By the mid-90s my songs were being recorded by Albertans Karen Cunningham, Cori Brewster, Nikki Cousins and Anna Beaumont.

I had also developed a relationship with Lynne Taylor Donovan, who released "Never Comin' Back" as a single to country radio in 1991,
and "Angel In Your Eyes" on an EP in 1998.

That song was included in a stellar compilation in the UK, Stuart Cameron's
Hot Disc, and did extremely well on the indie charts in Europe. It hit number 3 on the European charts and was the highest new entry of any song in 2001. It stayed in the top 10 for 10 weeks and carried over to 2002, staying in the European "Most Played Artist" charts TOP 20 for 15 weeks. It was also remixed and included in Lynne's 2004 CD Talk To Me, released in 2004, and was instrumental in making Lynne a major star with linedancing fans all over Europe.
In 1995 I was invited to play at a songwriting showcase at the Glass Slipperin Vancouver, where I played solo for the first time in a long time and debuted a couple of new songs. Producer Bill Buckingham called me a few months later and informed me that he was working on a sophomore album by an up-and-coming bluegrass band called Tumbleweed and that they had included one of those songs, "Woman She Used To Be," on their record.

:: click here to hear mp3 [4.5 mb]::

Tumbleweed went on to release a video of the song to CMT in 2001, and the album Weedgarden won
"Bluegrass Album of the Year" at the BC Country Music Awards. Nice!

That year I also attended a songwriters retreat on Gabriola Island. The organizers flew in a couple of Nashville songwriters who were having great success with a singer by the name of Garth Brooks. I got to meet them and showcase more new songs at the informal gathering that wound up the weekend. That meeting (and their energy) inspired me to think about going to Nashville someday.

Almost 10 years later I would bump into Kent Blazy at the Bluebird Cafe. He remembered that workshop, and had nothing but nice things to say about the beauty of the island. Small world, ain't it?