Legendary, Hall of Fame songwriter Tony Arata originally from Tybee Island, GA is our guest this week! We chatted with Tony about his huge hit "The Dance", his growing up in Georgia, His biggest believer his wife Jaymi, his songwriting process, moving to Nashville, reflecting on his amazing career. Tony also tells some amazing stories and we share two live acoustic performances of his hits "The Dance" & "Here I Am" Follow Tony and all his endeavors at https://www.tonyarata.com Sponsored by The Speakeasy Coffeehouse in beautiful downtown Quitman, TX and our partners at The Big Sandy Music Hall in Big Sandy, TX! Check out all episodes of "The Boston Chris Podcast" here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRVUGoqJJ6AdL2KbXbyB59e-_AOktJbah Chapters: 00:26: Theme Song 00:41: Intro 04:56: Tony tells the story behind the Patty Loveless cut “Here I Am” 09:49: Tony performs “Here I Am” courtesy of Jim Parker 12:40: Tony’s favorite drink 13:52: Growing up in Tybee Island, GA 16:45: My Heroes have always been lyricists 18:38: Going to school for journalism 19:32: Songwriting becomes more than a hobby 20:34: The anonymity of songwriting 22:33: Tony Arata, the artist 26:04: Tony’s biggest fan, his wife Jaymi 29:18: His initial Nashville ‘Plan’ 33:36: Being a solo songwriter 38:46: The songwriting process 44:04: “Chasing the Radio” 48:04: The Ultimate Compliments for a Songwriter 57:14: Remembering Friends who have passed on 1:02:37: Reflecting on the evolution of his writing 1:09:05: Bernie Nelson, The Fiasco 4 & The Story behind “The Dance” 1:18:52: Tony performs “The Dance” courtesy of Jim Parker 1:26:21: His Best Advice for Songwriters 1:29:01: Tony’s Mt. Rushmore of Lyricists 1:31:14: What’s Next Support Boston Chris 💵Become a Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCao6fJOfevnE7dkMYz3vnQQ/join 👕Merchandise Store: https://boston-chris-gaming.creator-s... 🎧Purchase Hyper X Products: https://hx.hyperx.gg/BG5FiQXA 💵Donate to Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/etxrocks Follow Boston Chris ► Twitter https://twitter.com/BostonChrisTTV ► Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bostonchristtv/ ► TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itsbostonchris ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBostonChrisShow ► Discord https://discord.gg/TkyV9Q2P ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thebostonchrisshow ► Other Stuff: https://linktr.ee/bostonchris Check out the Podcasts: ► The Chris & Kadie Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRVUGoqJJ6AfeGd6fbyounJgu3bNCwyOr ► The Chris & Kadie Show Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UhHqi95KXlVXzoofzLdKz?si=c335a7dd569f4dec ► 10 Minutes with Boston Chris YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRVUGoqJJ6AdL2KbXbyB59e-_AOktJbah ► 10 Minutes with Boston Chris Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5UeR5tgIGsltEMUh0a22h8?si=b10432ece9ec4db0