SPOTLIGHT = David Nail (1 song), Matt Nathanson (1 song) & Joe Nichols (1 song)

2 country artists (1 from Kennett MO, 1 from Rogers AR) & an artist who blends folk & rock….

#1
David Nail is a Kennett MO-native singer-songwriter who entered the country scene in 2002. 7 years later, he scored his 1st Top 10 with this song; it debuted 03/14/2009, spent 45 weeks on the charts & reached #7. It was popular during my Route 66 road trip. The time I most-remember hearing this song, I was at a stoplight under bright sunshine in Flagstaff AZ ~2:55p, Sunday, 09/13/2009, just after stopping at the Visitor Center. The song instantly resonated with me. Nail’s only chart topper, so far, is 2011’s “Let It Rain”.

#2
Matt Nathanson is a singer-songwriter who blends folk & rock music & has been featured on several TV series, including “NCIS”, “Private Practice”, “1 Tree Hill”, “Big Shots”, “Men In Trees” & “Vampire Diaries”. This song, which he wrote with Mark Weinberg, was released 02/11/2008 as the 2nd single from his 2nd album ‘Some Mad Hope’; this single peaked at #3 on the Adult Contemporary & #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

#3
Joe Nichols is a Rogers AR-native singer-songwriter. This song, his debut release, hit the airwaves 03/23/2002 & spent 36 weeks on the country charts, 3 of those at its peak of #3. It crossed over & notched at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is 1 of those universal songs with which you can easily identify for multiple reasons & in multiple times of life. Since this song, he has notched 7 Top 10s, including 3 chart toppers: 2002-3’s “Brokenheartsville”, 2005’s “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” & 2009-10’s “Gimmie That Girl” (2 weeks).