Brett Eldredge Celebrates No. 1 'Wanna Be That Song'

Pictured: (L-R): Carnival Music’s Frank Liddell, Warner Music’s John Esposito, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, BMI’s Josh Tomlinson, ASCAP songwriter Scooter Carusoe, BMI singer-songwriter-producer Brett Eldredge, BMI songwriter-producer Ross Copperman, Sony ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg and Rezonant’s Tim Wipperman. Photo: Erika Goldring [Click To Enlarge]

New blood infused the celebration at Brett Eldredge’s No. 1 party for “Wanna Be That Song.” BMI’s new writer/publisher team member Josh Tomlinson welcomed the crowd to new venue, The Back Corner (TBC) in Germantown—a location John Esposito quipped was “so convenient to Music Row.”

Tomlinson offered celebratory cups on behalf of his PRO after offering remarks to his two writers, Eldredge and Ross Copperman, who celebrated his sixth No. 1. BMI’s partner in No. 1 parties, Pinnacle Bank, welcomed Cooper Samuels to note a contribution to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

With her signature likability, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker toasted their First Tennessee Bank sponsor Andrew Kintz, on behalf of the PRO’s writer Scooter Carusoe (Travis Hill) for his fourth No. 1.

Carusoe’s Carnival Music partner, and recent ACM Album of the Year producer, Frank Liddell took to the mic to express gratitude to everyone involved in the success.

“When you’re in this business, we’re all trying to get paid and make money, and it’s important,” said Liddell. “But when you work with someone for so long, things like this just feel better. That’s why people listen to music—it feels good—so let’s keep kicking ass, let’s keep this going.”

“This song was Brett’s idea,” said Carusoe. “He was very intentional about it. We were on the road writing and he was getting ready to walk on stage and looked right at me and said ‘I want to write a song called ‘Wanna Be That Song,’’ turned around and walked to the microphone and started singing. I love that.”

For Copperman, Rezonant Music Publishing’s Tim Wipperman and Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg were present. Van Vaulkenburg also spoke on behalf of Eldredge.

“Ross Copperman is one of the best I’ve ever had to work with,” said Wipperman. “There’s an idea a minute coming out of him and I think for the next 200-300 years he’s gonna be on top of the charts.”

Wipperman dispersed his new tradition, handing out bottles of artisan Merlot to the producers and writers, which in this case Eldredge and Copperman were co-producers and writers, which he noted “got [him] off cheap.”

“Thank you Brett for being one of my best friends and being there from the beginning for me,” responded Copperman, who was suffering a broken rib from a wrestling match with his boy.

“To the core, Brett is a songwriter,” said Van Vaulkenburg. “He is someone that writes because he has to, and I can tell you that’s the type of writer/artist you want to work with because its something they have to do with every bit of their body.”

Esposito, who noted a reporter from a famous New York publication was following him around for the day, was dripping with charm.

“You want to have as many of these No. 1 parties in your life as possible,” said Esposito. “That’s all there is to it. They don’t celebrate this in New York or Los Angeles…This ride [with Brett] is just getting started.”

“This is my second No. 1 I’ve got to celebrate with Scooter and my fourth with Ross,” said Eldredge from the top of his head. “These guys are unbelievable. No one spends more time on a lyric than Scooter. I’m working on album number three with Ross right now.

“We developed something that didn’t happen overnight. It took someone that see what I could do and I think you guys for sticking with me and knew when it would work when it did work. Now we’re on our sixth No. 1.

“Writing these songs is not only a joy. I think we captured with this song, more than any other, why I love to write songs and why I like to write with these kind of guys. You create this music and years down the road these plaques are collecting dust, but all that matters is the people you celebrated with and memories you made. It’s about sitting in a writing room staring at each other until something in your heart jumps out and has to be written. This song is everything I want to say in music.”

Eldredge concluded with an a cappella version of those lyrics:

I wanna be that song that gets you high
Makes you dance, makes you fall
That melody rewinds years
Once disappear, makes time stall
Wanna be those words that fill you up
Roll your windows down and keeps you young
Makes you believe you’re right where you belong
I wanna be that song

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP songwriter Scooter Carusoe, BMI singer-songwriter-producer Brett Eldredge and BMI songwriter-producer Ross Copperman. Photo: Erika Goldring.