Monty Powell is a highly decorated songwriter having been named SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year (2009), a recipient of the CMA Triple Play Award (2010) and two decades worth of other songwriting honors. However, in the midst of this award-winning songwriting career, perhaps his most treasured accomplishment is a song he co-wrote with Keith Urban called “For You” that pays tribute to the United States Special Operations Forces, and is the end track in the movie “Act of Valor.” It topped the country chart in 2012, achieving Gold record sales status, and earned him Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. In addition to his many chart topping collaborations with Urban over the years, Powell has penned #1 hits for Tim McGraw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Diamond Rio, Colin Raye, Brooks & Dunn and his songs appear on over 60 million records. He has been recognized as the CMA Producer of the Year (1994), produces Wilson’s jazz albums, and recently released his first studio album called 47 Minutes of Your Time.
For her part, Wilson is a critically acclaimed artist with a voice that Jazz Times likens to “crème de cocoa.” Her latest CD Jazzbird/Songbird (Transfer Records) was released to rave reviews when the album broke into the top ten and reached #9 on iTunes. In addition, she has been hailed as the queen of the country-jazz duet with her critically acclaimed Countrypolitan Duets album that is a collaborative project featuring jazz renditions of classic country songs. She is joined on the project by Grammy award-winning and legendary artists Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Rogers, Larry Carlton, Ray Price, Connie Smith and more, and celebrated the album’s debut single “You Don’t Know Me,” with American Idol’s Matt Giraud, reaching No. 1. Additionally, alongside all of her many artist pursuits and accolades, Wilson is an award-winning ASCAP songwriter, penning tunes for Lady Antebellum, Reba McEntire, Billy Ray Cyrus, among others and she penned the international theme song for Habitat For Humanity.
Together, Powell and Wilson are currently executive producing a multi-artist celebration album entitled, A Nashville State of Mind, that pays tribute to the great Billy Joel. It will be released Summer, 2017 and features recordings by Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson, Tim McGraw, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks and The Zac Brown Band to name a few. Additionally, Wilson & Powell are the founding members of Troubadour 77, a new band that pays homage to the 70s Troubadour era with original songs.
This husband and wife team is a personal and professional match that could only be made in Music City, USA. This talented couple, showcase the craft, integrity and diversity of the songwriting tradition in everything they do from production, songwriting, and performance. They travel all over the world bringing their gift of music to countless audiences who long for an entertaining experience that pays homage to the enduring power of a song.