Previously Featured in 2019
Chris DeStefano
A native of Mt Laurel, New Jersey, Chris Destefano is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Chris began singing at a very early age in the acclaimed Academy Boys Choir of Philadelphia. At age 13, he acquired his first guitar and remembers writing his very first songs shortly after. Driven by his passion for music and knack for picking up new instruments, Destefano’s talents lead him to Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music where he studied film scoring.
Upon graduating, Destefano followed the natural migration for many aspiring film score composers and moved to Los Angeles, California. However, what he discovered in LA was not the soundstage, but his gift for songwriting and producing. In 2008, Chris signed a publishing deal with EMI. It wasn’t long before he found his name climbing the Billboard charts with the first single from David Archuleta’s sophomore album, a song called “Something About Love.” Destefano followed with a string of songs on the records of several other notable American Idol winners or finalists; Kelly Clarkson, David Cook and Scotty McCreery.
Setting his sights on the Country Airplay chart, Chris began splitting time between LA and Nashville, collaborating with some of Nashville’s hottest songwriters. The transition was seamless and in early 2012 Chris charted his first country single with Jana Kramer’s “Why You Wanna” which peaked at #3 on the Billboard chart. Right on the heels of this success, Destefano achieved his first Country chart topper with the song “Good Girl” recorded by another former American Idol winner and Pop-Country superstar Carrie Underwood.
Chris has followed with a streak of #1 songs recorded by Carrie Underwood ("Good Girl"), Billy Currington (“Hey Girl”), Brett Eldredge (“Don’t Ya”), Luke Bryan (“That’s My Kind of Night”), Miranda Lambert (“Somethin’ Bad”), Rascal Flatts (“Rewind”) and Chase Rice (“Ready Set Roll”). He recently scored another #1 with Carrie Underwood's "Something In The Water" which was co-written with Underwood and fellow Hit-Maker Brett James. The single spent 7 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Country chart!
Learn more about Chris DeStefano at the Nashville Songwritters Association
Liz Rose
Liz Rose is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, 2007 SESAC Nashville Songwriter of the Year, founder of a music publishing company, and most recently, Texas Heritage Songwriter Hall Of Fame inductee. Rose was born and raised in the Dallas, Texas area. In the mid-1990s she moved to Nashville and began writing songs at the age of 37. In 2003, Gary Allan took Rose's Songs About Rain into the country Top 20.
A frequent collaborator of Taylor Swift’s, Rose co-wrote 16 songs with Swift, including the No. 1 crossover hits Teardrops on My Guitar, You Belong With Me (which won the 2010 BMI Award for Song of the Year), Tim McGraw and White Horse (which won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Country Song).
Rose was the recipient of the 2012 ACM Award for Song of the Year in honor of Eli Young Band’s Crazy Girl. She has also penned songs for many other artists including Tim McGraw, Dan and Shay, Allison Krauss, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Young, Bonnie Raitt and more. In 2015, she won Song Of The Year at the Country Music Association awards and won the Grammy for Best Country Song for writing Girl Crush by Little Big Town. Girl Crush was written with Hillary Lindsey and Lori McKenna, and collectively they call themselves The Love Junkies. With Carrie Underwood, they wrote Cry Pretty, Carrie’s most recent single with Capitol Records.
Liz Rose is not only a songwriter, but a successful publisher. Rose began her music career, as a publisher before signing her first songwriting deal with Jody Williams Music. In 2010, Rose launched Liz Rose Music with her son Scott Ponce as a home for burgeoning songwriters. The company’s roster now includes Phil Barton, Cameron Bedell, Seth Ennis, Alyssa Micaela, Emily Shackelton, Caitlin Rose, with legacy writers Corey Crowder, Jeff Middleton, Stephony Smith, Jesse Walker, Femke Weidema, Chuck Wicks, and Walt Wilkins. The company operates on the simple principle, "Great Songs, Great People.”
Lee Thomas Miller
Lee Thomas Miller’s No. 1 singles include Tim McGraw’s “Southern Girl,” Brad Paisley’s “The World” and “I’m Still a Guy,” Joe Nichols’ “The Impossible,” Terri Clark’s “I Just Wanna Be Mad,” and Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This,” to name a few. He has also co-written nine Top 20 hits, including Brothers Osborne’s “It Ain’t My Fault” and Thomas Rhett’s “Something To Do With My Hands.”
Lee has earned three Grammy nods for Country Song of the Year, for Joe Nichols’ “The Impossible,” Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This,” and Jamey Johnson’s “In Color.” In 2009 Miller received two ACM nominations in the same category, Song of the Year, which he then won for “In Color.” The song also earned Miller Song of the Year at the CMAs. Other distinguished wins include the ASCAP and NSAI’s Song of the Year awards for “You’re Gonna Miss This,” and the Teen Choice Award for Favorite Country Song for the Brad Paisley and Demi Lovato duet, “Without a Fight.” Additionally, he has won 12 BMI awards, as well as the inaugural BMI Champion’s Award in 2015.