Billy Dean and Me
  There’s nothing like the 4th of July in my hometown of Richfield, Utah. Everybody comes out for the parade and gathers at the park just off Main Street for food, music and games.…Read more

When did making guitars become a passion for you?

When I was 20 I walked into a guy's shop on Vancouver Island and saw that he was making guitars. The smell of rosewood and lacquer took me…Read more

Ah, cowboys. I was raised by them and I've dated them. And they've even inspired some songs too!

Til My John Wayne Comes Along is one of those songs- 'cause nothing says "cowboy" quite like John Wayne. Donna DeSopo…Read more

 
Josh and Ricky Skaggs
When I was having a bite backstage at the Opry recently, I struck up a conversation with a guy about Allison Krauss and how shy she is over a piece of mandolin cake… Read more

Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss up close at the Opry
  Recently, Ricky Skaggs celebrated 30 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. I happened to be backstage that night (an experience that just makes…Read more

Me with Josh Turner
   This may be a little (okay, totally) embarrassing to admit but last week when I was backstage at the Grand Ole Opry I hung out near the men's bathroom hoping that …Read more

 In a recent recording session I met Alabama's own Mark Beckett, a percussionist with mad skills and razor sharp wit fueled by five hour energy products.
Mark has been a first-call session player and touring musician for years.…Read more

Thanks to American Songwriter magazine for publishing the story behind "Great American Song" in their May/June 2011 issue!

Here's the write-up:

GREAT AMERICAN SONGWRITERS

When Marcum Stewart (of country duo Acklen Park) got together with…Read more

Performing a couple of songs on the spur of the moment
Photo credit Jamie McCormick
On April 20-21, it was a pleasure for me to host a new family-friendly music festival called Liahonaroo at the Wilson…Read more

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview a friend of mine who is a film composer in LA, Jeremy (Jezza) Borum, for Berklee College of Music's alumni blog. The following is a re-posting of the blog on Berklee Blogs…Read more

Thanks to the kind folks at Maverick Magazine in the UK for reviewing my album "Stories Behind Songs" in their recent issue! I'm blushing...

"Shantell Ogden’s STORIES BEHIND SONGS embraces the raw materials of country music and…Read more

Grammy-winning Tom Hambridge and Me
Every once in awhile I have a reaction of 'that's just so cool' and that's exactly how I felt when I heard Tom Hambridge and The Rattlesnakes at a recent house concert…Read more

 Liahonaroo Interview with Kevin from WSMV News Channel 4
A few years ago I was with a group of people from my church, and we started brainstorming about how 'cool' it would be to host our own…Read more

 

Deric and me at The Listening Room in Nashville
 

One day about three years ago, I was sitting on my couch watching TV when I came across a 'Words and Music' interview Harry Chapman was doing with Canadian artist and…

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Gary Nicholson and Me
Gary Nicholson has really done it all- and done it all well- in the music industry. He's a stellar player, writer and producer who has crossed genres with ease. And, if that's not…Read more

Beth Nielsen Chapman and me 
  When Beth Nielsen Chapman talks about creativity and 'flow', you can't stop yourself from opening up and letting her wisdom pour in. Today I had the rare opportunity to attend what I… Read more

Rich Fagan and Me at the Commodore
  From "Be My Baby Tonight" (a number one hit for John Michael Montgomery), "Overnight Male" (recorded by George Strait) and "Only On Days that End in Y" (number five hit…Read more

Me and Judy Rodman
With 40 years of training and experience, Judy Rodman knows the voice like only an expert could. On March 6, she shared her wisdom with a group of Berklee alumni- covering everything from…Read more

 
Anneke Scott, Dan Truman and Me
Thanks to friend Dan Truman of the country band Diamond Rio, I had the incredible opportunity to be backstage at the Grand Ole Opry- the home and heartbeat… Read more

Recently I connected with a talented photographer in California named Thomas Black. He specializes in photography of what he calls the "abandoned art"of rural America. He has traveled all over the U.S. to capture unique images of old trucks…Read more

It's a pleasure to be asked to perform at charity events in Nashville, and I'm excited to be participating in the 8th Annual Heart and Soul benefit this year! The event will be held on Saturday, February 18…Read more

A-list session bassist Mike Chapman (above) shared some great wisdom about being a session player in Nashville in the form of a 'pizza' at The Fillin' Station in Kingston Springs, TN at Eric Normand's first Berklee Alumni…Read more

Last week I attended the 11th Annual LDS Film Festival in Orem, Utah. The festival was founded by Austrian filmmaker Christian Vuissa (pictured with me above) to help independent filmmakers network and showcase their work. According…Read more

  On January 26, "Great American Song" (DiLuigi, Ogden, Stewart) will be impacting at Country Radio! What this basically means in fancy music industry speak is that radio stations will begin adding the song to rotation and reporting spins…Read more