underwood, Kear and Tompkins Celebrate No. 1 “Blown Away”

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Big Yellow Dog’s Carla Wallace, co-writer Josh Kear, Carrie Underwood, co-writer Chris Tompkins, producer Mark Bright, Big Loud Shirt’s Craig Wiseman and Sony Music Nashville’s Gary Overton

Nashville’s music industry braved chilly, rainy weather on Wednesday (Jan. 16) to help Carrie Underwood and ASCAP songwriters Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins celebrate the No. 1 song, “Blown Away.” Held at the Country Music Association offices, CMA CEO Steve Moore introduced ASCAP’s Mike Sistad to kick off the party.

Kear has four songs on Underwood’s current album and penned Lady Antebellum‘s smash hit “Need You Now,” while Tompkins has penned songs for Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton. Together, Kear and Tompkins also penned Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and Luke Bryan‘s “Drunk On You.”

The writers and singer accepted plaques, medallions and congratulations from the CMA’s Brandi Simms, Big Loud Shirt’s Craig Wiseman, Country Radio Broadcasters and Carla Wallace of Big Yellow Dog Music.

“I’m just honored that they write songs and I get to sing them,” said Underwood. “I’m a lucky lady indeed. I’m lucky to know you guys. Whatever way the song get to me, just keep doing what you’re doing. I definitely look forward to more of these in the future. It’s just such a blessing to be able to write songs and hear songs that are amazing and that I know from the first second that I hear them start to play, that I want to sing them.”

“We respect you as an artist and you are such a great singer and we know that with the kind of songs that we write, we can deliver something that at least touches on something that you might want to record,” said Tompkins. He also thanked ASCAP, Sistad, Big Loud Shirt and singer Caitlin Lynn, who sang the demo for ‘Blown Away.’ “Carrie’s such a strong singer so we needed a strong singer.”

“You changed our lives,” Kear told Underwood, referring to his and Tompkins’ hit “Before He Cheats.” “Everything we’ve had since then, all comes back to that song.”

The gracious singer was quick to reflect the praise back to Kear. “Well then you changed your own life by writing it.”