Watch Hardy Perform “Up Down” as Part of “My #1 Moment” With BMI, Taylor Guitars and Shure

“My #1 Moment” is a new weekly collaborative video series from BMI, Taylor Guitars and Shure Microphones which shines the spotlight on BMI songwriters who have topped the charts with their first #1 song. The premiere episode launched this week on the Taylor Guitars Instagram page and features Michael Hardy (aka Hardy), who performs his own version of “Up Down,” which was a hit for Morgan Wallen (with featured guests Florida Georgia Line), who took the song to the top of the Billboard Country charts in 2018.

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Hardy recorded his version of the song at home using a Shure MV88+ Video Kit and a Taylor 201e Deluxe guitar, which was presented to him in honor of his first number one hit. The 29-year old Mississippi native has also written hits for Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line and Dallas Smith.

Hardy wrote the song with CJ Solar and Brad Clawson beginning in 2015. As he reveals in the Instagram video, the trio wrote a verse and chorus but never finished the song until Hardy heard Morgan Wallen singing and became friendly with him. Hardy, Solar and Clawson revisited the song and each of the writers cut their own demos. The song caught the attention of Wallen’s manager when it was performed by Hardy at the Key West Songwriters Festival. In the Instagram performance, Hardy comments that a song works best when “the song is strong enough to hold its own if somebody can hear it (on an) acoustic.”

“BMI consistently supports our songwriters and is unwavering in our effort to shed light on their talent. We are thrilled to enhance our longstanding partnership with Taylor Guitars and excited to welcome Shure to the fold,” says Mason Hunter, AVP, Creative, Nashville.  “These unique segments are the perfect way to continue to highlight our first-time number one writers and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their talents on a beautiful instrument and with quality sound.”

“We love building guitars that serve as inspirational tools for writing songs,” says Tim Godwin, Taylor’s Director of Artist and Entertainment Relations. “We have been working with BMI for a few years, and this campaign feels like a natural extension of our partnership and an excellent way to honor these songwriters. We’re excited to have our friends at Shure tie it all together since they make it easy to create great-sounding videos from your phone.”

Upcoming Episodes include:

•          Ash Bowers – “Prayed For You”

•          Ben Burgess – “Whiskey Glasses”

•          Brad Clawson – “Up Down”

•          Derrick Southerland “More Hearts Than Mine”

•          Devin Dawson – “God’s Country”

•          Drew Parker – “Homemade”

•          Michael Hardy – “Up Down”

•          Randy Montana – “Beer Never Broke My Heart”

•          Riley Green “There Was This Girl”

•          Rob Williford – “One Number Away”

•          Russell Dickerson – “Yours”

•          Scotty McCreery – “Five More Minutes”

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