Clay Mills is a 2x Grammy nominee and 16x ASCAP Award-winning songwriter.

Clay has written 6 #1 songs, including Darius Rucker‘s huge hit, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” He has six Top 5 singles, 12 Top 40 singles, and he has over 150 major artist cuts from an awesomely diverse group of stars including Babyface, Lady Antebellum, Reba McEntire, LoneStar, Darius Rucker, Trisha Yearwood and Easton Corbin. Clay is also the co-founder, with his partner, hit songwriter, Marty Dodson, of an incredible resource for songwriters – Songtown USA – check it out!

“Let’s write a romantic song. Your record is 80% done and there’s no song on it about romance and falling in love.” I said those words to Darius Rucker and producer Frank Rogers while sitting in a writing room on Music Row in Nashville. I?’d never written with Frank and he’d co-written some of my favorite songs on radio. A week earlier, I?’d been invited by him to hear most of Darius’s first country solo project and I was blown away. I knew, though, if I was going to get another song on the record, I couldn’t write a song they already had. I needed something they DIDN’T have? and I thought I had it all planned.

So here we all sat, and I excitedly let the words fly, “Let’s write something romantic!” Frank looked down at his notepad and threw out the title “History In The Making.” Silence (seconds ticking by). More silence (more seconds). I was thinking, ?Hmmmm…this title does not strike me as romantic at all.? It didn’t conjure images of cozy fireplaces. Did not make me want to make out with the love of my life (tick-tock). Then I had a revelation: “Write the song in the room. Just write the song in the room.”

You see, I?’ve always believed that creativity is a river. It’s always flowing and always present. This river was flowing through the room that day and it carried the title, “History In The Making.” It’s not my job to judge or question it. It?’s my obligation to trust it, to respect and trust my co-writers, and jump into that river. So I dove in headfirst and threw out the first lines:

“Don’t move, Baby don’t move,

Awww look at you

I just want to take this in.”

And we were off. Frank liked the groove…

Read the rest and listen to Clay’s original Guitar/Vocal Worktape from the writing session of “History In The Making” at Songtown USA !

Listen to some of Clay’s hits & watch videos on Clay’s profile page at Hookist!

Get Clay’s killer new book which was the #1 New Release at Amazon!

And check out Songtown USA which is an awesome resource for songwriters. Learn the craft, the biz and, when you’re ready, get connected!

Check out other Road Stories!