Dave Berg
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Dave Berg actually cut his teeth in rock bands. He certainly never intended to become a country songwriter, but in 1995, found himself with a Top 5 hit, “I Want My Goodbye Back”, recorded by Ty Herndon. “Where I grew up, you didn’t listen to country. It wasn’t cool. But I kept watching CMT and I’d think, ‘wow, the lyric in that song is incredible’,” he says. So, with a hit single climbing the charts, Berg decided to take the plunge and make the move to Nashville.
“I think Nashville is the Harvard of songwriting,” he says, only half-joking. “And I’d venture to say that I’ve probably got more out of my education than most, considering the hands-on experience of writing with some of the best tunesmiths in the world.”
In 2004 he scored his first #1 country song, Reba McEntire’s “Somebody,” which lead to a non-stop focus on songwriting for the Country market, and a streak of hit singles. This streak would result in five #1 songs, and many awards and honors including being named 2008 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, 2007 Billboard and NSAI Songwriter of the Year and writing the 2007 Billboard & ASCAP Country Song of the Year, “If You’re Goin’ Through Hell” recorded by Rodney Atkins. Another number one song, Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy,” earned Keith a Grammy for Country Male Performance of the Year. Other number one hits include Rodney Atkins’ “These Are My People” and Emerson Drive’s “Moments.” Notable charting hits include Blake Shelton’s “Don’t Make Me,” Bucky Covington’s “It’s Good To Be Us” and Chris Cagle’s “What Kinda Gone.”
Berg’s songs have been recorded and performed by some of country music’s finest artists, including Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Jewel, Cassadee Pope, Emerson Drive, Maggie Rose, Jimmy Wayne, Tracy Lawrence, Tracy Byrd, Gretchen Wilson, Sarah Buxton, Halfway To Hazard, Jason Michael Carroll, Emily West and James Otto.