Blue Sky Riders Perform at Center for the Arts Tonight

The Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, and Gary Burr trio Blue Sky Riders make Nashville and modern pop music collide in Smothers Theatre at Pepperdine University tonight, September 19 at 8 p.m.

Tickets, priced starting at $40 for adults and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at arts.pepperdine.edu. More information: blueskyridersband.com/

The pop-country trio is a fresh creative step forward for three veteran singer/songwriters. Bringing along the close harmonies and folky guitar styles of both coasts, Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, and Gary Burr use the Nashville sound to unite their voices in genre-defying music.

The creative spark that turned into Blue Sky Riders struck Kenny Loggins and Gary Burr as they worked on their first song together.

"The best part," says Loggins, "was that when we sang together, we sounded like brothers. The last time I experienced that kind of blend was with Jimmy Messina in 1971."

Loggins, one of the premiere voices in modern popular music, called Burr, one of Nashville's most accomplished writers, afterward and asked if he'd like to form a band. Then he suggested they look for a third, female voice.

"I've got the perfect person," said Burr. "Georgia Middleman. She's the best I've ever worked with." Loggins flew to Nashville and the three sat down to write. With that, Blue Sky Riders was a reality.

Kenny Loggins' career is filled with magic moments. His hits, early on as half of Loggins and Messina and then as a solo artist, include "Danny's Song," "House at Pooh Corner," "Your Mama Don't Dance," "Angry Eyes," and "Whenever I Call You Friend" (with Stevie Nicks), as well as a series of movie theme songs, including "Footloose" (Footloose) and "Danger Zone" (Top Gun). His songs have been covered by award-winning artists, including Barbra Streisand and Lynn Anderson. Loggins and Michael McDonald co-wrote "What A Fool Believes," which received a Grammy for Song of the Year, and "This Is It," which earned Loggins a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal.

Gary Burr has been named Songwriter of the Year by ASCAP, Billboard and NSAI. His hits include Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me," Conway Twitty's "That's My Job" and Wynonna's "To Be Loved By You," and his songs have been covered by LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, George Jones, Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among many others. He has written and performed with Ringo Starr and topped the charts with Kelly Clarkson's "Before Your Love" and Clay Aiken's "This is the Night."

Georgia Middleman was still a teenager when she began opening for artists like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. Drawn to Nashville's creative energy, she quickly landed a publishing deal with Polygram and released the well-received Endless Possibilities on Giant Records. She wrote Keith Urban's 2010 chart-topper "I'm In," and singles including Tracy Lawrence's "It's All How You Look At It" and Sarah Buxton's "Innocence." Her songs have been recorded by Faith Hill,

Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, Mark Chesnutt and Joe Nichols, among many others.

Blue Sky Riders released their debut album, Finally Home, on their own record label, 3Dream Records, on January 29, 2013.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from 664 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.