A lively and inspired conversation with the Grammy winning songwriter Marcus Hummon on all things musical. We also talk about his brand new Broadway bound production based on Frederick Douglas, American Prophet.
Grammy winner and 2019 inductee into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Marcus Hummon has enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, playwright and author. His songs have been recorded in many genres-Pop, R&B, gospel – and most notably in country music, where he has written some of the genre’s most iconic songs.
Hummon has received 7 BMI Awards, and 5 BMI #1 Awards; for Rascal Flatts’ “Bless The Broken Road” (winner of the Grammy for Best Country Song 2005, nominated for Song Of The Year in all genres 2005, two-time NSAI Song Of The Year Award 2005 and 2007, nominated for a Dove Award for Song Of The Year 2007); The Dixie Chick’s “Cowboy Take Me Away;” Sara Evans’ “Born To Fly” (nominated for CMA Song Of The Year 2001, won CMA Video Of The Year 2001); Tim McGraw’s “One Of These Days;” Wynonna Judd’s “Only Love” (nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female). Another Hummon co-written song, the Dixie Chick’s “Ready To Run,” was nominated for a Grammy For Country Song Of The Year, and won the Grammy for Best Country Performance By A Group Or A Duo, off the Grammy winning Country Album Of The Year, Fly in 2000. In addition, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Performance By A Group Or Duo With Vocal for “Roll The Stone Away” co-written by Hummon.
As a recording artist and multi-instrumentalist, Marcus released a critically acclaimed country record for Columbia Records in 1995, “All In Good Time.” In 1998, Marcus and Scottish Big Country front-man, Stuart Adamson, released their duo album Supernatural, as The Raphaels, with Track Records out of London. He has also released several independent records.
Hummon has scored two films: Lost Boy Home narrated by Sam Waterston, winner of Best Shorts Award for the Palm Beach International Film Festival 2013; and The Last Songwriter (a documentary he co-produced, featuring Garth Brooks and Jason Isbell), winner of the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival 2017.
Turning to theatre, Hummon has written, and had produced, six musicals and two operas. Three of his musicals were featured as part of the NYMF (New York New Musical Festival) and produced Off-Broadway: namely Warrior, The Piper, and the dance-musical hybrid Tut— in collaboration with the Harlem dance company, Force of Nature. His musical American Prophet about the life of Frederick Douglass premiered at Washington DC’s Arena Stage Theater, this Summer of 2022 under the direction of co-writer, Charles Randolph-Wright co-creator and director of the musical, Motown), to sold-out audiences, and rave reviews across the board, including Charles Isherwood of The Wall Street Journal, and Peter Marks of The Washington Post, who wrote, “The other star is Hummon…who has found a ravishing musical language to match Douglass’.”
In literature, Hummon’s children’s book, Anytime, Anywhere was published by Athenium Press, a division of Simon and Schuster, in 2009. In 2017 his book, The Passion, a book co-written with his wife Rev. Becca Stevens, was published by Church Publishing, reflecting his cantata of the same name.
Marcus lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife Becca and their 3 sons…Levi, Caney and Moses.
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Lovvvvved this feature on Marc Hummon. Classmate at Williams. What a career !!!! And really nice guy too.