Songs at the Center

Hosted by singer-songwriter Eric Gnezda, from The Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, OH (Pronunciations: Arata=Ah-ROT-ah; Gnezda=NEZZ-duh). Tony Arata is best known for writing one of the most inspiring-and top-selling-country songs of all time, "The Dance," recorded by Garth Brooks, who said of Tony, "One of my favorite songwriters has to be Tony Arata. He's a cat who doesn't care about appearances. He doesn't care about money. He cares about his children, his wife, and his music. That's neat." Garth has recorded seven of Tony's songs, and Tony also wrote No. 1 records for Patty Loveless, Lee Roy Parnell, and Clay Walker. Other artists who have recorded Tony's songs include Reba McEntire, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Emmylou Harris, and Delbert McClinton. Tony was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. ABOUT THE VENUE - Transformed from a retired high school built in 1915 into a thoroughly modern arts center and performance space, The Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington is the home theater of Songs at the Center.

Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 603

About Songs at the Center:

SONGS AT THE CENTER is a new national music series featuring accomplished singer-songwriters performing "in the round" before a live audience.

The weekly, half-hour program showcases three-to-four artists per episode, and includes interviews and short features.

Songs at the Center is hosted and co-created by Eric Gnezda, an award-winning songwriter and Emmy-nominated TV journalist, who conceived the program based upon his decades of performing in venues across America, from concert and convention halls, to Nashville's iconic Bluebird Cafe.




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