Americana Fest: Brandi Carlile Presents Unforgettable ‘Northern Lights’ at City Winery

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Staff Writer 

     I was pretty excited about the Thursday afternoon show at City Winery.  I knew anything Brandi Carlile was involved with would be good.As I waited for the “Northern Lights” show to begin, I counted eight empty chairs on the stage.  One for Brandi, and the two listed on the show, Sean McConnell and Ashley Ray. I wondered who else would show up.

     Sista Strings: I and everyone else was blown away by sisters, Monique (cello) and Chauntee (violin) Ross.  You may have seen them in the backing band for Allison Russell at the awards show. Their strong sense of melody, harmony and syncopation had me on the edge of my seat and brought me to my feet. They did an instrumental classical composition that lifted us to the heavens and gently brought us back to earth. “Her Name Was Me” was nothing short of genius.  Why don’t these women have an album out yet???

     Marc Scibilia: What a pleasant surprise discovering this native Buffalonian. His timeless intimate voice and unique songs really captured me. I could listen to him all day. On “Summer Clothes,” he tells of finding a former girlfriend’s summer outfits while looking for his winter jacket in the closet, bringing back a flood of memories.

     Sean McConnell:  I had seen Sean once before and was happy to see him again. He is a prolific songwriter. With cuts by Tim McGraw, Meatloaf, Rascal Flatts, Brothers Osborne, and Brad Paisley. His rich vocals and soul-searching lyrics have made him a sought-after addition to any writer’s night.  He opened with “Nothing Anymore” and closed with the thought-provoking “Buy the World for the Price of your Soul” He surprised us by bringing out Garrison Starr to duet on the heart wrenching “Nothing Without You.”

     Ashley Ray:  This young woman is going places and in fact has already had songs cut by Little Big Town, Lori McKenna, and Charles Kelly of Lady A. She introduced “Pauline,” a song about her Kansas-born grandmother, who worked at the ammunitions plant and canned pork 'n' beans at Stokley's to put food on the table for her children. Ashley performed each number with a pure midwestern country voice and strongly crafted lyrics.

     Brandi Carlisle with Tim and Phil Hanseroth (The Twins) kicked off with “The Eye,” the three-part harmony song about the temporary resting place in the eye of the storm. Allison Russell came out to sing the stirring “You’re Not Alone” with Brandi, supported by the Twins, and Sista Strings. Everyone gave a standing ovation when Tanya Tucker appeared on the stage to sing the 2019 Song of the Year she penned with Brandi,“Bring My Flowers No.” Tanya recalled how she gave Dean Dillon the line “Ocean Front Property in Arizona,” which he turned into a George Strait hit. Carlile closed this wonderful event with the tender “Stay Gentle.”

Reedy's Dream Music Releases 'Maybe She Lied' Video Featuring Scott Coner and Tanya Tucker

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 2016) – Reedy's Dream Music has released a new music video for the hit song "Maybe She Lied", a duet featuring country artist Scott Coner and singing legend Tanya Tucker.

            Coner says he was inspired to write the song on his Takamine guitar after a very good friend went home from work and found his wife gone with all of her belongings. Coner and Tucker later recorded an emotionally charged rendition of the song at CTM Studios in Nashville. The tune hit number one in the United Kingdom shortly after its release.

            "My friend never saw it coming, and it shocked the daylights out of him when it happened," said Coner, who has worked with other country legends such as T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. "Working with Tanya, even being in the same room with Tanya, is an honor. Her voice is stronger than anything I have ever heard, and she attacked the song like a seasoned pro. She truly is a beautiful person."

            To download the "Maybe She Lied" music video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook artist page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube channel at https://youtu.be/i8cKZ0OllCo.

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            The "Maybe She Lied" music video reveals the heartache of a love affair gone wrong. Once together, now apart, the man and woman look back and yearn for what could have been. A crew from Cynnamae Media Productions shot the video on the Coner family farm in Nancy, Ky. The house and farm is where Scott's grandparents raised eight kids and the same place where he spent countless hours roaming the fields and thinking about his future. The video was directed by his wife, Cyndi Coner. She also appears with Scott in the video.

            "Everything in the video means something to me," Coner added. "The trees that I stand by are where I used to play as a kid. The porch scene is where I sat with my grandpa and grandma on many an occasion, and the hay and tobacco barns both make an appearance. Cyndi holding an umbrella is my favorite part of the song. I love the colors and beauty she brought to everything."

 

            Coner co-produced the song with sound engineer Logan Schlegal. A Floyd Cramer piano style was used throughout the song to help give it a classic country feel. Coner and Tucker worked with some of Music Row's top session musicians.

            "Of course, Tanya Tucker did an amazing job," Coner continued. "When I left the studio after the mix, I knew we had a strong track. Mark Mosely is a friend and producer here in town that helped bring Tanya to the table. I don't think I can ever thank him enough for that."

            Scott Coner has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com, www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer. Follow Coner at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer. "Maybe She Lied" and other song selections can be downloaded on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/scott-coner/id333235738.

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Country Artist Scott Coner Releases 'Sweet Mary' Single

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 2015) – Country/Southern Rock artist Scott Coner has released the new single "Sweet Mary", cover of the popular tune by the legendary Rhode Island rock band Wadsworth Mansion.

            The simple, catchy, hook-oriented tune is now available at iTunes and other online retailers. Coner, who has worked with legendary artists such as T. Graham Brown, Tanya Tucker and Charlie Daniels, was joined in the studio this time by Christopher Cross's background vocalist Marcia Ramirez.

            "I discovered 'Sweet Mary' in a stack of 45rpm records as a young kid in Nancy, Ky.," said Scott, who plans to release a new EP in early 2016. "My dad's little sister Janice had a small record player and a stack of music she had left behind after she got married. I spent a lot of time there as a kid, and 'Sweet Mary' kind of attached itself to me."

            To download Scott Coner's "Sweet Mary" single at iTunes, visit https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweet-mary-single/id1052955133?app=itunes. An accompanying "Sweet Mary music video can be viewed on You Tube at https://youtu.be/YTEesJ2amtA.

            For Wadsworth Mansion, the original version of "Sweet Mary" was a "one-hit wonder". It quickly climbed into the top-10 on various charts, then essentially disappeared. Various misfortunes, including flooded equipment, forced the popular Providence, Rhode Island, rock band to break up in 1972. The legendary group was largely forgotten until a local TV feature story aired in 2014. Steve Jablecki, who penned the song, died of unknown causes in 2005.

            "The song was written about a soldier in Vietnam that got a letter from his wife or girlfriend," Scott added. "She says in the letter that she 'has a stomach full of love' and he needs to get home to his family. I understand that Steve wrote it on a piano and pitched it around New York. I have been told that he actually hitchhiked from Rhode Island to New York to do the vocal cut."

            To get approval for his video and single covers, Coner had to track down members of the Jablecki family. Sons Matt and Marc quickly endorsed the project, with Matt saying, "It's something dad would have been just so excited by."

            For the recording and video, Coner wanted a laid-back, garage band kind of feel. Joining him at Nashville's Java Jive for the daylong session earlier this fall were Ramirez, guitarist/background vocalist Matt Morgeson, guitarist Jake Widenhofer, bass player John Davis, and drummer/percussionist Bryan Tewell. Studio engineer Logan Schlegel co-produced.

            Scott says he especially enjoyed singing the "doo-wops" with Ramirez, which took him back to childhood times. His wife, Cyndi, shot a music video during the session to create a playful, feel-good production for all ages. The video has been downloaded almost 150,000 times on his Facebook artist page at http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic.

            "I came into the studio with a beat I wanted to start the song with," Scott continued. "I didn't want too much B-3 on the song because I wanted a bar chord rhythm. The original bass line was cool, so I didn't want to deviate too far from that. I felt like the original cut kind of tipped its hat to The Kinks both musically, as well as vocally. I wanted to carry the song away from that direction just a little with a warmer bottom and vocally change the dynamic with myself and Marcia doing the whole song."

            The video opens with Scott reminiscing in his music room at home while listening to the original 45rpm Wadsworth Mansion single. It then fades into his upbeat studio performance.

            Scott says he hopes the single and video will give listeners the opportunity to experience a little of the joy and excitement he had when he discovered it on his grandparents' farm as a young boy.

            "I think the song was different from anything else I had been subjected to at that early stage of my life," he said. "I don't remember ever hearing it on the radio. I only heard it at the farm in Kentucky. Maybe that was the reason I loved it so much."

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases 'Sanibel' from 'In The Studio' Acoustic Music Video Series

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 2015) – Country artist ScottConer has released "Sanibel", a music video honoring Sanibel Island, Fla., from his acoustic music video series called "In The Studio With Scott Coner."

            "Sanibel", an up-tempo country ballad, was released on You Tube and Facebook on Sept. 8. Other song videos will follow in the coming weeks and months. Coner, who has worked with artists such as Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown, says he used an "organic approach" to present his songs in their most basic form. 

            To download the "Sanibel" video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube at https://youtu.be/VNKBtxHbYMI

Scott Coner (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            "I wrote my song 'Sanibel' sitting at my kitchen table one night alone with a cup of coffee," said Coner, who worked with T. Graham Brown on the previous studio version. "My family has been to the island many times together, and I suppose I was just thinking about the beach that evening. Oddly enough, I wrote the bridge to the song at an old movie house while watching 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'."

            Like the first music video from the series, Coner sang and played the song from start to finish without interruption with guitarist Jake Widenhofer, percussionist Bryan Tewell, and bass player Adam Cunningham. The studio musicians were encouraged to play the songs from their own perspective.

            "I wasn't going for the highly polished sound that we have all become accustomed to," added Coner, who will perform at "Tunesmithing" songwriters showcase in Nashville on Sept. 16 during Americana Music Week. "I think one of the things we have lost in this digital age is the spontaneity that this type of recording offers. Something that hit home with me years ago was when John Mellencamp released 'Pink Houses' and 'Small Town' on a stripped-down acoustic release. I never forgot that, and I suppose this is my attempt."

            For the video shoot, the four musicians sat with their instruments in chairs left to right in front of a brick and wood-accented fireplace. Performances were miked or fed into a soundboard, where engineer Sean Spence monitored volume and reverb levels. Each song was recorded from start to finish without interruption to produce a live acoustic feel. Scott's wife, Cyndi, manned the camera for the Coner family's Cynnamae Media Productions. She added several scenes of Scott and his family walking on the island's white sandy beaches.

            "The musical approach was anything but technical really," Scott added. "The guys all had a click track with a basic in their ears, but I opted to do my part listening to the room only. The only issue for me with this approach was that I couldn't hear the bass at all."

Scott Coner records "Sanibel" at Blue Grotto in Nashville (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            The artist describes "Sanibel" as a romantic beach song with a "really cool rhythm groove". Scott, Cyndi and their two daughters have enjoyed walking the Gulf Coast beaches and exploring the famous Australian pines. 

            "My oldest daughter Emily was still in diapers when I took her for a walk down the beach at Sanibel," Scott added. "I saw some pines down the beach about half a mile away. I thought they would be great taking pictures of my beautiful baby daughter. So, I walked the beach holding her little hand, constantly looking down to be certain she wouldn't hurt her little feet on a sharp shell or jellyfish, etc. We arrived at the fallen pines, and I climbed over them with her. I looked around stunned trying to figure out exactly what was out of place. I realized I had accidentally walked into a nude bathing area."

            Other upcoming song videos from the acoustic series will include "Taylorsville Angel", a tune about a truck stop waitress and a lonely trucker; and "Nashville Song", a recent music video about overcoming disappointments on Music Row. The artist will return to Nashville on Sept. 15 to record a classic rock/pop tune from the early 1970s.

            "I've never attempted to make a record that is technically perfect from end to end," Scott continued. "My music is usually about my life in some way, and I kind of look at my songs the way someone might look at a photo album or scrapbook. My hope is that people will continue to identify with the songs and apply them to their own life in one way or another."

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases First Music Video from 'In The Studio With Scott Coner'

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 2015) – Country artist Scott Coner is adding an acoustic feel to his music videos by launching a new video series called "In the Studio with Scott Coner".

            "Close to You", the first video from the series, was released on You Tube and Facebook on Aug. 18. Other song videos will follow in the coming weeks and months. Coner, who has worked with artists such as Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown, says he used an "organic approach" to present his songs in their most basic form. Fellow musicians guitarist Jake Widenhofer, percussionist Bryan Tewell, and bass player Adam Cunningham were encouraged to play the songs from their own perspective.

            To download the "Close to You" music video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube at https://youtu.be/v-LP0iUKzYw.

            "I wasn't going for the highly polished sound that we have all become accustomed to," said Coner, who hopes to release a full concert on video next year. "I think one of the things we have lost in this digital age is the spontaneity that this type of recording offers. Something that hit home with me years ago was when John Mellencamp released 'Pink Houses' and 'Small Town' on a stripped-down acoustic release. I never forgot that, and I suppose this is my attempt."

(Photo by Cyndi Coner) L-R Jake Widenhofer, Scott Coner, Bryan Tewell, and Adam Cunningham

            For the video shoot, the four musicians sat with their instruments in chairs left to right in front of a brick and wood-accented fireplace. Performances were miked or fed into a soundboard, where engineer Sean Spence monitored volume and reverb levels. Each song was recorded from start to finish without interruption to produce a live acoustic feel. Scott's wife, Cyndi, manned the camera for the Coner family's Cynnamae Media Productions.

            "The approach was anything but technical really," Scott added. "The guys all had a click track with a basic in their ears, but I opted to do my part listening to the room only. The only issue for me with this approach was that I couldn't hear the bass at all."

            The artist describes "Close to You" as a love song for his wife. Other upcoming song videos from the series will include "Sanibel", a song he originally recorded with T. Graham Brown; "Taylorsville Angel", a tune about a truck stop waitress and a lonely trucker; and "Nashville Song", a recent music video about overcoming disappointments on Music Row.

            "I've never attempted to make a record that is technically perfect from end to end," Scott continued. "My music is usually about my life in some way, and I kind of look at my songs the way someone might look at a photo album or scrapbook. My hope is that people will continue to identify with the songs and apply them to their own life in one way or another."

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases New Song/Video 'Nashville Song'

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 2015) – Hit country artist Scott Coner has released "Nashville Song", a new single and accompanying video that express the highs and lows of working in Nashville's country music industry.

            When it comes to music success, Scott has accomplished much more than the average singer-songwriter. He has recorded songs with country legends such as Charlie Daniels and T. Graham Brown -- even landing a number one hit in Britain with the Tanya Tucker duet, "Maybe She Lied". But the Indiana artist has also faced a number of disappointments, especially on the business side of the industry. His experiences (good and bad) are reflected in the heartfelt, soulful country ballad "Nashville Song".

Scott Coner (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            "I wrote 'Nashville Song' about my feelings and opinions of the music business," said Scott, who recently taped a concert in Nashville for future airing on You Tube. "In truth, the business side has been hurtful at nearly all levels. But as I have continued on, I have reminded myself that I write and play because I love doing it. I have been truly blessed to work with some great musicians. To me, the song is not about being defeated. Instead, the song is about standing strong and doing things my own way."

            To download the "Nashville Song" song and video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or YouTube at https://youtu.be/X1CIy5T7Trc.

            "Nashville Song", which was recorded at Nashville's Java Jive, was arranged and produced by Scott and engineer Logan Schlegal. The recording features Scott on vocals and acoustic guitar. Members of the Matthew West Band accompany him on background vocals, electric guitar, bass, keyboards and percussion.

            Scott added that the "Nashville Song" lyric is reminiscent of Alabama's "My Home's in Alabama" in the specific way the story unfolds. His wife, Cyndi, helped bring the video to life with scenes from the artist's recording session, as well as popular downtown and Music Row hangouts such as the Ryman Auditorium, Tootsie's, Hard Rock Cafe, Sony Music, Curb, and RCA Studio B. Cyndi, who oversees the Coner family's Cynnamae Media Productions, said she wanted to take viewers on a "field trip" that showed the places where Scott has experienced musical highs and lows. 

Scott Coner Performs (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            "The lyrics are pretty specific as far as my working with T. Graham Brown and Tanya Tucker is concerned," Scott noted. "But the chorus delivers the other side of the story. I have been in many offices around town and foolishly, I have put my trust in people who were undeserving."

            Scott's lyric gives listeners a realistic look inside the Nashville music industry. Like many singer-songwriters before him, he drove into town with a batch of original songs and a wishful heart. He later heard a lot of false promises, even outright lies from some of the professionals on Music Row. That reality is expressed loud and clear in the chorus with the line,  "If you're gonna sleep with snakes man, you better be tough."

            But any resulting hard feelings were temporary. Eventually, Scott realized that happiness and success could be found in the music itself. He sings with assurance, "Well I just kept plowing ground... I had my song and I had my sound... Nobody's gonna tell me what to do... It seems to me that if you have a plan... You stay on course and you take your stand... Every man finally gets his chance...."

            The artist hopes his fans will understand that sometimes artists need to channel their hurt, as well as their happiness, through their songs and other works of art. He has no intention of ever quitting the music business or allowing himself to become bitter. Songwriting is just as fulfilling to him now as it was when he was 15 years old.

            "As an artist, you find yourself simply wanting to concentrate on the music itself," Scott continued. "I have faith that if you believe in what you are doing, and continue down your own path, the right people will show up. I believe this because it has finally started to take place."

            A self-proclaimed family man, Scott Coner lives with his wife and two daughters on rural farmland near Franklin, Ind. He has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            Scott is represented by Nashville-based Whiting Publicity and Promotions.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases 'When The Angels Cry' Video on Domestic Violence

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2015) – Hit country artist Scott Coner has released a new song and accompanying video that reveal the often unspoken but devastating impact of domestic violence on married women.

            Scott says he was inspired to write his latest single, "When The Angels Cry", after his wife Cyndi recounted some heartbreaking incidents that happened to her mother more than 20 years ago. Scott recorded the song with top-tier session players in Nashville, and the couple teamed up to shoot a stirring video on their rural farm near Franklin, Ind. The artist hopes the song and video will be a meaningful tool for organizations that are helping abused women realize their own potential while encouraging men to overcome a lifestyle of abuse.

            To download "When The Angels Cry" song or video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube at https://youtu.be/SXUUgLl43TA .

            The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one in five women have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Startling statistics show that on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.

            "I think I am passionate about the issue in part because of my own wife having to live in an abusive situation as a teenager," said Scott, who has recorded songs with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown. "But there is more to it than that. I hate to see anyone lose her self-worth and identity because of someone else. We all deserve a voice, and we all deserve respect."

            Scott wrote the song late one afternoon while he wife was preparing dinner. It tells the story of a woman who is abused by her husband night after night. In the lyric, the woman pleads with her spouse to stop. "You've taken all that I am... There's nothing left of me but this broken wedding band... Please don't hit me again... Please don't take my life... Look into these eyes for God's sake... That's your wife."

            Stylistically, "When The Angel's Cry" was a departure for Scott, who loves to rock the house with high-energy country tunes. Given its dark topic and overall feel, he decided to keep the recording simple and bare. For the recording session, he was joined at Nashville's 515 Studio by Clint Black keyboardist Dane Bryant, Martina McBride guitarist Mike Waldren, and veteran engineer Logan Schlegel. A special console was loaned to Scott by Rob Royer, a member of the legendary 1970s pop band Bread. The resulting sound is organic, tender and heartfelt.

            "So often in my writing process, I record new music pretty quickly," Scott added. "'Angels' was a song that lived with me for years. I recognize that this song isn't a 'feel-good' piece, but I felt I had to record it. I don't know how it will be received. But if the song and video help one person, it will be worth doing a thousand times over."

            Cyndi, who runs the family's Cynnamae Media Productions, brought the black and white video to life with realistic scenes of a Southern woman battered by an intoxicated, uncaring husband. In the end, the victim finally decides to run away. But when she opens a closet door to get her suitcase, a Bible falls out onto the floor. Listeners/viewers can hear Scott singing the chorus. "When the angels cry... You can almost taste the tears... Flowing like a river... It's been dammed up for years...."

            "To me, the Bible signifies hope and resolve in knowing there is a better life out there for her," continued Scott, who noted that the video features performances by a local couple and Scott and Cyndi's youngest daughter, Taylor. "One of the things I wanted to point out is that abuse happens in all parts of society."

 

            Scott Coner has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

(Photos by Cyndi Coner)