In 1987 Recording Engineer, Mervin Louque, partnered with businessman, Rick Martin, to create a music venue aimed at showcasing new singers and songwriters in Nashville and Douglas Corner Cafe was born. It is now a well known “Home Away From Home” for Nashville’s top songwriters and future music stars. It is a place for writers and performers to come together in an intimate environment with the common goal of hearing and creating great music.
25 years later several of Nashville’s biggest hitmakers performed a show that took them down memory lane in honor of Mervin’s 25th Anniversary of being the “premier songwriter venue in the country.”
The event was touted as a "Tab Owen Benefit", a name which held a miriad of stories of those who played the venue that could not afford to pay their own bar tab. This very special night was co-hosted by professional songwriter Jeff Prince, who has known Mervin since 1990 and been playing at Douglas Corner since and Bernie Nelson, who is known for his Number 1 hit, "Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind” as well as cuts on artists such as Pam Tillis, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Anderson, Kenny Chesney and Trace Adkins. Bernie has received both ASCAP and NSAI awards during his 22 plus years in Nashville and written with everyone from Garth Brooks to Duane Eddy. He also has the rare distinction of having a Kris Krisofferson cut on the Randy Travis CD "Heroes and Friends."
The night full of surprise guests and memorable moments included the support of Mervin's wife, Jennifier O'Neal, who was in on the secret to get Mervin to the show, which was a big surprise to him.
Another highlight of the evening was an award which was presented to Louque and Douglas Corner Cafe' for 25 years of being a premier songwriting venue and serving songwriters and the Nashville community from NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) by Bart Herbison, NSAI Director, and Liz Hengber,pro-songwriter and NSAI board member.
Many of the songwriters that played have known Mervin for 25 years or so and have all played Douglas Corner for that long; all becoming great friends who shared stories of the past that included Douglas Corner.
One of those memorable stories included the first time Tony Arata played his well known tune, “The Dance”, which eventually was recorded by Garth Brooks and was in the audience as a new singer / songwriter at Douglas Corner that fateful night that Arata played it. "The Dance" won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and has received a CMA and a Grammy nomination, as well as most-performed song in Radio and Records magazine.
Arata has also had #1 records with "Here I Am" for Patty Loveless, "I'm Holding My Own" for Lee Roy Parnell and "Dreaming With My Eyes Open" for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Delbert McClinton and Hal Ketchum.
In true songwriter round fashion, Arata introduced two new faces during the evening; Tyller Gummersall a new signer songwriter from CO and James Holiday a remarkable banjo player.
Also playing the round was Kent Blazy who co-wrote "If Tomorrow Never Comes” with Brooks. Blazy also wrote the hit singles "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)," "It's Midnight Cinderella", "She's Gonna Make It," "Somewhere Other Than the Night" and the George Jones duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)" "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" by Chris Young, as well as American Idol season 8 finalist Danny Gokey's debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me."
Rounding out the bill was Pat Alger who penned "Unanswered Prayers", "What She's Doing Now", "The Thunder Rolls" and "That Summer.” He also wrote hits for Hal Ketchum, "Small Town Saturday Night," for Trisha Yearwood, "Like We Never Had A Broken Heart," He has well over 20 hits to his credit, including eight number 1 hits and was voted Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriter's Association Internationa in 1991 and in 2010, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwiters Hall of Fame.
The night was complete with many stories and much laughter, commeraderie and a toast to the future songwriters and many more hit songs to be discovered at Douglas Corner Café.
25 years later several of Nashville’s biggest hitmakers performed a show that took them down memory lane in honor of Mervin’s 25th Anniversary of being the “premier songwriter venue in the country.”
The event was touted as a "Tab Owen Benefit", a name which held a miriad of stories of those who played the venue that could not afford to pay their own bar tab. This very special night was co-hosted by professional songwriter Jeff Prince, who has known Mervin since 1990 and been playing at Douglas Corner since and Bernie Nelson, who is known for his Number 1 hit, "Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind” as well as cuts on artists such as Pam Tillis, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Anderson, Kenny Chesney and Trace Adkins. Bernie has received both ASCAP and NSAI awards during his 22 plus years in Nashville and written with everyone from Garth Brooks to Duane Eddy. He also has the rare distinction of having a Kris Krisofferson cut on the Randy Travis CD "Heroes and Friends."
The night full of surprise guests and memorable moments included the support of Mervin's wife, Jennifier O'Neal, who was in on the secret to get Mervin to the show, which was a big surprise to him.
Another highlight of the evening was an award which was presented to Louque and Douglas Corner Cafe' for 25 years of being a premier songwriting venue and serving songwriters and the Nashville community from NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) by Bart Herbison, NSAI Director, and Liz Hengber,pro-songwriter and NSAI board member.
Many of the songwriters that played have known Mervin for 25 years or so and have all played Douglas Corner for that long; all becoming great friends who shared stories of the past that included Douglas Corner.
One of those memorable stories included the first time Tony Arata played his well known tune, “The Dance”, which eventually was recorded by Garth Brooks and was in the audience as a new singer / songwriter at Douglas Corner that fateful night that Arata played it. "The Dance" won song of the year at The Academy of Country Music and has received a CMA and a Grammy nomination, as well as most-performed song in Radio and Records magazine.
Arata has also had #1 records with "Here I Am" for Patty Loveless, "I'm Holding My Own" for Lee Roy Parnell and "Dreaming With My Eyes Open" for Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded his songs include Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Delbert McClinton and Hal Ketchum.
In true songwriter round fashion, Arata introduced two new faces during the evening; Tyller Gummersall a new signer songwriter from CO and James Holiday a remarkable banjo player.
Also playing the round was Kent Blazy who co-wrote "If Tomorrow Never Comes” with Brooks. Blazy also wrote the hit singles "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)," "It's Midnight Cinderella", "She's Gonna Make It," "Somewhere Other Than the Night" and the George Jones duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)" "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" by Chris Young, as well as American Idol season 8 finalist Danny Gokey's debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me."
Rounding out the bill was Pat Alger who penned "Unanswered Prayers", "What She's Doing Now", "The Thunder Rolls" and "That Summer.” He also wrote hits for Hal Ketchum, "Small Town Saturday Night," for Trisha Yearwood, "Like We Never Had A Broken Heart," He has well over 20 hits to his credit, including eight number 1 hits and was voted Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriter's Association Internationa in 1991 and in 2010, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwiters Hall of Fame.
The night was complete with many stories and much laughter, commeraderie and a toast to the future songwriters and many more hit songs to be discovered at Douglas Corner Café.
© Moments By Moser Photography * Bev Moser
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