Gary Allan's "Airplanes" Celebrated

Gary Allan photo courtesy of Universal Music Group Nashville.

July 9, 2008 — Songwriter Jonathan Singleton was honored Tuesday in Nashville for earning the first No. 1 single of his career with the Gary Allan hit "Watching Airplanes."

Performing rights organization ASCAP threw a party to toast Jonathan, who picked up awards at the gathering from the Country Music Association and Country Radio Broadcasters. Co-writer Jim Beavers, who was recognized by BMI for the same song earlier this year, was also on hand for the event, as was Gary, who said, "I just wanna thank you guys for writin’ it."

"Watching Airplanes" flew in the face of convention. It features an aggressive string section, has emotive lyrics — rather than following country music’s storytelling tradition — and uses a different key for the chorus than for the verses.

"That was a complete accident and kind of what makes the song really special," Jim says. "That’s not normal — especially in country music. Whether people knew it or not, I think that’s part of what people responded to in the song. I know it’s what Gary Allan responded to, ‘cause he’s told me."

Jim was in attendance Saturday when Gary kicked off his portion of Kenny Chesney’s Poets & Pirates stadium date in Nashville with "Airplanes." Jonathan saw Gary perform it earlier this year during the opening set at a Keith Urban concert in Knoxville.

"That was so big, it was like it was still not even real," Jonathan recalls. "I don’t even know what I was thinkin’. I went with [several people], and they were pokin’ me, and I was just sittin’ there like I didn’t know what to do. But I saw it, it was great. Maybe it’ll be real after [the No. 1 party]. It’s so official now."

Jonathan and Jim also collaborated as writers on the latest Billy Currington single, "Don’t." Jonathan is currently working on his debut album, which will likely be released by Universal South in early 2009.