Rotarian Tim Ryan with Jeff Silbar
This week, The Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jeff Silbar. He shared stories from his career and performed songs from his extensive catalog. Silbar said he knew at 14 that he wanted a life in music. After playing in rock bands, he moved to Nashville and pitched other writers’ songs on Music Row. The first song he ever wrote was recorded by Kenny Rogers on The Gambler. He went on to write songs for top-tier artists, TV and film, earning a No. 1 adult contemporary hit with Lobo and a No. 1 country hit with Alabama. Silbar shared a highlight with Ringo Starr recording his song “Zoom In, Zoom Out.”
Silbar closed with the story of “The Wind Beneath My Wings,” which he co-wrote with Larry Henley. What started as an up-tempo song was later reworked into a ballad. The song was pitched for a year before artists including Gladys Knight, Lee Greenwood, and Gary Morris began recording it. Years later, Bette Midler’s recording for the Beaches soundtrack earned it multiple Grammy awards. Silbar said he now writes about three days a week in collaboration with other writers. He added that digital media, streaming, self-publishing and AI are dramatically changing the landscape for musicians and songwriters.
Bio for Jeff Silbar
“The Wind Beneath My Wings” was voted Song of the Year by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, earning Jeff Silbar the coveted Grammy. Bette Midler And Arif Mardin also received Record of the Year Grammies for Bette’s version of the song. “Wind” has received 7 ASCAP pop awards, including a Song of the Century award, and was recently recognized as one of the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest Movie Songs. Honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International as Songwriter of the Year, Jeff has earned more than thirty ASCAP awards for their most performed pop and country songs.
Jeff Silbar’s songs have also been recorded by such artists as John Cougar Mellencamp (“China Girl” from American Fool, triple platinum), Fleetwood Mac (single “Hard Feelings” from Behind the Mask, platinum), and Kenny Rogers (“Goodnight Sleeptight Man” from The Gambler, quadruple platinum), as well as a host of others including Sheena Easton, Gladys Knight, Dolly Parton, Poco, Willie Nelson, and Alabama (#1 single). Other recordings include artists such as Johnny Lang, Reba McEntire, Levert, Wynonna, and Blackhawk. Many of Silbar’s songs have been featured in film and television. Recent credits include the opening theme to the hit NBC show ‘My Name is Earl’
Jeff has worked with a number of the industry’s largest music publishers, including Sony, MCA, Warner-Chappell, and House of Gold Music, and is responsible as a publisher for many hit recordings. Currently he lives in Studio City, California, with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Garrett and Natalie. His new publishing company, Intunes, just signed writer Josh Osborne, and is listening for new catalogue.
Recordings:
“The Wind Beneath My Wings” - Beaches - Bette Midler
“China Girl” - American Fool - John Cougar Mellencamp
“Hit The Ground Running” - Lie To Me - Johnny Lang
“Hard Feelings” - Behind the Mask - Fleetwood Mac
“All My Life” - We’ve Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers
“Then Again” - Greatest Hits II - Alabama
“Old Enough To Know Better” - Revelations - Wynonna
“Wouldn’t Wanna Be You” - Read My Mind - Reba McEntire
“Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love” - Greatest Hits - Lobo
“Sleep Tight Good Night Man” - The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
“He’s A Heartache” - Greatest Hits - Janie Fricke
“‘Till I Loved You” - Greatest Hits - Restless Heart
“You’ve Got A Good Love Coming” - You’ve Got A Good Love Coming - Lee Greenwood
“The Nature Of Love” - Legacy - Poco
“Tie Our Love (In A Double Knot)” - Greatest Hits - Dolly Parton
“Right About Now” - What Do I Do With Me - Tanya Tucker “Hero” - Visions - Gladys Knight
“Gotta Have More Love” - Greatest Hits - Climax Blues Band
“Err on the Side of Love” - Painkiller - Tommy Castro
“Lonesome and Thensome” - Painkiller - Tommy Castro
Feature Films:
“Ride Of Your Life” - What A Girl Wants - John Gregory
“The Wind Beneath My Wings” - Beaches, Shark Tale - Bette Midler
“Passion Theme” - Body Of Evidence - Warren Hill
“High Wire” - Karate Kid III - Glen Medeiros
“Serious Fun” - Back To the Beach - Dick Dale
“Don’t Let It Go To Your Heart” - Waltz Across Texas - Steve Dorff
Television:
“What Goes Around” (Opening Theme) - My Name Is Earl
“Human Shield” - Melrose Place
“Too Bad For My Own Good” - Models, Inc.
“The Road Less Traveled” (Recurring Theme) - General Hospital
“Wait Til I Get My Hands On You” - Live Shot
“The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of” (Theme Song) - Hollywood Wives
Other Artists Who Have Recorded Silbar’s Songs:
Sheena Easton, Willie Nelson, John Mayall, The Dirt Band, Lou Rawls, Gregg Allman, Jermaine Jackson, Levon Helm, Blackhawk, Levert, James Galway, Del McCoury Band, Mac Davis, Oak Ridge Boys, Gary Morris, Conway Twitty, Sam Moore, Eddy Arnold, Clay Cross, Leon Russell, Ronnie Milsap, B.J. Thomas, Van Stephenson, Juice Newton, Ricky Nelson, Marty Robbins, Glen Clark, Nigel Olsen, Anne Murray, Dobie Grey, High Inergy, Perry Como, T. Grahm Brown, Betty Buckley, Roger Whittaker, Judy Collins, Laureano Brizuela, Dorothy Moore, Johnny Rivers
For more information on Jeff Silbar, including upcoming appearances and CD sales please visit his website: JeffSilbar.com/Myspace.com/Jeffsilbar/Silbarsongs@earthlink.net