Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Ep. 30 - BILLY MANN ("Stupid Girls")

Episode Summary

Two-time Grammy nominee Billy Mann released a couple of solo albums as an artist via A&M Records in the mid-1990s before finding success as a songwriter in the European market. He eventually returned to the US and began getting his songs recorded by artists such as Celine Dion, Dakota Moon, and Daryl Hall & Joan Oates, who made “Do It For Love” Billy’s first #1 Billboard single as a songwriter in 2002. Other artists who charted with Billy’s songs in this era include Michael Bolton, Art Garfunkel, and Jim Brickman. He soon began finding hits with a new wave of pop stars, beginning with Jessica Simpson’s Top 20 single, “With You.” Around the same time he became a frequent collaborator with Pink, who has included many of Billy’s compositions on her albums, including “God is a DJ,” “Stupid Girls,” "Dear Mr. President," "I'm Not Dead," "Glitter in the Air.,” and "The Truth About Love." Additionally, Mann co-wrote and produced Teddy Geiger’s platinum selling single “For You I Will (Confidence).” He has worked with a variety of artists, including Cher, Sting, John Legend, Kelly Rowland, Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Martina McBride, Allen Stone, Josh Groban, and others. In addition to his efforts as a songwriter and producer, Mann is a respected music executive. After forming his own Stealth Entertainment, he went on to become a President at both EMI and BMG Rights Management. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Green & Bloom/Topline, a hybrid record label and publishing company. He balances his business activities with his own creative efforts and philanthropic initiatives, which he calls the pursuit of "the hit life" over the hit song.

Episode Notes

Two-time Grammy nominee Billy Mann released a couple of solo albums as an artist via A&M Records in the mid-1990s before finding success as a songwriter in the European market. He eventually returned to the US and began getting his songs recorded by artists such as Celine Dion, Dakota Moon, and Daryl Hall & Joan Oates, who made “Do It For Love” Billy’s first #1 Billboard single as a songwriter in 2002. Other artists who charted with Billy’s songs in this era include Michael Bolton, Art Garfunkel, and Jim Brickman. He soon began finding hits with a new wave of pop stars, beginning with Jessica Simpson’s Top 20 single, “With You.” Around the same time he became a frequent collaborator with Pink, who has included many of Billy’s compositions on her albums, including “God is a DJ,” “Stupid Girls,” "Dear Mr. President," "I'm Not Dead," "Glitter in the Air.,” and "The Truth About Love." Additionally, Mann co-wrote and produced Teddy Geiger’s platinum selling single “For You I Will (Confidence).” He has worked with a variety of artists, including Cher, Sting, John Legend, Kelly Rowland, Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Martina McBride, Allen Stone, Josh Groban, and others. In addition to his efforts as a songwriter and producer, Mann is a respected music executive. After forming his own Stealth Entertainment, he went on to become a President at both EMI and BMG Rights Management. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Green & Bloom/Topline, a hybrid record label and publishing company. He balances his business activities with his own creative efforts and philanthropic initiatives, which he calls the pursuit of "the hit life" over the hit song.