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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 11 > Entry
Urban will play Alzheimer’s benefit with Ga. songwriting friend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Musician Monty Powell says he’s only too happy to fly under the mainstream radar even as he’s become one of Nashville’s most sought-after songwriters. The North Georgia native behind Chris Cagle’s 2007 country hit, “Miss Me Baby” and a string of chart-toppers with Keith Urban, including “Days Go By,” “Tonight I Want to Cry,” “It’s a Love Thing” and “These are the Days” is bringing his armload of hits home for a good cause.
After losing his father, Calhoun resident Richard Powell to Alzheimer’s disease, Powell created Better Start Livin’, a unique fund-raiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, set for Nov. 28 at the Cobb Energy Centre.
“It’s such a horrific disease,” Powell told Buzz. “It just robs you and your family of everything.” Powell says the unsung heroes for him and his family were the caregivers and members of the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Society of Atlanta. Powell hopes the event here will serve as a springboard for benefits nationally.
And since the evening is named after a lyrical line from “Days Go By,” a No. 1 ditty made famous by his songwriting pal Urban, the Australian country superstar has graciously agreed to join Powell onstage at the Nov. 28 show for the benefit.
During the stripped down, intimate “storyteller” acoustic evening, Powell and Urban will perform some of their biggest songs co-written together while giving fans the back stories on the tunes you’re not likely to get when Urban performs in arenas.
“I make it a rule not to ask for favors from artists,” Powell explains. “But if I was ever going to ask for anything, this would be it. It’s something that’s terribly close to my heart. Keith didn’t hesitate for a second. He just said yes. He was really excited that we named the evening for ‘Days Go By.’ “
Acclaimed jazz singer-songwriter (and Powell’s wife) Anna Wilson will round out the evening’s bill.
Powell says fans can expect just a few acoustic instruments, some great stories and an evening’s worth of country radio hits next month.
“It’s really going to be about deconstructing the songs — the difference between a pencil sketch and a finished oil painting,” he explains.
Tickets for the event go on sale Friday. Patron tickets (which include access to a post-concert reception) are $300 each (available only through www.alz.org/georgia) while other seats are priced at $100 and $65.
Tickets will be available at ticketmaster.com and cobbenergycentre.com | • Map & Plan.
ATL “AMA” nominees
Metro Atlantans make up a great deal of the American Music Award nominees, announced Tuesday in Los Angeles.
While Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park and Daughtry lead with three, local R&B, rap and Christian acts Akon, Young Jeezy, T.I., Ne-Yo, T-Pain, Casting Crowns and the Shop Boyz are contenders. In fact, the soul/rhythm & blues male category is made up of all Atlantans: Akon, Ne-Yo and T-Pain.
The 35th annual awards show will air Nov. 18 on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel hosts.
TRANSITIONS
While Star 94 is dropping Steve McCoy when Vikki Locke leaves next month because it’s hard to imagine one without the other, WGST-AM Wednesday kept the Randy Cook half of the long-running Randy & Spiff team but let go Spiff Carner (right).
“He didn’t fit with the vision of the morning show we wanted,” said program director Randall Bloomquist, who also fired veterans Tom Hughes and Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson last year. Carner, who is still under contract with WGST, declined to comment.
Randy & Spiff have been a team for more than two decades, 18 of those years here in Atlanta at four different radio stations, most notably with the now-defunct oldies station Fox 97.1. The pair have been at the news/talk station for eight months. Carner always has been known as the wisecracking jokester while Cook played the straight man.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates is 58. Actress Joan Cusack is 45. Actor Luke Perry is 41. Actor Jane Krakowski (“30 Rock”) is 39. Rapper MC Lyte is 36. Actress Emily Deschanel (“Bones”) is 31.
Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services contributed.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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