Talk about flying high! Eric Church commandeered a Nashville airplane hangar on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 24) to celebrate the chart success of “Some of It” and “Round Here Buzz.”
Presented by BMI, Church’s performance rights organization, to salute the writers of the two hits, the party adopted the aeronautical theme to acknowledge Church’s Desperate Man album cover and music video. To that end, Church stood flanked by two jets and an array of road cases.
Praised as well were Church’s co-writers of “Some of It,” Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde and Bobby Pinson, and of “Round Here Buzz,” Hyde and Luke Dick. “Some of It” was a No. 1 single in Billboard, while “Round Here Buzz” soared to No. 2 on its way to selling platinum.
A high point of the ceremony came with the playing of a video in which such of Church’s musical admirers as Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Maren Morris and others showered him with compliments.
“The thing I’ve always admired about Eric is the truth in his calling,” Urban said. “He’s non-categorizable.” Church co-wrote Urban’s current single, “We Were.”
In responding to the testimonial, a clearly emotional Church told the crowd, “That was one of the coolest things — no, that’s about the coolest thing — I’ve been a part of. My intention was always just to try to make great music, write great songs. And to see that it matters is really something.”
Josh Van Valkenburg, Church’s publisher, declared him a “transcendent” songwriter whose songs would have mattered regardless of when they were written. “As an entertainer,” Van Valkenburg added, “you continue to change the world.”
Church resumes touring this weekend in San Francisco.
Pictured (L to R): SeaGayle Music’s Brandon Gregg, Emily Witters and Marc Driskill, co-writers Bobby Pinson, (Church) and Clint Daniels, plus SeaGayle Music’s JD Groover and Kim Wiggins via:: CMT News