This weekend, the theme on 92-9 the Lake is Singer-Songwriters and, in putting the show together, I started thinking about those artist that have really touched me with their music over the years, so I thought I'd share my favorite singer-songwriters with you.

These are really in no particular order, but all of these artist have touched me over the years with their amazing ability to write songs that the whole world has enjoyed. I hope you hear some of your favorites this weekend on The Lake, but here are my Top 5 Singer-Songwriters and my favorite song by each of them.

 

5. Rod Stewart - It's funny how people don't tend to think of Rod Stewart as a singer-songwriter, but the guy really is quite a story teller. Who can forget the first time they heard the song "Maggie May?" Of course, that raspy voice set the song apart, but the song is also a pretty darn good story about Rod's first encounter, if you get my drift. Still, my favorite song by Stewart is "Mandolin Wind" from his album Every Picture Tells a Story.

 

4. Gordon Lightfoot - I'll never forget the first time I heard Gordon Lightfoot on the radio. It was in the winter of 1971 and I was in Houston on a weekend trip. The song "If You Could Read My Mind" came on and I was hooked. It's still one of my favorite songs of all time.

3. Paul Simon - What can I say about Paul Simon? The man has written so many great songs over the years and it's pretty much impossible to pick just one favorite. To this day, one of the best concerts I've ever seen was Simon and Garfunkel. I'll also never forget the first time I heard his amazing album, Graceland. While it's very hard to pick a favorite Paul Simon song, I'm going to go with one that he recorded with Art Garfunkel. Here's "The Boxer."

2. - Carole King- Without a doubt one of the most talented singer songwriters ever. I've been a fan of Carole King since the days when she was writing songs for other people and penned hits like "Take Good Care of My Baby" for Bobby Vee and especially "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles. I was blown away the first time I heard her first solo album called Tapestry. In fact, the title song of that album as always been a favorite of mine.

1- Neil Diamond - I was a Neil Diamond fan from the first time I heard his first hit, "Cherry, Cherry." There was just something about the man's songs that really hit my ear just right, but it was in 1971, that I heard his very moving hit, "I Am...I Said."

The story behind the song is that Diamond had auditioned for a part in a movie and was flatly rejected. He went home and turned his feelings into quite a personal, heartfelt song. It's still my favorite Neil Diamond song of all time. Here's a fantastic live version of that moving song.

Be sure and tune in 92-9 The Lake this weekend to hear more songs by these and other great singer-songwriters. We'll feature three in a row every hour on The Lake.

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