Kye Fleming

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Kye Fleming
Birth nameRhonda Kye Fleming
Born (1951-10-09) October 9, 1951 (age 72)
Pensacola, Florida, United States
OriginNashville, Tennessee, United States
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, composer
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1970s–present

Rhonda Kye Fleming (born October 9, 1951) is an American singer/songwriter and music publisher in Nashville, Tennessee. She is best known for writing a series of hit songs in the 1980s, making productive collaborations with artists Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell. Fleming was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and has won more than 42 BMI Awards, including BMI Songwriter of the Year for 3 consecutive years (1981–83).[1] Fifteen of her compositions have achieved a benchmark of one million performances each.[2] Some of Fleming's most successful songs include: "

Country Music Hall of Fame, and film clips, recordings, and photos of Fleming's life work and awards.[1]

Early life

Though Fleming born in

Ronnie Tutt, and Glen Hardin heard her perform and were impressed with her songs. Scheff told her that if she came to California, he could introduce her to some music publishers. She took the offer, packed her Ford Econoline van and headed west. The first publisher who spoke with her signed her.[4] One of Fleming's songs, "Falling, Falling, Gone" was recorded by The Williams Brothers and was performed by them on a broadcast of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. However, after about nine months, she felt she "wasn't sure", and returned to Arkansas.[4] There, she again pursued a career as a solo artist. A successful audition at The Bitter End night club in New York's Greenwich Village got Fleming bookings at coffee houses across the country. At this time she said she didn't care if she was categorized as an artist or a songwriter.[3] Along the way she dropped her first name, "Rhonda" to avoid confusion with actress Rhonda Fleming. At age 26, she had a period of fatigue or frustration in the pursuit of a career and decided to take a little break and spend a couple of weeks back home in Arkansas. Within an hour of making that decision, her old friend (Jerry Scheff) just happened to call and said he was going to Nashville and had a meeting with a couple of publishers. He invited her to come to Nashville first before she went back home.[3]

Success

In Nashville in 1977, she met with producer/publisher

Grammy and won BMI's 1982 Song of the Year for receiving more radio air play than any other song.[15]

Branching Out

Her reputation now established, Fleming moved on to writing other types of music including pop, R&B, and contemporary Christian. She co-wrote with successful singer/songwriter

Murder She Wrote, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, and Sonny & Cher.[16] Later, Fleming became a music publisher and a mentor.[17] She said, "I really love working with writers and artists whose dreams are on fire, but before they've had anything happen."[3] An example would be her mentoring of the Arkansas group "Edens Edge" who impressed her when she was judging a song contest for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).[18] She formed KyeCatt Music, partnering with fellow songwriter Catt Gravitt.[19] A major portion of the publishing rights to the Kye Fleming Song Catalog has been acquired by Hearts Bluff Music.[20]

Awards and honors

  • Academy of Country Music Poet's Award (2019)[21]
  • Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2009)
  • BMI Songwriter of the Year x 3 years (1981–83)
  • NSAI Songwriter of the Year x 2 years (1981–82)
  • over 42 BMI Awards in her career
  • multiple CMA, ACM, DOVE and GRAMMY nominations[19]
  • BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year x 2 years[17]
  • CMA Triple Play Award[18] (for 3 chart-topping hits in a 12-month period)[22]
  • BMI Country Song of the Year, (1983), "Nobody"[16]
  • 10 Million-Air Award[23] (10 million broadcast performances)
  • author Tennessee State Song (2010) "Smoky Mountain Rain"[24]

References

  1. ^ a b "Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Member, Kye Fleming, to be Featured as Next "Poet & Prophet"". Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. July 10, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  2. ^ "Tammy Wynette, Kye Fleming Set to Enter Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame". BMI. September 2009. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h McCall, Michael (September 1, 2009). "Poets and Prophets: Salute to Legendary Country Songwriter Kye Fleming". BMI. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Haskell, Duncan (July 4, 2015). "Interview: Kye Fleming". Song Writing Magazine. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  5. ^ MacKenzie, David C. (March 2, 1974). "Elvis Show Has One DrawBack - It's Just Not Long Enough". Tulsa Daily World. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  6. ^ Hogan, Ed. "Tom Collins". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  7. ISSN 0006-2510
    . Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. ^ Morley, Steve (July 29, 2010). "smoky-mountain-rain"-story-behind-song ""Smoky Mountain Rain": The Story Behind the Song". countryweekly.com. Cumulus Media. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  9. ^ Murray, Nick (June 1, 2014). "100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Tennessee State Songs and Anthems". popmusic.mtsu.edu. Middle Tennessee State University Center for Popular Music. June 9, 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  11. ^ Humphrey, Tom (June 3, 2010). "'Smoky Mountain Rain' wins Race to Become 8th State Song". knoxnews.com. Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  12. ^ Carlisle, Dolly (June 15, 1981). "A Producer's Frumpy Secretary Becomes His Hot New Star, Putting Sylvia in the Catbird Seat". People. 15 (23). Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  13. ^ Wells, Robyn (August 21, 1982). "'Nobody' Makes Sylvia a Summit Somebody". Billboard. p. 37. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  14. ISBN 978-08230-8554-5
    .
  15. ^ "Award-Winning Country Music Star Sylvia Returns After Long Hiatus, March 2014". broadwayworld.com. Wisdom Digital Media. October 31, 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Kye Fleming". Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Guest Blog From Hall Of Fame Songwriter Kye Fleming". iDoCoach. July 3, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Kye Fleming". tumblr.com. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "NEW – Exclusive Signing with KyeCatt Music, LLC". sarahbethtaite.com. February 6, 2014. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  20. ^ Morley, Steve (December 15, 2009). "Kye Fleming: Keeping Her Edge, Part 2". Country Weekly. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  21. ^ "Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 ACM Honors". The Boot.
  22. ^ "Triple Play Award". cmaworld.com. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Songwriter Kye Fleming to be Honored as Poet and Prophet on July 28". cybergrass.com. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  24. ^ "Tennessee State Songs and Anthems". Retrieved October 1, 2015.
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