Billy Kirsch

Billy Kirsch attended Wesleyan University before leaving college to become a musician, focusing on a career as a jazz musician. After living in New York City, he moved to Nashville to enter the country music industry.{{cite news |url=https://www.jweekly.com/2009/01/02/nashville-s-jewish-cowboy-lives-the-good-country-life/|title=Nashvilles Jewish cowboy lives the good country life|date=January 2, 2009|newspaper=J Weekly}}

Kirsch then became a songwriter for country music artists, working for publishers including Kidbilly Music and Nocturnal Eclipse Music.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iA4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4|title=Billboard|first=Nielsen Business Media|last=Inc|date=14 October 1995|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Google Books}} The first major performer to record a song of his was Kenny Rogers,{{cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20090326/282883726643708|title=|via=PressReader}} and he wrote the song “Is It Over Yet” performed by Wynonna Judd.

1998 Kirsch co-wrote the song “Holes in the Floor of Heaven” with Steve Wariner,{{cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/story-behind-the-song/2017/09/01/story-behind-song-holes-floor-heaven-steve-wariner/614275001/|title=Story Behind the Song: 'Holes in the Floor of Heaven'|website=The Tennessean}} which received the Song of the Year prize from the Academy of Country Music that year.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ig0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38|title=Billboard|first=Nielsen Business Media|last=Inc|date=22 May 1999|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Google Books}} It also received the Country Music Association Award Song of the Year prize{{cite web|url=https://cmaawards.com/|title=Homepage|website=CMA Awards}}{{cite web|url=https://countryfancast.com/2018-cma-awards-song-of-the-year/|title=2018 CMA Awards: Song of the Year Winner Unveiled|first=Sarah|last=Netemeyer|website=countryfancast.com|date=15 November 2018 }} and a Grammy nomination{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AQ4EAAAAMBAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AQ4EAAAAMBAJ/page/n11 10]|title=Billboard|first=Nielsen Business Media|last=Inc|date=27 February 1999|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Internet Archive}} for Best Country Song.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/billy-kirsch|title=Billy Kirsch|date=17 March 2014|website=GRAMMY.com}} The story behind Kirsch's writing of the song was published in the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Country Music: The Inspirational Stories behind 101 of Your Favorite Country Songs.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xjbJvDdjJmMC&pg=PT152|title=Chicken Soup for the Soul: Country Music: The Inspirational Stories behind 101 of Your Favorite Country Songs|first1=Jack|last1=Canfield|first2=Mark Victor|last2=Hansen|first3=Randy|last3=Rudder|date=6 September 2011|publisher=Simon and Schuster|via=Google Books|page=152|isbn=9781611591903}}

In 2002 Kirsch's song “I Believe In The Mystery” was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000206/2002/1/|title=Daytime Emmy Awards (2002)|website=IMDb}} In 2003 Kirsch co-wrote the song "Stay Gone" with singer Jimmy Wayne, which was named one of BMI's 2003 songs of the year on American radio and television.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ehMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9|title=Billboard|first=Nielsen Business Media|last=Inc|date=20 November 2004|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Google Books}} Additionally he has written and published songs for artists including Rogers,{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36|title=Billboard|first=Nielsen Business Media|last=Inc|date=24 May 2003|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Google Books}} Alabama,{{cite web|url=https://www.juf.org/news/blog.aspx?id=432488&blogid=13567|title=JUF News : Blog|website=JUF News}} Engelbert Humperdinck, Tim McGraw, and Lee Greenwood.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_RcWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA281|title=Circle of the 9 Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers|first=David|last=Hutchens|date=2 July 2015|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781118974117|via=Google Books}}

In 2006 Kirsch created the “team building through song” concept and began a business consultancy. Clients that he has worked with through the company have included Walt Disney, Microsoft, L’Oréal, Harley-Davidson, and Pfizer.{{cite web|url=http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-billy-kirsch-kidbilly-music-team-building-song-hollywood/|title=Meet Billy Kirsch of Kidbilly Music - Team Building Through Song in Hollywood - Voyage LA Magazine - LA City Guide|first=VoyageLA|last=Staff|date=30 May 2017 |publisher=}} Kirsch is the president of the firm, Kidbilly Music Team Building.{{cite web|url=https://adage.com/article/special-report-small-agency-conference-and-awards/fun-facts-small-agency-conference-speakers/309325/|title=12 Fun Facts About Our Small Agency Conference Speakers|website=adage.com|date=12 June 2017}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Wesleyan University alumni

Category:American country songwriters

Category:Alabama (American band)

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)