Steve Bogard
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Steve Bogard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kansas, United States |
| Origin | Tampa, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1963–present |
Steve Bogard is an American songwriter and record producer. His compositions include the country number-one singles "Mornin' Ride" by Lee Greenwood, "New Fool at an Old Game" by Reba McEntire, "Carried Away" and "Carrying Your Love with Me" by George Strait, "Wherever You Are" by Jack Ingram, and "Seein' Red" by Dustin Lynch. He also co-wrote Rascal Flatts' debut single "Prayin' for Daylight" and the Grammy Award-nominated Dierks Bentley songs "Every Mile a Memory" and "Long Trip Alone".[1] Bogard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2025.[2]
Early life and career
Bogard was born in Kansas and began his professional career in Tampa in 1963, leading a local band while attending high school and the University of South Florida, where he studied English. In 1968 he moved to Memphis, recorded at Lyn-Lou Studios, and released a single on Scepter Records. While attending Memphis State University, he worked as a staff writer for Bill Black Music and as an engineer at Lyn-Lou. During this period he co-wrote "Freedom Train", recorded by soul singer James Carr, and worked on recordings and live performances with Charlie Rich, Bill Black's Combo, and Jerry Lee Lewis.[3]
At age 21, Bogard became a staff writer for Atlantic Records and returned to Florida to work at Criteria Studios in Miami. His songs were recorded by Rita Coolidge, Dee Dee Warwick, and Delaney & Bonnie in 1970 and 1971. He later recorded an album in Canada that produced two top-20 singles and wrote and produced advertising jingles.[3] A song he had written years earlier, "Touch Me with Magic", was recorded by Marty Robbins and reached number 15 on the country chart in 1979. Its success helped prompt Bogard's move to Nashville in 1982.[1]
Songwriting career
Bogard signed with Chappell Music in 1984. His first country number one as a songwriter was Greenwood's "Mornin' Ride", written with Jeff Tweel and released in 1986.[3] In 1989, McEntire reached number one with "New Fool at an Old Game", which Bogard wrote with Rick Giles and Sheila Stephen.[1] Songwriter Rory Bourke had introduced Bogard and Giles in 1984, believing their similar backgrounds would make them compatible collaborators. Their subsequent songs included Patty Loveless' "Jealous Bone", Tanya Tucker's "Hangin' In", Blackhawk's "There You Have It", and Rascal Flatts' 2000 debut single "Prayin' for Daylight". Bogard and Giles also became co-producers of Canadian singer Michelle Wright after Giles discovered her performing in Ontario; they produced an album that yielded eight Canadian top-ten hits, followed by her first two albums for Arista Records.[4][5]
Working with Jeff Stevens, Bogard co-wrote two of Strait's 1990s number-one singles: "Carried Away" and "Carrying Your Love with Me".[6] Stevens conceived the title "Carrying Your Love with Me" while driving, then discussed it with Bogard. Bogard allowed the idea to develop for several months before devising the chorus. The writers described the song as an example of letting a promising idea mature with a trusted collaborator, and Strait was the first artist to whom they pitched it.[7] The song served as the title track of Strait's 1997 album Carrying Your Love with Me.
Bogard also wrote songs recorded by artists including Etta James, The Forester Sisters, Waylon Jennings, The Four Tops, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Conlee, and Conway Twitty.[3] James recorded Bogard and Barbara Wyrick's "Damn Your Eyes" for her 1988 album Seven Year Itch.[8]
"Prayin' for Daylight" originated with a phrase used by Bogard's wife, Beverly, while describing a week of insomnia. Bogard and Giles changed the initial phrase "prayin' for the light of day" when it proved difficult to fit rhythmically. They originally imagined the song for Diamond Rio or Blackhawk; Diamond Rio considered but did not record it, and producer Mark Bright instead selected it for the newly formed Rascal Flatts.[9]
In 2006, Jack Ingram's recording of "Wherever You Are", written by Bogard and Jeremy Stover, reached number one. That year, Bentley's "Every Mile a Memory", written by Bentley, Bogard, and Brett Beavers, also topped the country chart. "Every Mile a Memory" was nominated for Best Country Song at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards; the same writers received another nomination in that category the following year for "Long Trip Alone".[10] Bogard later co-wrote Lynch's 2016 single "Seein' Red", which became another number-one country hit.[5]
Songwriter advocacy
Bogard was elected president of the board of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) in 2006 and served seven consecutive terms. He was elected to the position again in November 2017 as the organization advocated for changes to federal music-licensing law.[5] During his earlier tenure, NSAI acquired the Bluebird Café in 2008. That year, Bogard represented the organization as a witness before the Copyright Royalty Board regarding digital-age royalty rates.[11]
Bogard also submitted testimony in the Copyright Royalty Board's Phonorecords III proceeding, supporting increased mechanical royalty rates for interactive streaming. In his statement, he described himself as a non-performing songwriter and the longest-serving former NSAI president, and argued that compulsory licensing prevented songwriters from negotiating the market value of their work.[12] He was serving as NSAI president when the Music Modernization Act was signed into law in 2018.[13]
Awards and recognition
Bogard was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame at its October 2025 gala. Dierks Bentley performed "Every Mile a Memory" in his honor, and songwriter Rory Bourke presented him.[14]
Selected songs
| Year | Song | Recording artist | Co-writer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Touch Me with Magic" | Marty Robbins | Michael Utley | No. 15 country hit[1] |
| 1987 | "Mornin' Ride" | Lee Greenwood | Jeff Tweel | No. 1 country hit[1] |
| 1988 | "Damn Your Eyes" | Etta James | Barbara Wyrick | From Seven Year Itch |
| 1989 | "New Fool at an Old Game" | Reba McEntire | Rick Giles, Sheila Stephen | No. 1 country hit[1] |
| 1992 | "Jealous Bone" | Patty Loveless | Rick Giles | Single from Up Against My Heart[15] |
| 1994 | "Hangin' In" | Tanya Tucker | Rick Giles | Top-ten country hit[4] |
| 1996 | "Carried Away" | George Strait | Jeff Stevens | No. 1 country hit[6] |
| 1997 | "Carrying Your Love with Me" | George Strait | Jeff Stevens | No. 1 country hit[7] |
| 2000 | "Prayin' for Daylight" | Rascal Flatts | Rick Giles | The group's debut single[9] |
| 2006 | "Wherever You Are" | Jack Ingram | Jeremy Stover | No. 1 country hit[1] |
| 2006 | "Every Mile a Memory" | Dierks Bentley | Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers | No. 1 country hit; Grammy nomination for Best Country Song[10] |
| 2007 | "Long Trip Alone" | Dierks Bentley | Dierks Bentley, Brett Beavers | Grammy nomination for Best Country Song[10] |
| 2016 | "Seein' Red" | Dustin Lynch | Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Jason Sever | No. 1 country hit[5] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Cantrell, L. B. (August 6, 2025). "Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Announces 2025 Inductees". MusicRow. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Sherman, Maria (August 6, 2025). "See the 2025 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees". Associated Press. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Greenwood strikes gold in the country". The Tennessean. January 25, 1987. p. 5-D. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Tanya's 'Hangin' In' Top 10". The Tennessean. August 21, 1994. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Nicholson, Jessica (November 14, 2017). "NSAI Elects Steve Bogard As President". MusicRow. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Strait gets 'Carried Away' as usual". The Tennessean. August 11, 1996. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Writers get carried away with good idea". The Tennessean. July 6, 1997. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Damn Your Eyes – Etta James". AllMusic. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Rascal Flatts sees 'Daylight' at the top". The Tennessean. July 16, 2000. p. 5-F. Retrieved July 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "S. Brett Beavers: Grammy Awards and Nominations". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "History of NSAI". Nashville Songwriters Association International. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Witness Statement of Steve Bogard (PDF) (Report). Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress. October 28, 2016. pp. 24–29. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "President Signs Music Modernization Act Into Law". MusicRow. October 11, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducts Steve Bogard, JJ Cale, Don Cook, Emmylou Harris, Jim Lauderdale, Tony Martin, and Brad Paisley at 55th Anniversary Event". Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. October 10, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Out of the Box: Patty Loveless—'Jealous Bone'" (PDF). Cash Box. December 21, 1991. p. 16. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
External links
- Steve Bogard at Truth or Dare Music
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