Hall Of Fame Songwriter Kent Blazy Releases New Album ‘For The Byrds’

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Kent Blazy. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Kent Blazy is releasing a new album, For The Byrds.

Blazy and songwriter/musician Steve Allen co-wrote all the songs on the project except the title track. The title was chosen because after hearing the Byrds song “Mr. Tambourine Man,” Blazy first decided he wanted to play guitar. The sound of Roger McGuinn‘s Rickenbacker 12-string captivated Blazy, and a picture of a Rickenbacker 12-string graces the cover of the album. Most of the project’s songs were written during the COVID-19 lockdown. Allen and Blazy both lost their wives to brain tumors, and many of the new songs are about the new loves they both found.

“This record was so much fun to create. We had one day to cut 11 songs and Lee Francis and Kevin Murphy from Jon Pardi‘s band were up for the challenge. Both did an amazing job, as did the engineer, Matt Allen, to capture everything under the pressure of that time frame,” shares Blazy.

“Kent and I have been writing together for the last couple of years and we always end up with a finished song with no agenda of style. This record has 10 songs we co-wrote during the pandemic. I think this is why the range of style goes from the ’60s garage sound of ‘Livin’ The American Dream’ to the past era ballad of ‘Twilight Time.’ We felt free to let whatever songs wanted to come out and exist just happen, yet it all flows as one long-playing album. Everybody put their heart and soul into the project and we all are proud of this album,” adds Allen.

The new music is available to order at kentblazy.com and to stream and download on all digital music platforms.

Blazy was recently inducted by his friend and co-writer Garth Brooks into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame with the class of 2020. The Kentucky native has a total of seven No. 1 hits to his credit, including “If Tomorrow Never Comes” (Brooks), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Brooks) and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” (Chris Young).

For The Byrds Track List:
1. Crossing the Rubicon
2. World Starts Closing In 
3. For The Byrds 
4. She Believed In Me 
5. All That Love 
6. Summer Afternoon 
7. Mr. Snake Oil 
8. Wildest Dreams 
9. Livin’ The American Dream 
10. Blue Green Ocean Eyes 
11. Twilight Time 

Lorie Hollabaugh
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