Niemann, Songwriters Honored For "Drink To That All Night"

“We’ll change the name of this song to ‘Drink To That All Afternoon,'” said ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, in greeting a throng of industry members gathered at Nashville’s Music City Tippler to commemorate Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville artist Jerrod Niemann‘s second chart-topping single, “Drink To That All Night.” Co-hosted by BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, the party doled out plaques to Niemann, as well as to the four “Drink To That All Night” co-writers Derek George, Lance Miller, Brad Warren and Brett Warren, and producer Jimmie Lee Sloas.
Representatives from Warner/Chappell Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and StyleSonic Music were also on hand, as were industry supporters Avenue Bank and Northwestern Mutual.
While ASCAP honored co-writer Derek George, BMI’s Perry Howard paid tribute to the Warren Brothers, who were celebrating their fifth No. 1 single as songwriters. Meanwhile, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch honored songwriter Lance Miller for his inaugural No. 1 song, to the celebratory cheers of the audience. “Congrats to Lance, it’s been a long time coming,” Brad Warren said.
“Once you get to put out music, you realize all the things that have to go right for a song to reach No. 1 – all the phone calls and blood, sweat and tears that go into it,” Niemann said, thanking the Sea Gayle and Arista Nashville label staff, and the songwriters. Niemann wasn’t shy in sharing how he came to record the song, and injected his well-known sense of humor as he did. “I recorded this song after the Warren Brothers gave another song to a bigger artist. Instead of being upset, I told [producer] Jimmie, ‘Here’s another song they wrote.’ I took the high road, so this is a lesson for all sensitive people. Plus, no one recorded the other song, so I get to have it back. That lesson is, if you have a song about a topic that’s a little controversial, you might as well let me have it because no one else will touch it,” said Niemann, laughing and reassuring the crowd that he counts his co-writers as great friends.
The good times and drinking won’t be stopping soon – “Drink To That All Night” will soon have a pop remix featuring rapper Pitbull. On Sept. 12, MusicRow‘s April/May cover boy will headline a show at the historic Ryman Auditorium.