Nashville Hitmakers Coming to Indian Lake for the 11th Year

Saturday, the Nashville Hitmakers will be at Indian Lake High School for the 11th consecutive year.

Headliner Even Stevens, a major award-winning songwriter, grew up in Lewistown and graduated from Indian Lake High School.

Even brings his friends and puts on an evening to profit the Indian Lake Watershed and the Indian Lake Music Program.

This evening of original hit songs, performed live by the men and women who wrote them, is a time of great sounds, interesting stories of the song’s origins, and excellent musicianship.

This year the lineup includes Hall of Fame songwriters:

Even Stevens- Even’s songwriting career spans many stylistic borders from the multi-platinum international hit, “When Even’s songwriting career spans many stylistic borders from the multi-platinum international hit, “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman” by rock’s Dr. Hook, to the three-week running #1 Pop, Country, and Adult Contemporary hit, “ I Love A Rainy Night” by long time partner and superstar, Eddie Rabbitt. He has accumulated an unprecedented 54 BMI Awards. He has written the #1 Grammy, ACM Award & ASCAP Song Of The Year winner, “Love Will Turn You Around” by Kenny Rogers, and won BMI’s coveted Robert J. Burton Award, Song of the Year for “Suspicions” by Eddie Rabbitt, earning him the distinction as a BMI “Songwriter of the Century.” Over his prolific career of writing Pop, Country & Adult Contemporary songs, he has reached the Top Ten on the Billboard record charts an astounding 42 times! 13 of Even Stevens’s songs have been awarded the rare status of a BMI Millionaire or Multi-Millionaire. According to BMI statistics, just his Millionaire songs alone, such as, “I Love A Rainy Night”, “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman”, “Drivin’ My Life Away”, “Love Will Turn You Around”, “Step By Step”, “Lovin’ Only Me” and “Crazy In Love”, would run nonstop, 24 hours a day on the radio, for an unprecedented 189 years!
The Forrest Williams Band- Growing up in the hills of Arkansas, Forrest picked up the guitar when he was 14 years old and has been playing ever since. He grew up listening to Rock, Blues, Country, and Folk music from the 60’s up to the present day, which has influenced his songwriting. His style covers a variety of music, incorporating acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and harmonica.
Matraca Berg- Native Nashvillian Matraca Berg grew up around the music industry. Her mother was songwriter/session singer Icie Calloway Berg. Her stepfather was songwriter Dave Kirby (“Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “Memories to Burn,” “There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang”). Matraca had her first #1 hit as a writer with Karen Brooks and T. G. Sheppard’s 1983 duet “Faking Love,” co-written with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bobby Braddock. Matraca Berg was only 18 years old at the time.
Chuck Cannon– Chuck grew up in the South Carolina Lowcountry. He is a Southern boy whose voice echoes the R&B, Rock & Roll, Gospel, and Country music he grew up listening to. He is a multi-award winning songwriter who has been covered by an incredibly diverse array of mega-stars ranging from Pop artists such as Paul Carrack (Mike & The Mechanics, Squeeze and Ace) and Shawn Mullins to Country artists George Jones, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, George Strait, and Toby Keith, to Euro-Pop super-group BoyZone and 80’s rock superstar band NightRanger, and Gospel’s Russ Taff and Bebe Winans.
Mike Loundermilk– Mike Loudermilk has been making music most of his life. He started his musical career when his first song, an instrumental, was recorded by guitar legend Chet Atkins, who invited him to Nashville to play in the session. Atkins then offered to sponsor him in Nashville but approved of Mike’s decision to return to Louisiana and finish his education in music theory and guitar. Son of John D. Loudermilk, Mike made his way back to Nashville where he began playing music full-time. He has toured, recorded, and/or written songs with artists from John Schneider to Crystal Gayle, and from Tracy Lawrence to Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. As an artist, he has recorded several albums internationally, including a duet record, “Wildwood Flower,” with bluegrass fiddle legend Buddy Spicher.
Ryan Madora– Ryan Madora is a Nashville-based producer, writer, educator, and bass player. Currently, on the road with indie rock icon Jenny Lewis, she has toured and recorded with artists including Robben Ford, Molly Tuttle, Allison Russell, and country radio personality Bobby Bones.