The Smith is Anthony Smith. There is also Russel Smith, who wrote "Third Rate Romance, Low rent Rendevous" for his group "The Amazing Rhytmn Aces. He had other hits for other artists as well.

About half the writers on that list are here in Gulf Shores Alabama and Perdido Key Fla. for the Frank Brown Songwriter's festival going on right now. This is the second day of the ten day festival.

In 2003 there were 1480 staff writing positions. As of now there are around 310. Those are divided equally between up and coming writer/artists and established hit writers. Of the established hit writers and people with major cuts, ALL have direct contact and relationships with the artists involved. For instance, Scotty Emmirick and Toby Keith grew up together, played in bands and Scotty has been with Toby since the beginning of his career.

The Nashville system of writers and artists can best be described as High School/college. Freshman, Sophomore, junior, senior. Each lasts around 3 years. When you first move to town, or began to make inroads by consistant trips, you write with people at your level, or a little above or below you. They are people you meet at writer's nights, party's guitar pulls, BBQ's.
As people get to know you and your reputation builds, both through songs and the "paying dues" which are waiting in line at writer's nights to play for three people, making ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and publisher's appointments that fall through, chasing dead ends that don't pan out, doing demos on songs that shouldn't be demoed. and mostly getting shot down.
As you reach the 5-6 year mark, many of the people you have interacted and written with, advance themselves, getting cuts, becoming artists, getting single song and publishing deals, advancing just like anyone working their way up through a company. Some advance faster in ways but almost all go through the exact same thing.
There is always a "top dog" on the pyramid who get several cuts in a row, since everyone wants the latest thing. So producers, publishers, record labels, other co-writers, etc. seek them out to get material. Each of their runs last about 3 years.
In the early 2000's, one of the top dog with a run of hits was Mark D.Sanders. In an interview they asked him what he was doing differently than before he got so many cuts. He answered, "My friends just got in better positions to make decisions."

The main movers and shakers in the industry from top to bottom right now, moved to town in the late 80's-90's. The artist's that are still here from that era, Alan Jackson, George Straight, Reba, Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, the writers, Tony Arata, Gary Burr, Sanders, Pat Alger, etc. are on the cusp of being gone for a few years, although they are still in the game. They have been supplanted by the Jeffery Steele's, Craig Wiseman's, etc. The artists are replaced by the Taylor Swift's Rascal Flatts and others.
The guard changes but the process is exactly the same and the town is designed that way. The Music Row are, which is where the business is located is a 15 block square area of small and medium sized houses, interspaced with large corporate buildings, housing Sony, Warner's EMI, etc. It was designed that way to keep a close knit family of writers, publishers, artists, promotional people, labels, agents, studios,managers, design companies, attornies, etc. That way everyone knows frankly everyone else.

Nashville is the art of the hang, and the art of the referall.

When someone develops a belief in your material, trusts and knows your personality, they begin to suggest you to others, co-writes, publishers, friends and friends of friends.

That is the music business in Nashville. The studios likewise interact with the same musicians playing on much of the records. Not a perfect system but one we like and the most accessable. Everyone there was a nobody not long ago, and after a short run will go back to being a nobody.

It's the way of things.

MAB