For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Amber Koger
Koger Public Relations
(310) 909-7152
amber@kogerpr.com
SINGER/SONGWRITER BENITA HILL TO DEBUT NEW DOCUMENTARY
Nashville, TN -- Aug. 29, 2006: Number-one hit songwriter, vocalist and cancer survivor Benita Hill is embarking on a new endeavor; a documentary/pilot for a television show, tentatively titled "The Things That Are Real: The Healing Power of a Song". Hosted by and featuring Hill, the show, which is hoped to turn into a weekly series, will explore the role that a song plays in affecting one's life in a positive and healing way. Hill plans to share her own story of being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, at the same time that she was experiencing success as the co-writer of three multi-platinum selling songs for Garth Brooks. The music literally helped save her life, and it is this theme that will be explored in the show, with different guests each week sharing their own experience with "The Healing Power Of A Song." The format will consist of interviews, personal stories and musical performances.
"As a young woman, I pursued a singing and songwriting career in Nashville, hoping to find fame and fortune" says Hill. "Ultimately, it was not fame or fortune that saved my life, it was the music. I was led to a higher purpose for my life, that of telling my story of overcoming cancer and sharing it with others"
Conceived by Hill and filmed in Nashville, "The Healing Power Of A Song" was co-written and directed by native Nashville producer/director Terry Crotzer. Mr. Crotzer's credits include such network and cable shows as "Martin" with Martin Lawrence, "Lateline" with Al Franken, "The Sweet Spot" with Bill Murray, and "Lucky" with John Corbett. The show will be produced by Academy of Country Music (ACM) video of the year producer Stephanie Reeves. Ms. Reeves has more than 20 years experience in film, television and music videos.
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July 12 -- In April, I had the privilege of meeting and getting to write some songs with Phil Springer. Phil is from the Tin Pan Alley/Brill Building era and has written classics like "Santa Baby"(which I recorded) "How Little We Know"(for Sinatra) as well as lots of other great songs. His mentor was Yip Harburg, who wrote "Over The Rainbow" with Harold Arlen.Yip is currently featured on a US postage stamp! I am going to write with Phil again next week, and hopefully get to hear more of his wonderful stories about all of the great songwriters he has either known or worked with, like Johnny Mercer and Irving Berlin (maybe someday he'll add Benita Hill to that list??) Two of the titles we've written are "The London I Remember" and "I Never Knew I Could Fall In Love Again"
February 27 -- I have just returned from Ireland after a week of performances and workshops for the Belfast/Nashville Songwriter's festival. My hosts were the wonderful Panarts chairpersons, the husband and wife team of Colin Magee and Anne Coulter. They organized a most fantastic festival, giving songwriters from Nashville the opportunity to perform and connect with Irish writers. We conducted workshops in schools, libraries and community arts centers-one of my favorites was entertaining a group of ladies who call themselves the Wise and Wonderful Women at the Creggagh Community Center-this was a group of gals who get together regularly to paint, put on plays, sing,whatever-they are all so creative! I also wrote a song with Bap Kennedy, a noted Irish songwriter/artist who had one of his albums produced in Nashville by Steve Earle and also has a song he co-wrote with Van Morrison on Van's new CD. As you know, Belfast has a long history as a city divided by religious differences, and I am happy to say that much of that has healed over the last 11 years. The optimism and hope of these people is inspirational, despite all the tragedy they have endured. I fell in love with Belfast and I cannot wait to go back
I am working on a new CD called "I'll See You In My Song", named for a song I wrote with Julia Rich. It will contain some old jazz/pop standards as well as a number of newer jazz originals. Keep checking the website for a release date.
I got an e-mail from Ben Folds last summer, asking me to sing background vocals on a project he was producing for William Shatner...how cool is that? The album, Has Been, was released in October 2004, and I am singing on the track "Familiar Love" with Nash De Ville, a hip vocalese group.
Then in December of 2004, I was featured on the Christmas commercials for Jaguar automobiles-they picked my version of "Santa Baby"(from my Winter Fire and Snow CD,) to be the background music. Gee, I wonder if they'd give me a Jaguar if they use it again this year????? I love that baby blue color