They crank out one song and it takes over the world and then the world takes over them – effortlessly.
Not so with Indie song writer and musician Shirley Logan.
Logan has put in her time, and has worked hard to not only incorporate great music into her life – but also be a mother to her four children ages 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Shirley Logan is a very unique artist, and the kind you don’t find around much anymore today. For her it’s all about the music – not the fame, paparazzi, world tours, bling and fortunes.
After listening to her music you can picture her sitting around the campfire with her friends and children picking up her guitar and starting to tell a story.
And every song has a story.
“I love music…GOOD music. I have been influenced by many different styles and don’t exactly fit into one box. My desire is to write excellent music that will be appreciated by many, crossing over the lines that separate style… songs that are an expression of myself, my experiences, my struggles and issues that are universal to the human soul.
I want to write music that identifies with people at their core…honestly… I want to be known, and I want to know you… I would love to hear your feedback… thoughts…memories… revelations… revelations! Perhaps they will become a song...”
Logan, 37, admits that she had to stop listening to advice from people because everybody told her to be mysterious about her age and to not let people know about her children or divorce.
She talks about her experience of packing up and moving to Nashville and realizing she was in for a big challenge,
“I moved to Nashville on October 11, 1993. It only took a few weeks before I was discouraged and felt like I wasn’t good enough to be here…so many writers…so much talent. I had no idea what I was doing! I was twenty years old, didn’t know one soul and lived by myself on South Street just off music row. I got a job working for a management company through a new friend of a friend. One day the owner asked to hear some of my songs, so I gave her a tape (yes, a tape). She was a very confident no-nonsense kind of woman and didn’t skip a beat in telling me that I needed to work on my writing…I had a beautiful voice, but I would never make it in this town. I had only been playing the guitar for a few years and never considered myself a writer, I just wanted to sing….but it deflated me none the less. It would be years before I would share my music again. Three years to be exact.”
You can hear the influence of pop, indie, folk, country and Christian styles in her music and lyrics, and you can tell there is a deep story to every song she writes.
Take the song “Remember Who You Are” for example.
Logan says she wrote it in a moment when she was shocked at her own desire to forgive again after being betrayed so many times by the same person. Her thoughts led her to a deep belief that if it weren't for forgiveness and grace, we would destroy ourselves.
One of our favorites is the song “Who am I”.
She wrote it with Rivers Rutherford after struggling to define her style and realizing she was very shy about performing. She didn’t want to write about how many times her heart had been broken because she didn’t want to relive the pain.
Out of that journey came “Who I Am”.
Logan also penned a song after the devastating floods hit Nashville last year called “Don’t Stop When it Rains” and is an uplifting song for all those who were affected by the devastation.
Shirley is one of those singer songwriters that you can tell has gone through a lot of pain and disappointment. Yet, she has brushed herself off and has come to terms with who she is and what is important to her.
And after listening to her music and getting to know her a little more I can tell you those important things are friends, family and God.
Logan can be contacted from her Facebook page and her albums and CD’s are available from her website ShirleyLogan.com
God speed Shirley Logan.
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