john swayne: Bio
The Early Years
After hearing Bob Dylan’s album, “Bringing it all Back Home”, I quit college my freshman year, bought a cheap guitar, learned three chords and began my writing career.
I joined an acoustic folk/rock band in Boulder, Colorado. The band eventually shrunk into a duo called Berthrong and Swayne. As a duo, we performed full time all over the Southwest. We even took a shot at New York’s Greenwich Village scene for a while - actually played the famous coffee house “The Bitter End” a few times.
Berthrong and Swayne dissolved in the early 70's - mainly out of pure exhaustion.
The Middle Years
I spent the next 20 years living, what appeared to be, a normal, non-musician life. I married, raised a family, built a successful “day-job” career. I still continued to write songs during this time, but kept the passion for it at bay. I tried to convince myself, unsuccessfully, that I could maintain my writing as a “hobby”.
The Later Years
In the late 80's, unexpected life's events caused me once again to dive wholeheartedly into songwriting. I embarked on an all out mission to pitch my songs to the Music Industry. I found my way into Country Music, and gained a new-found respect and reverence for Country Songwriting. After years of submitting songs to Nashville publishers, Don King Music pick-up a couple of my songs and offered to work with me on others. They gave me the opportunity to write with hit songwriters Don King, with Dave Woodward, and with other Don King writers. Through the efforts of Don King Music, a few of my songs have been recorded by Nashville artists.
Today I’m still working with Don, and others, and also on my own, to write and pitch songs to the Country Music market. I’m also performing more these days - mostly at local Colorado acoustic concert venues - venues such as Black Rose Acoustic Society, MAMAS (Mountain Acoustic Music Society), Canon Rose Acoustic Society, Buffalo Grass Acoustic Society. Whenever I’m in Nashville, I try to play a couple of the “writer’s nights” that flourish there in Music City.
Tiny Victories
Songs cut by Jack Greene, Don King, Leroy Mack, Sons and Brothers Band, Rita Aileen, Wendy Manley, Cindy Foss and others.
Recorded CDs “...waiting to hear from you” and “Showin’ Off”.
Winner Black Rose Acoustic Society Songwriting contest, 2003.
A NSAI member and affiliated with BMI.
Owner of publishing company, Jersten Music, BMI, and record label, JubalJake Records.
Active in local monthly songwriting workshops offered by The Front Range Songwriters.
Father to three fantastic kids and Grandfather to four even more fantastic grandchildren!