Brett Beavers

Background

Beavers attended Baylor University where he earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary education in 1985. He spent the next four years playing bass guitar with a small country band throughout Central Texas, honing his skill as a songwriter. After a year away from the music business, when he married and taught high school science in Tyler, Texas, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to join a band with Deryl Dodd. Shortly after arriving in Nashville, Beavers began touring with Martina McBride as bass player and bandleader, from 1992–1996, and then with Lee Ann Womack from 1997–2005 in the same capacity. During this time period he started a publishing company and began getting his songs recorded by such artists as Tim McGraw and Billy Ray Cyrus. In 2005, he stopped performing and touring to pursue songwriting and producing on a full-time basis. His brother, Jim, is also a Nashville songwriter.

With Dierks Bentley

Much of Beavers' success has been with Dierks Bentley, for whom he produces and co-writes several of his songs, a collaboration that began in 2001. The partnership has produced several number one Hot Country Songs, including "Sideways", "Come a Little Closer", "Feel That Fire", and "Every Mile a Memory". In addition to chart-topping success, the pairing has led to a SOCAN and NSAI Achievement Award for "What Was I Thinkin'", a BMI Award Most Performed Song for "Trying to Stop Your Leaving", and Grammy Award nominations for Best Country Song, "Long Trip Alone" and Country Song of the Year, "Every Mile a Memory". The songs that he has written and produced for Bentley have also led to Beavers being honored at the BMI Country Awards every year from 2006–2009.

Author

Along with Tom Douglas, Beavers wrote the inspirational book Something Worth Leaving Behind, based on the song of the same name that they co-wrote for Lee Ann Womack.