Already signed as a writer with Billy Blue Publishing, David Morris has just been signed to Billy Blue Records as well, who will produce a songwriter project for his original songs as they have done for Rick Lang. It will include songs he has written or co-written, recorded in Nashville with top artists participating.
David is, of course, one of the original correspondents with Bluegrass Today, coming on with us as we launched in September of 2011. At the time he was also an editor with the prestigious Kiplinger Letter, and had worked many years with the Associated Press. He has since retired from reporting and journalism to focus entirely on songwriting, except for the coverage he helps us with each year during World of Bluegrass.
A debut single from David’s Billy Blue album is previewed today, a song about the great tragedy our nation suffered on September 11, 2001 when a series of coordinated terrorist attacks saw hijacked airplanes fly into the World Trade Center building in New York, and the Pentagon outside of Washington, DC.
The song is called Tenth Day of September, and carries special meaning for Morris as he was working as a campaign pool reporter for AP on 9/11/01, traveling with President Bush on the day. We have all seen video or photographs of the President being informed that a plane had flown into the Twin Towers. It is seared into our national consciousness, as it was in Morris’ in that same classroom at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, FL.
From being present at that moment in history, and what followed that day, David was perhaps more deeply struck than most by the terrorist attack, other than those who died or lost family members in the aftermath. And he is especially happy to see it recorded by Dave Adkins and released in time for the 25th anniversary of the attacks in less than two months.
Tenth Day of September was written with David’s close friend, John Miller, who died following a lengthy battle with cancer during the summer of 2023. It follows the events through the eyes of a person who lost someone that day, and is wishing they could all go back to the day before.
This single, and the rest of the album is being produced by Jerry Salley, who is not only head of A&R and Creative Director with Billy Blue, he’s also an admired songwriter himself who David respects immensely.
“Jerry is a terrific songwriter and he brings the same sensibilities that make him a success in the writing room to the studio. I was honored when he agreed to take on this project.”
Salley thinks quite highly of Morris as well, and sees this song as one of particular note.
“In my opinion, this is one of the most important songs that David Morris has ever written. He and his longtime friend and cowriter, John Miller, stir emotion in our collective hearts and minds as we are reminded through their song of how all of our lives changed forever on that fateful September day. And, Dave Adkins delivers a vocal as powerful as the song. Let us never forget.”
It remains a poignant song, even so far from the day that inspired it.
With Adkins singing lead we hear Jason Roller on guitar and fiddle, Aaron McDaris on banjo, Justin Moses on mandolin and reso-guitar, and Mark Burchfield on bass.
Have a listen.
Tenth Day of September is set to release on August 14 through popular download and streaming services online. Pre-saves and pre-adds are enabled now.
