Sevier News Messenger Sevier County News and Opinion
Grammy, CMA and ACM nominee Bobby Tomberlin is celebrating the upcoming release of his new CD “Out of Road” at Crystelle Creek Restaurant and Grill in Gatlinburg on Saturday night.
Tomberlin will play songs from the project and share the stories behind each song. There will be two shows at Crystelle Creek Restaurant and Grill, 1654 East Pkwy. in Gatlinburg, on Oct. 22, 2016: one from 6:00-7:15 p.m. and then again from 8:00-9:15 p.m. Neese will be on the piano between the two shows and starting at 5 p.m. There will be advance copies of the CD available Saturday night. Tomberlin says this is the CD he’s always dreamed of making and it’s a perfect representation of who he is musically.
This project wouldn’t have been possible without P. J. West, owner of Crystelle Creek Restaurant & Grill. West met Tomberlin through Cyndy Montgomery Reeves, founder of the Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival, when Tomberlin helped kick off the first 2nd Monday SMSWF Showcase five years ago at Crystelle Creek. Tomberlin fell in love with the intimate atmosphere performing at Crystelle Creek and the unique experience it provides a singer/songwriter showcase. West found a great singer/songwriter/entertainer in Tomberlin.
“I wouldn’t have done the project if I didn’t have the confidence in Bobby’s ability to write songs and in his showmanship to follow everything through to this degree,” said West.
It was the “Grand Ole Opry” song that caught Weat’s attention. “When you hear the meaningfulness of this song, you will understand why it will become a country classic,” explained West. “As I watched the project unfold, I am not so sure that the song titled ‘Right Turn’ co-written with Sylvia Hutton might even be the better one or possibly the song titled ‘The Songwriter’ co-written with Bobby Bare and Terry Faust,” West surmised.
Tomberlin says Gatlinburg feels like a second home and it’s the birthplace of his new project. There is a photo of the Crystelle Creek Restaurant & Grill sign and the Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival logo on the back cover. The CD cover photo was taken by actor Stephen Dorff, while working on a film project with Tomberlin and Kris Kristofferson.
Tomberlin has very special guests on this project including Vince Gill, Linda Davis, one of the hottest up and coming artists, Mo Pitney and Hank Jr’s daughter, Hilary Williams. Some of Nashville’s top musicians played on the record, including Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. Some of his co-writers on the project include Mac Davis, Bobby Bare, Bill Anderson, Dean Dillon, Holly Williams and Sylvia. Also on the CD is “One More Day,” a song that was taken to the top of the charts by Diamond Rio, co-written by Tomberlin. The project was recorded at CURB Studios, where artists like Johnny Cash, Hank Jr, George Jones, Eddy Arnold, Blake Shelton and Alison Krauss have recorded.
He is entering his 22nd year as a staff writer for CURB Music, where he has had over 100 of his songs recorded by artists like Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand, Faith Hill, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mo Pitney and Josh Turner. Some of the other artists that Tomberlin has written with during his career include Lee Brice, Sam Hunt, Pam Tillis, Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee and Phil Everly.
Tomberlin says his dream was to go to Nashville and get one song recorded. Everything else has truly been icing on the cake. “I never dreamed while growing up in Luverne, Ala. that one day I would share a stage with Vince Gill or Little Jimmy Dickens, sing with Loretta Lynn, stand on the Opry stage, have Bobby Bare sing on my record, write a song with Porter Wagoner and Larry Gatlin or be in a movie with Kris Kristofferson,” he reflected. Tomberlin says God has been so good to him.
Nashville Songwriter Association International President Bart Herbison said, “Bobby loves the music and the music loves him back.”
In addition to writing and working in the studio, Tomberlin has had a busy tour schedule with shows all over the U. S. He recently had the honor of singing a duet with Loretta Lynn at a Conway Twitty Tribute; he performed on the legendary WSM Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree; shared the stage with Mac Davis at the Bluebird Cafe and is filming The Joey Canyon Show, seen on RFD TV.
