Songwriter Bios

Debra Griner | Debra, born and raised in New Jersey, began her musical journey as an actor after graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC.  In addition to performing Off-Broadway, she began appearing on the New York cabaret scene in popular night spots such as Don’t Tell Mama’s and Danny’s Skylight Room.  Debra launched her first singer/songwriter album, Bound to Rise, at The Bitter End on Bleeker Street.  She has appeared at the ROMP Bluegrass Festival in Owensboro, KY, with “American Flyer” and toured Holland with “Bianca Bob & Flystrip.”

Since moving to Nashville in late 2022, Debra has been interviewed on Equestrian Legacy Radio Network’s, Live: From Nashville and featured on the Hang On to Your Daydreams video podcast with Kim Wood. 

She has been a guest on WMOT’s American Roots radio for their weekly showcase, Finally Friday. And most recently at East Tennessee’s own WDVX in Knoxville, performing live on The Blue Plate Special.

Some of Nashville’s most respected writers like Buddy Mondlock (The Kid), and mega-hit writer, Rory Bourke (The Most Beautiful Girl) have embraced Debra.  Add to that Grammy-winners, Steve Leslie (Brand New Strings), who co-produced her latest project, as well as Don Henry and Jon Vezner  (Where’ve You Been?) both of whom appear on A Place To Start.

Debra is forever grateful to Beth Drake, with whom she created Westminster Presbyterian’s weekly Songwriters Circle, where local writers can share their music and is thrilled that you can see some of them at live shows right here in the Café!

Albums:  Bound to Rise (2011), On the Bluegrass Trail (2014), A Place To Start (2023) available on all major streaming platforms.  DebraGriner.com

WT Davidson | WT was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, where he cut his teeth playing local spots like The Mill and the Sanctuary. He moved to Nashville in the fall of 1974, having neglected to graduate from college. WT put himself to work as a performing songwriter right off and had the good fortune to have his song “Paintin’ This Old Town Blue” recorded by Crystal Gayle in 1977, and “The Blues Don’t Get Tired of Me” by the great Millie Jackson a few years later.

His biggest thrill as a songwriter came when Ray Charles recorded “They Call It Love” in 1984. He is also very proud to have both “She’s Real” and “Gee, I’m Glad I Worried About That” recorded by the late Michael Johnson, a unique talent and great friend.

WT has played with his band “The Bad Eggs” and as a solo artist from the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville to The Speakeasy in New York City to the Green Awning in Portland, Oregon.

Jim Moran | Jim is a 35-year veteran of the Nashville songwriter community. If we are judged by the company we keep, he’s done well. His friends have won Grammys, Emmys, Oscars, Tonys, and Pulitzer Prizes; become Hall of Fame inductees; written countless hit and #1 songs; won festival and songwriting competitions; and probably a bunch have won Good Citizen and elementary and high school achievement awards. 

Jim has been playing guitar and writing songs since he was 12 years old when Santa brought him a ‘59 Gibson Melody Maker that looked suspiciously like the one owned by the older kid next door and a gift certificate for 10 guitar lessons. He took classical and ragtime guitar lessons; discovered folk, blues and jug band music; was captured by the British invasion; and fell in love with the singer/songwriter genre led by Dylan, Paul Simon,  Randy Newman, James Taylor, John Hartford, Cat Stevens, and others.  

Prior to moving to Nashville in 1989, Jim performed as a solo artist as well as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in duo, trio, and other ensembles. He’s opened or shared bills with national acts such as Dave Van Ronk, Artie Traum, Laura Nyro, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott,  Buddy Mondlock, and Greg Brown. He has since written songs and shared the stage with some of Nashville’s finest singer/songwriters/musicians, and edited and wrote arrangements for the Randy Newman For Guitar song folio published by Alfred in 2005.  He’s hosted an annual Nashville Sings Newman charity event for several years, performing his arrangements alongside and with some of the city’s finest A-list musicians and Hall of Fame songwriters. His YouTube channel features many of his solo guitar Randy Newman arrangements and original songs.

Ed Branding | Like so many children, Ed took piano lessons. But he preferred playing by ear – hearing a song and playing a scaled down version of it. He liked a variety of music. Favorite albums range from the silver Chicago album (especially side 2) to "Days of Future Past," the first album from the Moody Blues, to soundtracks like "How the West Was Won" and the 1967 version (the goofy, fun one) of "Casino Royale," composed by Burt Bacharach. (YouTube them.) And lots of instrumentals: "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," "And I Love Her," and others.

Coming out of his divorce, Ed found himself writing. He doesn't know from whence it came, didn't try to, it just showed up. While he enjoys writing and performing whole songs with lyrics, his starting (and often stopping) place is melody. So he enjoys sharing his instrumentals at the Westminster Cafe on Tuesday mornings. A soothing mix of slow sads and church pieces meant to lend background to the tilers on Mah-Jongg day and anyone who wants to drop in for some relaxing notes and a comforting cuppa. And he is the lyrics-singing piano player in a guitar pull every Thursday at the Cafe.

He plays the Bluebird Cafe twice a year, is the cocktail music for a couple of fundraising events, is part of Good Friday and Thanksgiving services at area churches, plays on Wednesday evenings when Westminster hosts Room In The Inn and goes to Drexel Street to feed there. Otherwise, no website, no CDs, no gig list, no merch – he is Off The Grid.

You must be present to hear.