Billy Yates, Songwriters Raise Money for Children in Nashville

Nashville songwriter Billy Yates had an idea. Why not use his annual fan club gathering to raise money for children who might miss out on Christmas? The result: Yates completed his tenth annual "Christmas for the Children" gathering Wednesday nights, highlighted by appearances by Jeff Bates, Michael Peterson, and Sheri Austin.

Yates' annual fan club meeting, held in conjunction with the city's CMA Music Festival, started as a collection of songwriters who showcased the hits they had written for more famous performers. That format was retained for one segment, with performances by Paul Overstreet ("Digging up Bones," for Randy Travis), Win Barber ("Waitin' on a Woman," for Brad Paisley) and Kerry Kirt Phillips ("Almost Home" for Craig Morgan; "Down on the Farm" for Tim McGraw).

Former Statler Brothers' tenor Jimmy Fortune was one of the most popular performers, singing his popular "Elizabeth" and showcasing his next release, "In God We Trust."

Peterson performed his self-penned "Hump Day," and followed that with a duet with his daughter Paula - "The Man Who Made My Mama Cry."

Opry veteran George Hamilton IV performed a re-written version of his classic hit, "Abilene." The new variation, "Gasoline," complained about the rising gas prices.

Bates was the final act, performing his first hit, "Long Slow Kisses.' Most of the performers returned to the stage for the finale - Yates leading the group in his self-penned tune (and a hit for George Jones), "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair."

Yates' tunes include another Jones' hit, "Choices." He is also popular as a performer in Europe, a fact illustrated by a large number of European fans in the audience that included music lovers from Sweden, The Netherlands, and Germany.

Proceeds from the performance go to "Christmas for the Children," a charity that takes lower income kids on Christmas buying trips in December. Profit from the ticket sales was supplemented by a silent auction of hand-written lyric sheets signed by the songwriters.

Totals from this year's event were incomplete, but more than 300 fans crammed into the Earnest Tubb Record Shop theater on Music Valley Drive. That means the show probably topped its total of $6,000 raised in 2008.

Yates does much of the work for the project himself. That includes licking and mailing envelopes to ticket buyers. "All of you who got your tickets by mail, you've also got a sample of my DNA," he joked.

Maybe. But a room full of fans got some great music. And some kids will enjoy next Christmas.