Don Ashley - Co-producer, singer/songwriter, guitar, sax, flute. Don and I have been playing together since 1980. Even though most of my performances are solo now, he is instrumental in the sound of my recordings and I do occasionally persuade him to play out with me and share his talent.
Influences
Bonnie Raitte, Linda Ronstadt, Beatles, Stones, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles
Barbara McMillen
Founding President 1986-92, Current Founding President Emeritus, DALLAS SONGWRITER ASSOCIATION, Associate Professor of Songwriting, Collin College 2008-2009 **
***** Founding President of the Dallas Songwriters Association, Barbe has remained an active member of the DSA as Director of Administration and Editor of Songwriter Notes. She has served on the executive board of the Texas Music Association and is an active member of the music community. She has directed five major conferences, the Dallas Songwriter's Association Seminar, DSS1-5, and New Dimensions Festival from 1990 - 95, plus numerous workshops, concerts, open mic events and other activities. Barbe has brought music industry professionals from all over the world to Dallas to provide educational & networking experiences for the DFW music industry. Under her direction, DSA grew from a handful of songwriters meeting within the Texas Music Association, to almost 300 members, when she left office as president. She molded DSA into an internationally known organization that many other groups aspired to imitate. While President, Barbe incorporated DSA into a 501 C3 educational organization with the help of local music attorney, Charles McGarry. She also advised many other founders of songwriter organizations across the country on starting their own regional groups. *****
*****Barbe is currently teaching Songwriting I & II on the Preston Ridge Campus of Collin College and will be adding classes on the Spring Creek Campus next semester. She is also working on a new rock musical, Give Me A Break, with long time friend and author Laurie Windham. *******
**** Barbe remembers listening to her Dad's recordings and making up songs on the piano at the age of three. She sang in school & church choirs, studied voice and piano, and taught herself to play the guitar. She studied music, Psychology and drama at University of North Texas and graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Therapy. She has worked in clinical settings with the emotionally disturbed, mentally retarded, autistic, and learning disabled. After giving four years of service to county and state agencies as a Music Therapist helping emotionally disturbed teens relate to reality through structured music activities, and running a clinical training program for college students, she turned to entertaining as a full time profession.
****** Barbe entertained in piano bars, restaurants & theaters from Texas to Florida as a solo artist, and lead singer for several bands. She has played opening acts for such stars as Willie Nelson, David Allen Coe, Asleep at the Wheel, Rusty Weir, Albert Collins, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rex Allen Jr., Reba McEntire, and Red Stegal at major club venues and large outdoor festivals. Besides an extensive solo career, she has performed with such groups as Fertile Dirt, Will Barnes, Lickskillet, Killer & the Showcats, Back Alley, Bugs Henderson, Lynn Groom, Gary P. Nunn, Lil' Anthony, Eddie Floyd, Texas Fantasy, Fantasy, and Rich & Famous.
****** Barbe has appeared on several local television programs, as well as, the national weekly show, Walker Texas Ranger. Her community theater credits include five years of Christmas musicals at the Majestic Theater in “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. She has also produced and hosted her own shows, Texas Music Magazine & Songwriter Spotlight, which featured local talent and special guest celebrities including Rev. Horton Heat and Robert Earl Keen. For the Texas Bicentennial, she produced, Glory Fest, a live gospel music broadcast from the Band Shell at the State Fair of Texas. Contemporary Christian artist and label executive, Chris Christian, hosted the program. More recently, she produced interviews with Gloria Estephan, Tito Puente Jr. and many other music celebrities at press events and trade shows for Zideo.com.
******* As a recording artist, she has recorded five albums that have been released by WHIT Records. All were co-produced by Don Ashley; and two were co-produced by Grammy-award winner, Richard Theisen. She has also recorded with other solo artists, bands and for various other commercial projects as lead or background vocalist.
******* Her composer credits include album cuts, television and films, and musical theater, as co-writer of the theme music for a syndicated national television program, Billy Bob's Country Countdown, winner of a Mercom Gold Award and a US Film & Video Silver Screen Award for original music & lyrics on other film projects, and co-writing the musicals “When I Was A Dinosaur” , “No More Christmas” and “Give Me A Break.”
******** Besides co-producing her own releases, she has also produced, two albums for Remarkable Records, Songs To Grow By, and When I Was A Dinosaur which features the Dixie Chicks on one number. She has also recently co-produced The Passage with Richard Theisen for Whit Records.
********* In the early 1990's, Barbe managed Gregg Smith, a blues artist. She was instrumental in negotiating the foreign licensing deal that landed Mr. Smith a current international release, "Party Warrior" on Prestige Records, London. Two of Smith's cuts are also on a current release, "Raw Blues", in the company of Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Etta James & other great blues artists.
********** Barbe has been editor of Songwriter Notes for over ten years. She has also written articles that have been published in Buddy Magazine, Dallas Morning News, Midem Daily, and Texas Music Magazine and has been the creator and editor for the corporate e-zine, Piranha Bytes.
************ Over the years, Barbe has developed her marketing skills by attending all the important music conferences. As a music consultant, her international client list combines individuals and corporate executives, and includes MIDEM (selling the show at music conferences in the U.S. for over 10 years), Button Eventures (organizing a Texas showcase at MIDEM '93), Colin Raye, (budgeting a showcase at Midem), Liquid Audio (organizing press and public relations events at international conferences), Zideo (print and public relations marketing and advertising), Piranha (branding, marketing strategies, online marketing and event planning), Gardiere & Wynne (consulting on a case involving the Reba McIntire plane crash), JC Penney (performance rights licensing), and many others.
************ Besides various other free-lance activities such as modeling, film extra, session work, she has also worked as music police for BMI.
****** Memberships in Musical Associations
****** Founded the Dallas Songwriters Association
****** The Recording Academy - Texas Chapter of NARAS
****** National Theater Network
****** DFW Theater Network
****** The Column Theater Network
****** DFW Writers Network
****** MCMIA DFW Media Network
****** Publisher affiliate of BMI
****** Publisher affiliate of ASCAP
****** Served as a Officer and Director of the Texas Music Association
****** National Association of Music Therapy
****** Music Therapy volunteer for Arts For People
****** Dallas Council of Cultural Affairs
****** Association for Independent Music
****** Colin County Community College Music Business Advisory Board
****** Bath House Cultural Center Advisory Board
****** Awards:
****** Mercom Gold Award
****** US Film & Video
****** Silver Screen Award
****** Texas Music Association Appreciation Award
****** Dallas Songwriters Association Appreciation Award
****** Hobbies: Travel, reading, antique & souvenir collecting, crafts, nature hiking, cooking
****** List of Important Works: Publisher Artist/ Medium Label
****** Job of My Dreams, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing Barbe Whit Records
****** Can You Hear Me, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing Barbe Whit Records
****** Flame, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing, Barbe, Whit Records
****** Roll it Over, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing, Barbe, Whit Records
****** Gypsy Memories, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing Barbe, Whit Records
****** Whenever I'm With You, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing, Barbe, Whit Records
****** Caribbean Love Song, Showcat Music, Sleeping Giant Publishing, Barbe, Whit Records
****** Person to Person, Sleeping Giant Publishing, British dance artist Dannie, Prestige Records
****** I Never Said, Big Wedge Music . .
****** Are You Ready, Show Cat Music, Title song for award winning film .
****** To The Rescue, Show Cat Music, Gregg Smith Ultrax Records
****** Billy Bobs Country Countdown, Show Cat Music,
Theme song for national television series
****** C’est La Vie, International Point of Sale Commercial for Fernand Aubrey
****** Livin' The Life, Livin' The Life/ Flying Red Horse Publishing, .
from the musical, When I Was A Dinosaur Remarkable Records
****** I Was A Dinosaur, Livin' The Life/ Flying Red Horse Publishing .
from the musical, When I Was A Dinosaur Remarkable Records
****** That's What I Like About You, Livin' The Life/ Flying Red Horse Publishing .
from the musical, When I Was A Dinosaur Remarkable Records
Barbara McMillen...It's finally here! The most unforgettable country music event in East Texas! Mill Creek Ranch Resort presents “Mill Creek Ranch Summer Bash 2009”!! Don’t miss out on this VIP opportunity to stay in the resort, attend the festive concert and actually meet and shake hands with some of today’s top ten country music artists….. all while experiencing first class treatment in Texas’ finest resort! Spaces are very limited, so be sure and reserve your cabin or RV space now to make sure you don’t miss out on this unforgettable stay-n-play getaway under the stars! Event dates are July 24th & 25th in Canton, Texas. Mill Creek Ranch Resort is proud to host Aaron Watson, Deryl Dodd, Rich O’Toole, Jamie Richards, The Cody Riley Band, Whiskey Fish and ?????………for a 2 day show! For more information visit our website www.TheRanchSummerBash.blogspot.com or call (866) 599-7275 today! www.OutHouseTickets.com
2 ALL MY FANS AND SUPPORTERS THE TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. RALEIGH N.C'S FAVORITE M.C NEW SINGLE CHUNKY MONKEY AND, MY ALBUM (MR. WORLD PREMIER) ARE NOW AVALIBLE ON I-TUNES, AMAZONMP3 AND, NASPSTER MUSIC STORES! ALSO IF YOU BUY THE ALBUM AND, SEND PROOF OF PURCHASE TO MY EMAIL (WRITERSBLOKKMEDIA@YAHOO.COM) I WILL PERSONALLY SEND YOU A "PERSONALIZED" AUTOGRAPH PICTURE TO YOU SHOWING MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
REMEMBER NEM-IZ DOES WHAT OTHER ARTIST WOULDN'T DO FOR HIS FANS! MUCH LOVE TO MY SUPPORT SYSTEM (SUPPORTORS AND FANS!) TAKE CARE, GOD BLESS
Would you like to win a free night stay in one of our cabins inside Mill Creek Ranch Resort? All you need to do is sign up for our free monthly newsletter, full of discount coupons, exciting news and event updates….. and you could be our next winner! All we need is your name and e-mail address and you will automatically be entered into a monthly drawing to give away a “FREE NIGHT STAY IN A CABIN INSIDE MILL CREEK RANCH RESORT”! For this offer to be valid, please reply back to to my MYSPACE message inbox with your name and an e-mail address other than your MYSPACE e-mail address.
Drawing will be held on the last day of each month.
Thank you!
Alan Franklin Cottage Sales Director Mill Creek Ranch RV & Cottage Resort 2102 Trade Days Blvd. Canton, Texas 75103
Hi Barbara McMillen, Its Sunday 22nd February 2009 here in Glasgow, Scotland, UK and I have just been out for a nice sunday drive to the north of scotland will also be posting pics to profile soon.
Thanks for the add! Any time you want to come out and visit the resort, please feel free to give me a call at (469) 853-3172 and I will personally give you a free tour! Be sure and check out the web site at http://www. millcreekranchresort. com I hope to see ya' here soon! Have a blessed day, Alan Franklin
Do you have any songwriters who would like to have a demo cut by my computer audio recording enthusiast group? This would be a fun activity for my group and would be free of charge.
Barbara McMillen - Join us in congratulating record producer Kim Copeland for her work on the Rachel Williams album, Lonely At The Bottom. Check this great review by R.K. Oermann with Music Row Magazine on Rachel's current single, The Only Thing Harder Than Leaving.
"She has the goods. This creeps up on you with cat’s paws. The languid pace, echoing instruments, spacious production and her hushed, aching delivery are all immensely seductive. The lyric of leaving home is full of terrific details. And her falsetto leaps in the bridge are like little daggers to the heart. A mini masterpiece. This, by the way, is the third single in a row that I have raved about from this performer. "
Hi Barbe! I can't express how much I appreciate you! You've worked so hard for so long in DSA and in other places for the benefit of your fellow songwriters. I am enjoying your "Thoughts of You" this morning! Thank you!
