Monty Powell: Hitman?

Monty Powell is a Hitman. Not in the literal, dictionary sense of the word - he doesn't off people at the request of others, but he is quite deadly in other harmless, less-criminal ways. Arm him with a pen, an idea and a guitar, and there's a good chance something deadly magnificent will be the result. The proof is virtually everywhere these days. Whether you turn on the radio, flip on a TV, or go to a movie, the odds are pretty dang good you'll be hearing one of his songs. That's just what happens when the culprit has multiple number one singles under his belt and powerhouses like Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts lining up to record them. So yes, Monty Powell is a Hitman. Or perhaps better-stated, Monty Powell is a hit, man.

Here's the thing: After over two decades as the music industry equivalent of the Swiss Army Knife and a list of awards and accolades that make War And Peace seem like a quick read, it would appear that writing a hit song is as simple for Monty as it is writing a bad one, but he knows better and that's precisely what separates him from the rest of the songwriting pack: Knowing better. Knowing better than to think that writing your first hit song means you're sure to write a second. Knowing better than to believe that shortcuts are ever an option. And knowing better than to rest on creativity as if it's the key to long-term success as a songwriter.

The characteristic of knowing better isn't isolated to the music industry. To sustain success at the top of any profession, you literally need to know better than the person working next to you. Know better and know more, and that's why even with the enviable resume and all the awards that help legitimize it, Monty knows better than to simply rely on the use of a pen, an idea and a guitar to stay at the top of the songwriting ranks.

So why would anyone who's reached the peak of any profession, especially one full of people lined up for an opportunity to steal their share of the market without thinking twice about it, be excited to teach and help create a potential competitor for themselves? The answer, according to Monty, is simple:

"Unlike most things that the world consumes, we will never stop needing music, especially good music - hit music. Those who are capable of writing it legitimately should have the opportunity to learn how to do it, and I want to help because I'll always have a debt to repay to music. There's no shortage of talented musicians and songwriters in America. I have an obligation to tell the ones who will listen - the ones who are serious enough to chase music as a career, that talent isn't enough. Not even close. Achieving real, long-term success in the music industry is literally a science. Musician Labs can help put the scientific formula for success into the hands of the most dangerous, the most willing and the most capable."

Joining Monty in the Lab is his wife - renowned Jazz artist, songwriter and producer, Anna Wilson with whom he just completed co-producing a new album with. Not just any album though - one that has particular importance within the songwriting community because it celebrates one of the best to ever do it: Billy Joel. The record is titled, "Nashville State of Mind" and features the likes of Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Hunter Hayes, Eli Young Band, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Gavin DeGraw and others, all putting their own personal spins on Joel classics. The album is being released to celebrate and honor Joel's 50th anniversary as a songwriter.

Given that the duo trusted with putting together an album of this magnitude are the same two people behind Musician Labs, students who are serious enough to attend are in for a serious treat...and some serious learning.

“There are other options out there, but Monty is teaching from a level that no one else is. He has enough hits with Keith Urban alone to make a stellar career for most writers. You add in Grammy and Golden Globe nods, a SESAC Songwriter Of The Year award and a CMA Triple Play (three #1 songs in one year !), and you have a proven master of his craft.   In the guitar world, it would be like taking lessons from Hendrix.  I have seen Monty write, teach, produce, and perform live. If you want the real mountain top experience from a master teacher who can actually do what he teaches, this is it.”

- Bruno Pirecki

Entertainment Relations, Gibson Brands 

SONG TITLE	ARTIST
Pete’s Music City	Alabama
I Didn’t Think It Would Hurt	Amanda Norman Sell
New York City Subway Rider	Anna Wilson
It’s Got Me	Anna Wilson
Always The Same	Anna Wilson
I Will Never Know	Anna Wilson
Angels	Austin’s Bridge
Times Like These	Austin’s Bridge
Straight And Narrow	Barbra Mandrell
Hey Love	Better Than Ezra
Cowboy Band	Billy Dean
Could Have Been Me	Billy Ray Cyrus
Words By Heart	Billy Ray Cyrus
Damn The Whiskey	Brad Martin
I Am That Man	Brooks&Dunn
That’s Another Song	Bryan White
Radio Romance	Canyon
Brand New Me	Chad Brock
The Love That We Lost	Chely Wright
Miss Me Baby	Chris Cagle
What A Beautiful Day	Chris Cagle
I Love It When She Does That	Chris Cagle
Night On The Country	Chris Cagle
It Takes Two	Chris Cagle
Growin’ Love	Chris Cagle
Just Love Me	Chris Cagle
Look At What I’ve Done	Chris Cagle
All I Ever Wanted	Chuck Wicks
Good Time Coming On	Chuck Wicks
My Kind Of Girl	Collin Raye
Between A Rock And A Heartache	David Slater
That Wasn’t Me	Davis Daniel

SONG TITLE	ARTIST
Norma Jean Riley	Diamond Rio
Nowhere Bound	Diamond Rio
Finished What We Started	Diamond Rio
They Don’t Make Hearts Like They Used To	Diamond Rio
The Ballad Of Conley & Billy	Diamond Rio
Pick Me Up	Diamond Rio
Calling All Hearts	Diamond Rio
Down By The Riverside	Diamond Rio
I Was Meant To Be With You	Diamond Rio
Kentucky Mine	Diamond Rio
Old Weakness	Diamond Rio
Potrait Of An American Family	Dusty Drake
This Is Me Missing You	James House
You Don’t Act Like My Woman	James Otto
Damn Right	James Otto
Someone Else’s Tears	James Prosser
Faces Of Love	Jeanette McCurdy
With Or Without Me	Jeff Wood
If A Man Ain’t Thinkin	Jerry Kilgore
I'm Done	Jo Dee Messina
My Last Word	Kathy Mattea
Who Wouldn’t Want To Be Me	Keith Urban
It’s A Love Thing	Keith Urban
For You	Keith Urban
Days Go By	Keith Urban
Tonight I Want To Cry	Keith Urban
She’s Gotta Be	Keith Urban
These Are The Days	Keith Urban
Shine	Keith Urban
Tu Compania	Keith Urban
Raise The Barn	Keith Urban
Sweet Thing	Keith Urban
Kiss A Girl	Keith Urban
Til Summer Comes Around	Keith Urban

SONG TITLE	ARTIST
If I Knew Then	Lady Antebellum
Stars Tonight	Lady Antebellum
When You Gonna Run To Me	Lee Ann Womack
One of These Days	Marcus Hummon
Straight As The Crow Flies	Marcus Hummon
I Do	Marcus Hummon
Why Not Colorado	McBride & The Ride
I’m Not Afraid	Michelle Wright
Luckiest Man In The World	Neil McCoy
Tender Moment	Oak Ridge Boys
The Chain Just Broke	Paulette Carlson
Don’t Let Go Of My Heart	Phil Keaggy
Pieces	Rascal Flatts
She Goes All The Way	Rascal Flatts & Jamie Foxx
Love Won	Ray Kennedy
Easy Goin’	Ray Kennedy
Dancy’ Dream	Restless Heart
He Said, She Said	Richie Havens, Anton Figg
I’m Ready When You Are	Robert Ellis Orral
Fancy Things	Royal Bliss
I’ll Go Down Loving You	Shenandoah
Let Me Be Wrong Again	Sons of the Desert
Ten Paces, Turn Around	The Ministers
Perpetual Emotion	The Ministers
Crying In Paradise	The Ministers
To Whom It May Concern	The Ministers
One Of These Days	Tim McGraw
Love Lessons	Track Byrd
When The Party's Over	Trent Tomlinson
Courage Of Daniel	Wade Kimes
Friday Night	Western Flyer
Straight And Narrow	Wild Rose