Industry Walks Into Winners Bar To Celebrate ‘A Guy Walks Into A Bar’

(L-R): BMI’s Bradley Collins, Patrick Joseph Music’s Pat Higdon, ASCAP songwriter Brad Tursi, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, BMI singer-songwriter Tyler Farr, ASCAP songwriter Jonathan Singleton, Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, BMI songwriter Melissa Pierce, Big Deal Music’s Pete Robinson, and Disney’s Patrick Clifford.

Winner’s Bar in Nashville was the location for the No. 1 party to celebrate Tyler Farr’s “A Guy Walks Into A Bar.” Even though several similes were used to describe the warm temperature inside, the venue held sentimental value. Farr saw songwriter Jonathan Singleton perform “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” acoustically during a publisher event at that very location. It took off from there.

Along with co-writers Melissa Peirce and Brad Tursi, Farr and Singleton were honored during the ASCAP and BMI hosted event.

Leslie Roberts from BMI welcomed those in attendance and praised Peirce for her first No. 1 song. With it, Peirce was presented a guitar for reaching the top for the first time. Mike Sistad of ASCAP applauded Tursi for writing his first No. 1 song and Singleton for his sixth.

The song is published by Patrick Joseph Music, Big Machine Music and Big Deal Music.

Those taking the stage recognized all of the publishers, producers Jim Catino and Julian King, 377/Red Light management, and Columbia Records.

Also there to bestow honors were members of CMA and CRB. Cooper Samuels of Avenue Bank announced a donation to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital on behalf of the songwriters.

Peirce took to the microphone and gave special acknowledgement to Columbia’s radio promo team. “You all have been working this for as long as I’ve been pregnant.” Peirce is due to give birth to a baby boy in three weeks. Peirce continued with reference to her soon-to-be-born son, “I look forward to being able to tell him that if he works really hard then things will happen. There is still magic left in this world.”

Brad Tursi celebrated his first No. 1 song while he has co-writing credits on two other songs that are currently on the chart. Kenny Chesney’s “Save It For A Rainy Day” and, his band, Old Dominion’s “Break Up With Him.” After college and then living in New York for a while, Tursi decided to move to Nashville. “Moving here was that best thing that I ever did, so thank you Nashville,” he said.

For Farr, this is his third No. 1 song as an artist. He ended the party by thanking the writers for making a “real country song with a hook.” He added, “I’ll stand by that kind of music until they put me in the ground.”

(L-R Front row): co-writer Brad Tursi (Old Dominion); Mary Allison, Events & Promotion Specialist, Columbia Nashville; Brooke Meris, Manager, Regional Promotion, Columbia Nashville; co-writer Melissa Peirce; Samantha Borenstein, Manager, Regional Promotion, Columbia Nashville; Dave Dame, Director, Regional Promotion, Columbia Nashville; co-writer Jonathan Singleton; David Friedman, Director, National Promotion, Columbia Nashville; (Back row): R.J. Meacham, Director, National Promotion, Columbia Nashville; Columbia Nashville recording artist Tyler Farr. Photo: Steve Lowry

(L-R): Norbert Nix, VP, Promotion, Columbia Nashville; Jim Catino, VP, A&R, Sony Music Nashville; Columbia Nashville artist Tyler Farr; new Sony Music Nashville senior leadership executives Ken Robold, Exec. VP & COO; and Steve Hodges, Exec. VP, Promotion & Artist Development. Photo: Alan Poizner