The Bluebird Café
4104 Hillsboro Road
(615) 383-1461
Left to Rght: Fred Wilhelm,Kelleigh Bannen,Canaan Smith,Walker Hayes

Why Wait For Summer tours when you can see these amazing songwriters right now? Most of these songwriters and artists are celebrating recent cuts, signings and debut records. You may recognize Smith’s Love & Theft cut, Run Away, or other songs Push Play, The Lost Years, Pray. You’ll soon be recognizing – if you don’t already – songs from singer/songwriter Hayes, whose debut record includes the sure-to-be show stoppers Pants and Let’s Get Naked. The beautiful Bannen offers up songs from her debut record Radio Skies (all of which deserve to be on the radio): Good For Nothin’, Feels Like Me, Say It In A Country Song. They are joined by songwriting veteran Whilhelm (Baby I’m Here, Confetti, Longs Slow Beautiful Dance, Big Sky, Wheels).

Kelleigh Bannen
www.myspace.com/kelleighbannen

Walker Hayes
www.walkerhayes.com
www.myspace.com/walkerhayes

Canaan Smith
www.myspace.com/canaansmith

Fred Wilhelm
http://fredwilhelm.com/biography/

Nashville Songwriters Association International's annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville not only draws thousands of fans from across the nation for five nights of concerts by songwriting's biggest names, it also attracts influential sponsors from a diverse range of local, national and international businesses. For the fifth consecutive year, Regions Bank is the presenting sponsor of the event, and American Airlines, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC return as Platinum sponsors.
Gold level sponsors include Nashville Scene, NewsChannel 5, and independent music publisher ole. Sponsors at the Silver level include the Gibson Foundation, Jack Daniels, JACK-fm, Lightning 100 WRLT, Maggiano's Little Italy, Midtown Printing, Music City Unsigned, The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Music Row Show and WKDF. Bronze sponsors include Budweiser, The Hilton Garden Inn, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and Warner Chappell, and Friend sponsors include The Americana Music Association, The First Amendment Center, The Folk Alliance, Graffiti Indoor Advertising, Music Row Magazine and The Consortium.

"Regions Bank is proud to be the title sponsor of Tin Pan South for the fifth consecutive year," said Lisa Harless, Senior Vice President, Entertainment and Sports Division. "Songwriters are the lifeblood of our musical, creative community, and Regions is proud to salute the songwriters again in 2011!"

Gilles Godard, ole Chief Creative Officer, concurs: "At ole we continue to be proud supporters of the songwriting community via Tin Pan South with NSAI. Tin Pan truly is an event that ignites Nashville with songs and certainly fosters new opportunities for writers in every genre!"

The dates for the 19th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival are set for March 29 -- April 2, 2011. Produced by NSAI, Tin Pan South is the world's largest all-songwriter festival. Last year more than 300 talented songwriters performed 70+ shows at eight exceptional Nashville venues. Over 9,000 music fans attend the event annually to hear songwriters tell stories behind hit songs they have written and perform the songs as they're were originally composed.

The Tin Pan South Press Preview Party is set for March 8, 2011 from 3:30 -- 5:30 p.m. at The Rutledge (410 4th Avenue South) in Nashville. There, several featured writers will perform and announcements will be made regarding schedules, venues, participating writers and more.

Visit nashvillesongwriters.com or tinpansouth.com to purchase Fast Access passes and check out Festival updates. Fast Access passes will go on sale March 9, 2011.

About NSAI: The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is the world's largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization. Established in 1967, the membership of more than 5,000 spans the United States and five foreign countries. For more than 40 years, NSAI has been dedicated to protecting the rights of and serving aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music. For more information, visit nashvillesongwriters.com.

About Regions Financial Corporation: Regions Financial Corporation, with $137 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 100 Index and one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, trust, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services. Regions serves customers in 16 states across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,800 banking offices and 2,200 ATMs. Its investment and securities brokerage division, Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., provides services from over 300 offices. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.