Check Out Dave Lenahan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Lenahan. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Raised in Cleveland, Ohio music was always an integral part of Lenahan’s life and he, of course, has an undeniable love for Rock ‘n’ Roll music being raised in the genre’s “birthplace.” Lenahan has fond memories of his grandfather bringing home boxes of 45 records taken from local jukeboxes and listening to them for hours at a time. He also recalls visiting a local department store as a child and his mom telling him and his brother, Rusty, that she would buy each of them a toy and he told her that he instead wanted a needle for his record player. “Some of my fondest memories early on were singing in the church choir with my mother. She had a beautiful voice,” he reflects. “At age 11, my parents bought guitars for my brother and me. We played during the church masses and sang for hours on end.”

As the years went by, Lenahan landed a job in radio working in the jazz, rock, and adult contemporary formats. He later accepted a position at WOBL outside of Cleveland, which was the first station in the northeast to play country music. Following that, Lenahan moved over to the award-winning WUBE, served as director of a popular broadcast school, and took over the drive-time slot on WYGY in Cincinnati. Lenahan’s longstanding radio career spanning three decades allowed him the opportunity to meet and interview many of country music’s legends and iconic artists including Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, and Montgomery Gentry.

Working in the country format required frequent trips to Nashville, so every time Lenahan visited, it became increasingly difficult to leave. He fell in love with Nashville and the music community so as his full-time radio career was winding down, Nashville kept tugging at his heartstrings. Around this time, he discovered Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and was invited to speak to its members about the process of how songs are chosen to be on the radio and how they enter and rise up the charts. Lenahan eventually joined NSAI and became the Cincinnati Coordinator. This was a very active group – they put on festivals and brought Nashville pro-writers in to speak and perform. They even filmed TV shows with these pro-writers which spawned new and exciting ideas for Lenahan and required more frequent visits to Music City where he found himself building in more time for co-writing sessions, seminars, networking, and recording demos on the songs he was writing. Eventually, he and his wife Patti decided to make the highly-anticipated move to Nashville.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve totally enjoyed the journey and would not change a thing. It was hard sometimes working a full-time job and pursuing music, but many people have done it.

My first Nashville cut came a few years ago when Chancey Williams cut my song, Baby, I’m Gone. It was the validation I needed. It appeared on his first album Highway Junkie. He actually recorded 2 versions of that album. One full band and one acoustic. Chancey makes his Opry debut on April 22. So proud of him.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am very proud of my podcast The Songwriter Connection. I interview Songwriters and music industry people about the craft. We’ve had some amazing guests from Hall of Fame Songwriter Kent Blazy. Hit writers like, Wil Nance, Dave Gibson, Kevin Griffin, Steve Dean, H. Jack Williams, Wynn Varble, Chuck Jones, and more. Artists and performers like John Berry, Sylvia, and Jeannie Seely. The show is approaching 300,000 streams, downloads, and subscriptions. I also do a little radio show called Nashville Connection and it airs on two stations. I report the news from Music City every Friday.

In addition, I keep a busy writing schedule. Almost every day I have a co-writing appointment, and I especially like to work with young upcoming talent to help them write the best possible song. I also enjoy performing. I host a writer’s night at the 12 Keys in Hermitage and play out at writers’ rounds around town. I am very proud to have played at the Bluebird. In fact, I now have the opportunity to put my own round together there. My first Bluebird round is July 11, 2023, and I am so excited. I also love playing at the Listening Room, The Commodore Grill, and The Maxwell House for Lee Roscone. Randi’s Revival at the Cambria Hotel, and Hotel Preston.

For more info check out my new website. TheDaveConnection.com. My last single Squirrel Train was co-written with Scott Barrier and Pamela Hopkins. Pamela’s version of the song made it to #1 on the Tasmania/Australia charts. My next single releases on April 4th and is about baseball. Louisville Slugger is poignant. A story about a boy and his bat.

He never fulfills his dream, but, the dream still lives. Both songs will be on my new EP. “…Or Something Like That”.

That record will release on July 11 along with the 3rd single from the record.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
In one word, passion!! I love what I do and try to spread my passion for music in everything I do. When I was director of the Broadcast school in Cincinnati I use to preach it to my students. I would tell them that they could live their dream if they pursue that dream with passion. Every time I left the classroom, I would shout. Passion and the students would shout back “Live the dream!”

When people ask me how things are going in Nashville I love to tell them. “I’m living the dream!”

Contact Info:

• Website: TheDaveConnection.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dave.lenahan/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dave.lenahan/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lenahan_dave
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKaHJh_8ahEoprBSOgaeCw
• Other: https://artists.bandsintown.com/artists/15518721/events/upcoming 

Image Credits
Barbara Potter Photography