Drew Ryder Smith at City Winery Nashville

The Lounge at City Winery Nashville Presents Drew Ryder Smith & Dave Doobinin live on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 PM! Drew Ryder Smith is a country music singer and award winning professional songwriter.   Born and raised between “Music City” (Nashville, TN) and “The Hit Making Capital of the World” (Muscle Shoals, AL),  his career in music was probably inevitable. Drew's work has been recorded in many countries including the US, Canada, Ireland, Germany and Australia (among others) by legends like Merle Haggard, Nashville powerhouse Randy Houser, Rob Snyder, Jason Charles Miller, Kevin Denney, John Schneider, and Australian-Canadian country singer, Gord Bamford, who stands as one of the most decorated artists in Canadian country music and the only two-time winner of the CMA Global Country Artist of the Year award.  Drew learned his first chords on his grandmother’s 1964 Gibson Hummingbird and wrote his first song (which he now describes as “terrible”) when he was only 12.  He started his music career in radio at the age of 14 when he innocently called the studio to inquire about working there and his deep voice led the station manager to believe he was an adult with radio experience.  When a 14 year old Drew showed up at the studio, after a shared laugh at the mix up, his unique voice inspired the manager to keep him around and he began working as an on air personality.  Drew has named his early influences include: Steve Earle, John Prine, Don Williams, Merle Haggard, Foster & Lloyd, Jackson Browne and, last but certainly not least, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which happens to be the first concert he ever attended - at the age of two.  His pastor father relays that they skipped church to attend the concert and little Drew played air guitar throughout the whole thing. Drew toured coast to coast for several years in his early career and has shared the stage with Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Big & Rich, Lee Brice, Lady A and many others. He describes opening for Merle Haggard at the Ryman Auditorium with only a stool and his acoustic guitar as one of the highlights of his career.  Opening for one of his heroes with the likes of John Prine, Tim and Faith, Keith Urban and top industry executives in the audience, and his mother in the wings, is a story he rarely tells but that is close to his heart.    Drew's long songwriting career has also afforded him the opportunity to write with Don Schlitz (“The Gambler,” “When You Say Nothing At All”), Rob Snyder (“She Got The Best Of Me” - Luke Combs), Driver Williams ("Smoke A Little Smoke” - Eric Church), Bobby Pinson (“Some Of It” - Eric Church) and he continues to work with some of the brightest talent in Nashville.  His first gold record hangs on his mother’s/father’s wall. Drew is a proud member of the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association as well as NSAI (the Nashville Songwriters Association International). When not in the studio or on the road,  Drew can be found in Nashville or the NYC area - usually hanging out with any dog he sees. Like - All. The. Dogs. Dave Doobinin Songwriter. Storyteller. Observer of the human condition. Some songwriters chase trends. Dave Doobinin chases truth. A craftsman in the purest sense of the word, Doobinin writes songs that feel lived-in—stories filled with heart, rust, hard-earned wisdom, and the kinds of details that make listeners stop and think, I've felt that too. Drawing from a lifetime of experiences, relationships, and observations, his work sits comfortably at the intersection of Americana, folk, country, and singer-songwriter traditions, where authenticity matters more than polish and great songs outlive the moment. Known for his lyrical depth and conversational storytelling, Doobinin has built a reputation as a songwriter who understands that the most powerful songs aren't always the loudest. They are the songs that reveal something true about being human. Whether writing about love, brotherhood, redemption, family, or the beauty hidden in everyday life, he approaches each song with equal parts honesty and craftsmanship. Influenced by the great storytellers of American music, like Elliott Smith and The Replacements, Doobinin's writing combines vivid imagery with emotional precision, creating songs that feel both deeply personal and universally relatable. His work reflects a belief that music's greatest purpose is connection—to remind listeners they are not alone in their joys, struggles, questions, and hopes. For Doobinin, songwriting isn't simply a profession; it's a lifelong practice of paying attention. Every conversation, every mile traveled, every triumph and setback becomes part of the creative well he draws from. The result is a catalog of songs rooted in sincerity, shaped by experience and guts, and written with the kind of integrity that never goes out of style. In a world increasingly driven by algorithms and fleeting moments, Dave Doobinin remains committed to the timeless art of writing songs that matter.