Industry Gathers To Celebrate ‘7500 OBO’ Songwriters

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Pictured (L-R): Nathan Spicer, Jennifer Schott, Matt McGinn. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

In true Nashville fashion, the industry gathered earlier this week to celebrate Nathan Spicer, Jennifer Schott and Matt McGinn, the writers on Tim McGraw’s No. 1 hit “7500 OBO.” BMI hosted the writers, colleagues and supporters, welcoming them into their Music Row office on a sunny Tuesday afternoon (July 25).

This hit was released during the sizzling summer in 2021, and climbed to the top of the charts in July 2022. It marks the first No. 1 for both Spicer and Schott, and the sixth country No. 1 for McGinn. “7500 OBO” is McGraw’s 45th No. 1 country single, and was voted as one of NSAI’s “10 Songs I Wish I Had Written.” The single went No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart in May of 2022.

Josh Tomlinson, Director of Creative at BMI, opened the event with touching video from McGraw, who was unable to attend the celebration in person. He sent his congratulations to all of the writers and creative teams behind the project, and said he looked forward to working them on upcoming projects.

Tomlinson then continued with comments about BMI’s writer Schott, congratulating her on her first No. 1 and presenting her with a signature BMI Taylor guitar to commemorate the occasion.

Pictured (L-R): Evyn Mustoe Johnston (ASCAP), Gilles Godard (Anthem), Nathan Spicer, Courtney Crist (Anthem), Kevin Lane (Kobalt), Jennifer Schott, Noah Dewey (Anthem), Matt McGinn, Robin Palmer (SMACKSongs), Josh Tomlinson (BMI), Shannan Hatch (SESAC), Ron Cox (Studio Bank). Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

He remarked, “Jenn has maintained a reputation that precedes herself. That’s why she gets in the rooms that she gets in, that’s why her career has had such longevity and that’s why she’s got her first No. 1 today.”

Next, Evyn Mustoe Johnston,  ASCAP’s Senior Director of Creative, spoke about Spicer. “This is Nathan’s first No. 1 song. Everyone in this room knows what a big deal that is, how hard that is to make happen and what a big feat it is. A huge congratulations [to Nathan].”

McGinn received high accolades from the team at SESAC. “Matt is a two-time SESAC Songwriter of the Year. We’ve also celebrated with him for Song of the Year,” said Shannan Hatch, SESAC’s SVP, Head of Nashville Creative. “[Today] is a year and one week after the song went No. 1, so what a great way to continue the celebration with you guys.”

Chief Creative Officer at SMACKSongs, Robin Palmer, shared kind words about the thought and intention that went into crafting “7500 OBO.”

“When Matt co-wrote this song, he was so excited. They had googled the ’06 F-150 [mentioned in the song] and figured out all the parts, details and accessories that went on an ’06 Ford F-150. I just thought, ‘Who else does that?’ It’s a great song,” Palmer shared.

Courtney Crist, Senior Creative Director at Anthem Entertainment, extended thanks to the McGraw’s management team at EM.Co., the promotion staff at Big Machine Records and the other publishing teams. Kevin Lane shared congratulations on behalf of Kobalt Publishing before Tomlinson took the stage to read a statement from Red Creative’s Jeremy Stover and Taylor Lamb.

“Congratulations to Jenn Schott and Nathan Spicer as well as Matt McGinn on this incredible achievement. It’s an honor to work with you all. Thank you for bringing this song into the world and for your creative passion for country music,” the statement read. “We’d like to thank a few people who played crucial roles in the success of this song. First and foremost, Tim McGraw, Missi and Byron Gallimore, Scott Borchetta and the rest of the McGraw and Big Machine teams for believing in the song and making it the hit it was always meant to be.”

Studio Bank’s Ron Cox gave heartfelt congratulations coupled with an announcement of a donation to Porter’s Call being made in the names of McGraw and songwriters.

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, Nathan Spicer, Jennifer Schott, Matt McGinn, MusicRow‘s Caela Griffin. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

McGinn led the trio of songwriters in their remarks, giving thanks and due credit, yet keeping his speech short.

“Thank y’all for being here,” he said. “I’d like to go down the line of everyone we’ve thanked—Tim, Big Machine, Missi, Byron, Kris Lamb for running it up, all the publishers, Robin, Kobalt, Anthem, Red, SESAC, BMI and ASCAP.”

Schott wrote a tender list of thanks, ranging from her current team to her past publishers over her career. She shared, “I want to thank my co-writers, Matt and Nathan. You know I love y’all so much. It was so fun to write this with you guys and share this journey. Cheers to you both. Let’s do it again.”

Schott added, “I also want to thank my former publishers. This is my sixth publishing deal—I’ve been here a long time. Had it not been for those publishers, I wouldn’t be in this deal now.”

In closing her remarks, Schott shared a sweet story of her early days in the industry. ” I have a little picture in my bag that I brought today It’s of me attending my very first No. 1 party in this room. It would have been the end of 1998 or the beginning of 1999. I was working for a publisher in town who had a song by the Dixie Chicks that went No. 1. I was dressed as a chicken. 

“I was just starting to write songs. I don’t think I had dreamed of having a No. 1 yet. I was dreaming of having a publishing deal and about maybe getting song recorded one day. Had I told young me, “It’s going to take you a long time,” I think I still would’ve done it because this is the journey. This is the path I was supposed to be on,” she shared.

Spicer said a round of thanks before telling the crowd about the demo for the celebrated track. “A lot of people have supported me on my journey and I want to say thank you. The success of a No. 1 buys us time to express what we want to musically and creatively. That’s a huge gift.

“The craziest part about this song is that when I went to make the demo to send to Matt and Jenn, I looked up the tempo of ‘Where The Green Grass Grows.’ It was so close to ours and it was in the exact same key. I took that fiddle loop at the beginning that’s soloed perfectly and I threw it in the entire demo,” Spicer shared. “For Tim to hear something like that in it and cut it is huge. So thank you, it means the world.”

Caela Griffin
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