Cape Breton is justifiably well known for its traditional music players. We have many world class fiddlers, piano players & singers who perform internationally.

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However, when I was writing my last blog about Buddy MacDonald, I was reminded of the depth of songwriting talent that this tiny beautiful island has produced as well. We seem to have an unusually high number of musicians for our population and the same can be said for songwriters.

These artists often tell our stories but write in such a way that their songs can relate to people everywhere. I think of Rita MacNeil’s inspiring, “Flying On Your Own” or Bruce Guthro’s, “Falling”.

Songs are like powerful little movies that touch some inner part of us. Sometimes it’s a melody we can’t get out of our head. Other times the lyrics tell a story that almost seems to be written specifically about us. These are gifts that songwriters share with us.

Gordie Sampson, from Big Pond, is another in a long line of terrific Cape Breton songwriters. Depending on where you’re from, you might know him as Frank & Flo’s boy, guitar player with the Band Realworld or the Grammy winning songwriter of the Carrie Underwood hit, “Jesus Take the Wheel”.

Gordie lives in Nashville for much of the year where he writes songs with and for American artists like Bon Jovi, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Martina MacBride, Trace Atkins and many more.

The cycle of songwriting slows in the summer months in Nashville because the artists are all out on the road singing the songs that folks like Gordie have written. This is perfect as it means that Gordie gets to spend his summers in Cape Breton where he pursues his own projects like the Gordie Sampson Songcamp. Here, he shares what he has been learning in Nashville with up and coming songwriters

Just as he is quietly helpful to many Canadian artists when they visit Nashville, Gordie’s Songcamp helps to ensure that we continue to turn out quality songwriters here. That’s just the way nice kids from Big Pond operate.

by Liv Carter December 18, 2012 – Urban Country News

Three of Nashville’s elite songwriters, Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson will be heading to Louisville to perform with Music City Hit-Makers at the Louisville Orchestra on Saturday, January 12th at 8 PM. These heavy-hitters have five Carrie Underwood #1 hits between them and countless cuts with the biggest artist in country music. This will be ‘the Bluebird Cafe meets a full scale philharmonic orchestra’ and is an event not to be missed.

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SOCAN member Gordie Sampson was recognized for co-writing some of the most performed country songs of the year at the 50th annual American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Country Music Awards, held in the Tennessee Ballroom at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville on Oct. 29, 2012. Sampson won the Most Performed Song Award for “Storm Warning,” which he co-wrote with Mike Busbee and Hunter Hayes (both BMI), and which was recorded by Hayes himself.

More info at SOCAN

If songs are like children to professional hit-makers, Canadian Gordie Sampson is one watchful dad.

The 40-year-old from Big Pond, N.S., has penned two chart-topping smash singles for Carrie Underwood while also dashing off songs for the likes of Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Martina McBride and LeAnn Rimes.

The Grammy winner estimates that he demos about 75 songs a year, so surely it’s difficult to keep tabs on all his musical offspring?

“God no, you’re glued to the (chart),” the personable Sampson said down the line from the East Coast this week. “First thing you do in the morning before you have your coffee is check the chart and see if it went up a point overnight.

“Not that I’d know, but I guess it’s a bit like watching your stocks. You’ve got an investment and one starts to take off, and it goes up a point one day, and down a point the next, and you’re like: ‘Oh shoot, is it done? Is it going to fall off the chart?’ And the next day it jumps up five places.

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