American Made Country Music Songwriter Series DiPiero and his pals return

April 23, 2017 at 12:02a.m.

Like a snowbird traveling north once the weather becomes warmer, Bob DiPiero returns to his native Youngstown every spring with a few of his Nashville friends in tow.

This year the successful Music City songwriter is bringing Kix Brooks to Northeast Ohio. Yes, that’s Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn fame.

No, the two won’t be sightseeing. Instead, they’ll be the main attraction at DiPiero’s annual American Made Country Music Songwriter Series, which this year takes place Friday at Ford Family Recital Hall. Also on the bill are Shane Minor and Jimmy Stewart.

“Kix is one of my dear friends,” said DiPiero, calling from Nashville. “I told him about what I’ve been doing up here and he said, ‘Man, I’m in. I want to be involved.’”

This marks the fifth year that DiPiero has called upon his Music City buddies to donate their time and music for the Compass Family Services fundraiser. Proceeds from the night go toward the Valley agency that provides services to those with mental-health and addiction illnesses.

“I’ve been doing this along with my old-time high-school buddy, Tim Thomas, who is involved with Compass Family Services,” said DiPiero, a 1969 Liberty High School graduate. “They help at-risk kids, at-risk families. It seems to be really making an impact on the people that need this.”

Part of what makes someone a good songwriter is his or her keen observation into the human condition. That includes commiserating with those less fortunate, which is exactly what DiPiero does when he hears about kids in need.

“I had a very beautiful childhood,” DiPiero said. “My mother and father were there all of the time. We had a very tight family. I just empathize with folks who never had that and don’t know what that feels like. I just wanted to help people make their lives better and to give back to Youngstown.”

Over the past four decades, the Youngstown State University graduate, who cut his teeth in the 1970s Northeast Ohio rock scene, has become one of Nashville’s most sought-after songwriters.

His resume features 15 No. 1 hits such as Reba McEntire’s “’Till You Love Me,” George Strait’s “Clear Blue Sky,” Montgomery Gentry’s “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” Faith Hill’s “Take Me as I Am” and Vince Gill’s “Worlds Apart.”

In fact, it’s the latter Grammy Award-winning artist who DiPiero said he’d love to bring to Youngstown for a future American Made Country Music Songwriter Series show. In the meantime, he’s excited about the upcoming in-the-round performance.

So what will DiPiero be playing?

“My set is usually just whatever pops in my head,” DiPiero said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have had more than 1,000 songs recorded, which is pretty unbelievable to me. I’ll be playing some old songs, new songs and tell the stories behind them.”

Odds are one of those songs will be the top-5 hit “You Can’t Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl” that he wrote for Brooks & Dunn.

“Yeah, I guess so,” DiPiero said, laughing.