Director Wes Pryor’s
Hank Cochran Documentary
To Premiere April 25 at the
Nashville Film Festival
NASHVILLE – April 6, 2012 — Hank Cochran: Livin’ For A Song, a bio-documentary of one of Nashville’s most fabled songwriters, will have its world premiere April 25 at 7 p. m. at the Regal Green Cinemas as part of the Nashville Film Festival. There will be a repeat showing on April 26 at 12 p. m.
The star-and-music-filled production is directed by Wes Pryor of Reel Cool Films and produced, written and edited by Greg Welsch of Toppa Poppa Jons Films. Singer Jeff Bates narrates.
Among those appearing in the film as commentators and/or performers are Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare, Elvis Costello, Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson (who has recorded an album of duet versions of Cochran’s songs), Lee Ann Womack, Ronnie Milsap, Jeannie Seeley (Grand Ole Opry star and Cochran’s second wife), Mark Chesnutt, Mandy Barnett and Mike Henderson.
The film uses dozens of interviews and archival footage and photos to trace Cochran’s life from his birth in Isola, Mississippi, in 1935 to his final days as a still-active songwriter and mentor to younger composers. Along the way it offers glimpses into such Cochran-penned hits as “Make The World Go Away” “I Fall To Pieces,” “She’s Got You,” “Ocean Front Property,” “The Chair,” “Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurtin’ Me,” “A Little Bitty Tear,” “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” “Don’t Touch Me,” “Why Can’t He Be You” and “He’ll Be Back.”
The Nashville Film Festival selected Hank Cochran: Livin’ For A Song from 2,800 entries. “This is my first film to be in a festival,” director Pryor notes. “For it to be picked by the Nashville Film Festival makes it even more exciting since I live here and have made a living playing music here for 20 years.” A drummer, Pryor has toured and recorded with such acts as Mark Chesnutt, Baillie & The Boys and Jeff Bates.
“I know Hank would be so proud,” Pryor continues, “because I was able to show him most of the film footage we shot [before he died in 2010], and he was overwhelmed, especially with the song performances.” Pryor credits songwriter Kirk Roth with suggesting the project and introducing him to Cochran.
Producer Welsch added, “Hank is a guy who defined a genre in American music and nobody really knows who he is. But everybody knows his tune. Hank is the classic example of ‘conspicuous only in his absence’. His is a story that needed to be told.”
Kenny Chesney’s producer, Buddy Cannon, who co-wrote with Cochran and is producing Jamey Johnson’s tribute project, remarks in the film, “I think Hank was put here on earth as a conduit for words.” Merle Haggard concurs, “I think he’s the Ernest Hemingway of country music.
Additional details on the film and its director are available at www.reelcoolfilms.com.