Luke Laird, Eric Church Celebrated For “Talladega”

Pictured (L-R): Universal Music Group Nashville’s Mike Dungan and singer-songwriter-artist Eric Church

BMI hosted a celebration at Nashville’s Acme Feed & Seed on Monday afternoon (March 23) for the No. 1 song “Talledega,” performed by Eric Church. Written by Church and hit songwriter Luke Laird, it was the third single that went No. 1 that was co-written by both and performed by Church, following on the success of “Drink In My Hand” and “Give Me Back My Hometown.” It is Church’s fourth chart-topper overall.

For Creative Nation writer Laird, it marks his 19^th No. 1 song as a writer. 14 different artists have recorded those chart-topping hits.

Laird praised Church for being a “great artist, but a songwriter first…he comes from the old school of writing. A great song is made from a great idea.”

During the celebration of “Talladega,” Church was also presented plaques for his first album, Sinners Like Me, being certified Gold and his latest project, The Outsiders, going platinum.

Among the speakers and presenters were Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, Universal Music Group’s Mike Dungan, CRB’s Holly Lane, Brandi Simms of the CMA, Beth Laird of Creative Nation, and Kent Earls of Universal Music Publishing. Ron Cox of Avenue Bank announced a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on behalf of the songwriters.

Church ended the ceremony by thanking his road crew and the number of people that help him along his career. “I’m a big believer in not recognizing what you do, but who you do it with,” said Church.

Pictured (L-R): EMI Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, BMI songwriter Luke Laird, BMI songwriter Eric Church, Creative Nation’s Beth Laird, Universal Publishing’s Kent Earls, Little Louder Music’s Whitney Parker, BMI’s Jody Williams.