Kye Fleming

Rhonda Kye Fleming (born October 9, 1951) is an American singer/songwriter and music publisher in Nashville, Tennessee. She is best known for writing a series of hit songs in the 1980s, making productive collaborations with artists Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell. Fleming was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and has won more than 42 BMI Awards, including BMI Songwriter of the Year for 3 consecutive years (1981–83). Fifteen of her compositions have achieved a benchmark of one million performances each. Some of Fleming's most successful songs include: "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool", "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed", "Smoky Mountain Rain", "Years", "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World", "Nobody"," and "Give Me Wings". In 2012, she was an honoree of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Poets and Prophets series which honors songwriters deemed to have made a significant contribution to country music. The series featured an extended interview with Fleming before an audience at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and film clips, recordings, and photos of Fleming's life work and awards. In 1974, at the same time that Elvis Presley was playing a show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Fleming was singing in a hotel lounge in Tulsa, which happened to be the same hotel where Presley's band was staying. Presley players Jerry Scheff, Ronnie Tutt, and Glen Hardin heard her perform and were impressed with her songs. Scheff told her that if she came to California, he could introduce her to some music publishers. She took the offer, packed her Ford Econoline van and headed west. The first publisher who spoke with her signed her. at Pi-Gem Music, a meeting she described as "life-changing". She played some songs for him and said "tell me what you want and I can write it". This arrangement not only benefitted Collins, but also the authors because it gave them a much greater chance that their songs would be recorded by established artists. At one point, Collins requested a song something like "Appalachian Rain" about the area of North Carolina where Ronnie Milsap was born. Fleming and Morgan came up with the song "Smoky Mountain Rain" which became a huge hit for Milsap. Fleming said it was "a matter of just talking about it—what it feels like in the Smokies". The song went to number one on both the country charts and Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts. Rolling Stone named it as of the "100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". The song was designated the current "Tennessee State Song" in 2010 by the state legislature. She enjoyed working with Tom Collins' staff and developed a friendship with Collins' receptionist, Sylvia Jane Kirby (Allen), who had aspirations of becoming a recording artist herself. Collins finally acquiesced to her wish. Fleming and Morgan wrote two songs for the former receptionist who had decided to go only by her first name, Sylvia. These were "Tumbleweed" and "Nobody". The former was a top 10 hit, and latter reached #1 on the country charts and was a crossover hit, reaching #15 on the pop charts. The song "Nobody" was nominated for a Grammy and won BMI's 1982 Song of the Year for receiving more radio air play than any other song.

Branching out Her reputation now established, Fleming moved on to writing other types of music including pop, R&B, and contemporary Christian. She co-wrote with successful singer/songwriter Janis Ian, including the hits "What About the Love" (Amy Grant) and "Some People's Lives" (Bette Midler). She co-wrote with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Don Schlitz, creating the number one hit "Give Me Wings" (Michael Johnson). She also wrote material for prime-time television shows Murder She Wrote, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, and Sonny & Cher. Later, Fleming became a music publisher and a mentor. She said, "I really love working with writers and artists whose dreams are on fire, but before they've had anything happen." She formed KyeCatt Music, partnering with fellow songwriter Catt Gravitt. A major portion of the publishing rights to the Kye Fleming Song Catalog has been acquired by Hearts Bluff Music.

Awards and honors Academy of Country Music Poet's Award (2019) Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2009) BMI Songwriter of the Year x 3 years (1981–83) NSAI Songwriter of the Year x 2 years (1981–82) over 42 BMI Awards in her career multiple CMA, ACM, DOVE and GRAMMY nominations BMI Country Song of the Year, (1983), "Nobody" (10 million broadcast performances) author Tennessee State Song (2010) "Smoky Mountain Rain"