INTRODUCTION
Every year in June, thousands of country music fans descend on Nashville, Tennessee to meet their favorite performers at a festival called "Fan Fair". Many of those famous artists couldn't have made it to the top without a special song that lures the fans to buy it.

There are an estimated 80-thousand aspiring country music writers in Nashville, hoping their song will be chosen. We thought you'd like to meet one of those songwriters who's still "flirting with fame".

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing - "You can always come back home…."

NARRATOR
When we first met Terry Smith, "Light's On In My Heart" was his latest song.

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing - "…but he's beneath the welcome mat and the light's on in my heart…."

NARRATOR
He was just beginning to show it to a few people he knew in Nashville's music industry.

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing - "Lord I've been ready for years. I've stumbled through darkness and struggled through tears. Lord, I've been ready for years…."

NARRATOR
Terry has written some "hit" songs. Yet, after 30 years of writing professionally, he's still on the verge of a real breakthrough. But Terry says, he's reached the point in his career where that's okay with him:

TERRY SMITH
"I have learned in the last few years that there is an audience out there for what I do and my challenge is to try to reach them …with the resources that I have.

This is 16th Avenue - this is certainly one of the main drags of Music Row…"

NARRATOR
Reaching that audience involves a lot of Terry's own time, money, and wear and tear on his car. Terry doesn't have a contract with a record company -- so he markets his own music.

TERRY SMITH
"I need to get some tapes -- whether the labels are ready or not - I need to get some blank tapes."

NARRATOR
That means sending tapes and CD's out to fans…

…and driving to radio stations to ask them to play his songs.

TERRY SMITH
" 'Course people have got to hear your music, and that's why radio is so important."

NARRATOR
On this day, Terry has come to a small radio station, W-X-Y-E in Gallatin, Tennessee, just outside Nashville. W-X-Y-E is so small the government permits it to broadcast only during daylight hours.

W-X-Y-E's General Manager, Dick Deck, introduces Terry.

DICK DECK
"For those of you who are not familiar with Terry, I met Terry at a bluegrass pickin' over at, uh, what was it, James' house?"

TERRY SMITH
"Yeah, James Grey."

NARRATOR
It's a chance for listeners to get to know the songwriter and hear his music…

DICK DECK
"When did you decide that you could make a living doing this?"

TERRY SMITH
"Well, I've never really made a living doing this…" (Laughs)

NARRATOR
…And for Terry to hear from a caller:

TERRY SMITH
"Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

DICK DECK
"We have a listener!" (laughs)

NARRATOR
Switching from daytime to nighttime radio, Terry also makes a guest appearance on a much larger station: W-S-M in Nashville. It's an overnight show called "Opry Star Spotlight" hosted by Matthew Gillian.

MATTHEW GILLIAN
"Ooh, how 'bout that? Yeah, I like that stuff! That's great. Terry Smith."

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing - "…white shirts and neckties…"

NARRATOR
Mandolin player Elvin Raymer, and Jason Kirkham on base fiddle, accompany Terry.

NATURAL SOUND - music - "Jeans and good leather; son, I could be better in no time…"

MATTHEW GILLIAN
"Oh man, what a great song! Thank you."

NARRATOR
The invitation to sing on W-S-M radio is an important appearance for Terry -- a chance to let listeners know how they can get his music.

TERRY SMITH
"As you know, one of the problems with independent artists is distribution. The main place to get it is from me, ordering it from me directly."

NARRATOR
W-S-M radio has been on the air since 1925. It was on this station that the original Grand Ole Opry first began.

MATTHEW GILLIAN
"With the advent of the Grand Ole Opry -- to country music -- this is the Mother Church. This is it."

NATURAL SOUND - music

NARRATOR
When W-S-M first began to broadcast the "Opry," a vaudeville mix of country humor and music, it followed a serious opera performance on the air. One day, the announcer said, 'We've just heard grand opera. Now it's time for the 'grand Ole Opry.' "

NATURAL SOUND - music

NARRATOR
The Grand Ole Opry still plays to a full house. Tonight, Terry is backstage with Ernie Ashworth, a longtime member of the Opry:

ERNIE ASHWORTH
"Heading to the stage…Going to sing a song on the Grand Ole Opry tonight!"

NATURAL SOUND - announcer: "Ladies and gentlemen, say 'hello' and welcome Mr. Ernie Ashworth!"

NARRATOR
Ernie Ashworth sings "Far-Side Banks of Jordan," perhaps Terry's best-known song.

NATURAL SOUND - music - "…reaching for your hand…"

TERRY SMITH
"It's been sung here and I saw some people on the front row singing along, so I know that some people out there already know it, and that's cool, too."

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing - "I'll be waiting on the far-side bank of Jordan. I'll be sitting drawing pictures in the sand…"

NARRATOR
"Far-Side Banks of Jordan" has been recorded at least forty times and appeared on three Grammy-winning albums by other artists.

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing - "…through the shallow water, reaching for your hand…"

NARRATOR
It is also part of the musical score of a film called "The Apostle", starring Robert Duvall.

While "Far-Side Banks of Jordan" has had a lot of attention, Terry is reluctant to say it's his favorite:

TERRY SMITH
"Aw, that's like asking a parent which one of your kids is your favorite kid…."

NATURAL SOUND - music - Terry singing: "…bye Lord, by and by…"

NARRATOR
For Terry, playing music and singing is just as important as writing. So he often goes to Don and Betty Harris' house for a "jam session."

Anyone who "picks" the strings of a guitar, mandolin, or banjo can sit in.

NATURAL SOUND - music - Terry singing: "…Will the circle be unbroken…"

TERRY SMITH
"I call it 'going to music school' 'cause I always learn something when I'm there from these people who are good pickers."

NARRATOR
Terry also appears occasionally at Nashville's Broken Spoke Lounge, a place where he can listen and learn from other songwriters.

NATURAL SOUND - music

NARRATOR
Terry has the respect of his peers, but he wonders whether he still has time to make it to the top.

NATURAL SOUND - music - Terry singing: "…right proud of himself. You can't miss it, I began to sigh…"

TERRY SMITH
"You realize that time has, uh, has something to play in all that panning out."

NARRATOR
He's beginning to believe that achieving success is less about the money and more about the personal satisfaction he gets from his music.

NATURAL SOUND - Terry singing: "I'll come running through the shallow water, reaching for your hand…"

Nashville Songwriters Association International - http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com

Grand Ole Opry - http://208.200.175.236/

Radio station WSM - http://www.wsmonline.com/

Broken Spoke Songwriters Cafe - http://www.thespoke.net/

Fan Fair's Web site is: http://www.fanfair.com/